Blues had a sniff, but then Freo showed up

CARLTON teased for a half before normal service resumed in a 29-point loss to fellow battler Fremantle at Perth Stadium last night.

Having twice led by 19 points during the second quarter and still by 13 points at halftime, it all fell apart for the Blues in the third stanza as the Dockers piled on seven goals to none.

The Dockers were driven by excellent games from midfield pair Lachie Neale and Ed Langdon as they avoided a loss that could have plunged the club into crisis mode.

The ever-consistent Neale had a game-high 34 touches, 10 clearances and a goal, while Langdon ran all day for his 31 disposals to go with a goal.

Langdon emerged unscathed from a frightful thirdterm collision when he bravely charged back with the flight in front of Harry McKay and teammate Michael Johnson.

Cam McCarthy returned to form with three goals, while livewire Michael Walters ended the game on the bench with a hamstring injury and his season could be over.

Patrick Cripps led from the front for the Blues, having three score assists to go with his 32 disposals and eight clearances.

There was plenty to like about the visitors early, who won just their fourth opening quarter of the season as Charlie Curnow set the tone. They continued to pose some problems for the Dockers during the second term.

Led by Cripps, who had 18 of his touches in the first half, Carlton dominated the contested-ball battle (plus 24 for the half) and edged Fremantle in the clearances.

Young ruckman Sean Darcy was controlling the hit-out battle against Matthew Lobbe, who went it alone after the withdrawal of Matthew Kreuzer. But Lobbe was more than making up for it with some useful touches around the ground.

The Dockers turned the contested-ball battle on its head in the third term and punished a series of sloppy Carlton errors, with Tommy Sheridan’s goal at the nineminute mark putting them in front for the first time.

The floodgates had opened and the wheels were completely off just before threequarter time when Cameron Polson was caught holding the ball, resulting in a Freo goal.