Blues snatch win over TigersEmma Quayle
The Age
July 29, 2012 CARLTON 4.2 7.5 10.11 14.11 (95)
RICHMOND 5.2 5.7 8.11 13.13 (91)
GOALS
Carlton: Betts 4, Thornton 2, Armfield 2, Carrazzo, McLean, Garlett, Casboult, Murphy, Bell.
Richmond: Martin 3, Cotchin 3, Nahas 2, Tuck 2, Newman, McGuane, Grigg.
BEST
Carlton: Murphy, McLean, Betts, Garlett, Curnow, Armfield, Jamison, Carrazzo
Richmond: Tuck, Cotchin, Deledio, Grigg, Martin, Rance
UMPIRES S Hay, B Rosebury, D Margetts.
CROWD 46,013 at MCG.
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WHEN Carlton and Richmond met for the first time this season, four months ago, anything was possible for either of them.
The Blues were, if not premiership favourites, about to be: healthy, intact and in form. The Tigers were the team people were waiting on: had they improved since the last time we saw them?
It said plenty about what has happened since that the pivotal moment of last night's match came in the final 30 seconds, when McLean passed a ball into the goal square and watched it float past him for a game winning goal, one that killed Richmond's year and kept his own side's bubbling. Just.
Richmond began like a side that knew it needed to do something, to steer the game a certain way, to make things happen. Again and again the Tigers were able to not only clear their forward line out almost completely, but make sure Trent Cotchin was the player in there. Twice he worked his way to the front of Marcus Davies, and twice he took marks and kicked goals.
Dustin Martin added three of this own and, together, the pair had also combined for 22 possessions, many of them coming much higher up the ground. They had given the Blues something to think about. The question was whether they had given them enough to think about.
Richmond did a bit more running in the opening term, using handballs to break away. But the Blues had scrounged four goals of their own to trail by just one. Carlton was winning plenty of the ball and laying enough tackles to suggest that if it was lagging, it didn't really want to be.
By the second quarter, the Blues were making sure there wasn't nearly enough empty space in the Richmond forward line. The Tigers blew four chances to stretch their lead, and missed out on another goal when a Shane Edwards soccer kick in the goal square was denied on video review.
But around the ball, McLean, Marc Murphy, Ed Curnow and Andrew Carrazzo made sure Cotchin, Martin and others had a whole lot more to get done before they could even think about slipping forward.
Jeff Garlett's attack on the ball saw him challenge that quartet for centre clearances — 11 of his 18 possessions were either cleared from the centre square or sent inside-50. Bret Thornton and Eddie Betts, like they did against the Western Bulldogs last week, worked out how to fit in with one another, Betts finishing with four goals and Thornton two. With Jamison having settled in against Jack Riewoldt, they got more organised in defence, bringing players such as Chris Yarran further into the play.
This began as an even contest. It became a wrestle, swinging from side to side. After half-time, Richmond got going again and found some other unique ways to goal: Shane Tuck snapped his first, Luke McGuane drifted down from defence and was able to mark Riewoldt's short pass, then score from the 50-metre line. A review this time went against Betts after another soccer kick.
Being behind only seemed to reinvigorate the side that was trailing — a sign, perhaps, of where both are at: hanging in. Betts took a tough mark, with players coming at him from most directions, and got Carlton back to within two points. Tom Bell took an even better one, dragging the ball from his right hand to left as it flew almost over his shoulder. A Garlett goal — Thornton cleverly flicking the ball with both hands over his head to him — put the Blues in front at the last break.
That only meant it was Richmond's turn. Goals to Tuck and Robin Nahas meant it was within a point six minutes in. Levi Casboult's mark and goal kept the Blues rolling, but Richmond scored three in a row through Chris Newman, Cotchin and Shaun Grigg — the latter's quick kick towards goal coming as he was in the middle of being slung to ground in a tackle but clearing two players in the square.
Heading into time-on, the Tigers were 13 points clear. Before McLean had his moment, Dennis Armfield streamed into goal, Thornton completed a free kick and both teams blew half chances at both ends, without giving up. After belting the ball into a completely empty forward line with two minutes left, Martin ran more than 100 metres to smother a Carlton defender's kick.
There were about 45 seconds left when Steven Morris' desperate kick out of defence, as a desperate Betts closed, flew out of bounds.
There were about 30 to go when McLean gently passed the ball towards Casboult, who was, fortunately as it turned out, forced just to the left by Jayden Post. The ball flew past both, Carlton finished in front and McLean, a player who was nowhere near the senior side four months ago, kept the Blues' season ticking.
CUBS STAND UPIf the Tigers were to keep their fading finals dream alive they were going to need maximum output from their most talented youngsters. Damien Hardwick could have no grounds for complaints with the contribution of two of his brightest young stars in a first quarter. Dustin Martin went forward and made a huge impact with nine disposals and three goals, while Trent Cochin also made the most of his time inside 50, bagging a brace.
SOCCER TACTICS Wet and greasy conditions give an advantage to those who can play the ball off the ground, soccer style. The Blues had the better in that department early, courtesy of Eddie Betts - and two video review decisions that both went in their favour. Betts pounced in the first quarter with the video judge giving his strike the all clear. Then, after driving through from midfield, he pounced on a loose ball to goal off the ground in the second quarter. In between, Bryce Gibbs appeared to fluff an attempted clearance close to his own goal, offering Tiger Shane Edwards a chance. This time the review judge ruled no goal.
McLEAN THE HEROIs it better to have a free-flowing, freescoring game where one team is dominant, or a low-scoring encounter like this that delivers in thrills what it might lack in goals? Purists might go for the former, but neutrals would surely favour the latter. The lead see-sawed all night as both sides waited for a hero to emerge. Step forward Brock McLean, who delivered the goal that gave the Blues a four-point win after the Tigers had led by 13 deep into the final term. - MICHAEL LYNCH
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