Carlton end winless blues
CARLTON have finally joined the party in the AFL’s upsetladen season, earning their first win of 2019 with a 44point defeat of the Western Bulldogs.
Patrick Cripps led the way yesterday with a superb 36possession game in the Blues’ breakthrough 15.11 (101) to 7.15 (57) win.
He had plenty of support, with Harry McKay (four goals), Sam Petrevski-Seton (35 disposals) and Liam Jones running the show at Marvel Stadium. Carlton led from the first minute and increased their margin at each change – yet still there was a nervousness in the stands, given their inability to close matches out.
That dispelled as the Blues closed in on 100 points, with fans bursting into an early rendition of the club song to celebrate just their fourth win in 37 games.
Fittingly, it fell to fifth-game star and No.1 draft pick Sam Walsh – the personification of the Blues’ rebuild – to deliver their first century in 60 games, snapping home with a solitary second remaining.
Bulldogs fans made an early exit after seeing their out-ofsorts side lose a third-straight game. The Dogs were simply never in it against a well-oiled Carlton machine.