Match

Carlton vs Port Adelaide

Commentary / 17 Apr 2021

Pre Game

00:00
This season, both these sides have been superior at the stoppages, with Carlton (plus-1.5) and Port Adelaide (plus-4.0) averaging more clearances than their opposition, helped by an advantage in hit outs per game to both the Blues (plus-2.5) and the Power (plus-3.5) respectively.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
04:27
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Jack Newnes)
05:49
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Travis Boak)
06:07
Power Interchange - Hamish Hartlett off due to the blood rule.
06:21
Power Interchange - Charlie Dixon off due to the blood rule.
08:15
Neither side is yet to hit the scoreboard for a major. Carlton has won six more ground balls than the Port Adelaide (9-3). The Blues they have let themselves down with just 33 per cent of their kicks effective, compared to 71 per cent by the Power.
09:08
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Steven Motlop)
10:01
Power Interchange - Steven Motlop off due to an injury.
12:30
SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)
12:34
As noted pre-game, Port Adelaide's style relies on scoring from defensive 50 transition, and it has found its first goal launched from Aliir in the back 50. Aliir recorded 23 disposals last round against the Tigers, his highest tally in a match since 2018.
14:24
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Zac Williams)
15:47
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Lachie Fogarty)
17:15
A loose ball get away from a midfield stoppage from Sam Docherty has resulted in a fine goal to Lachie Fogarty. Carlton has won five more loose ball gets than Port Adelaide to date (10-5).
18:01
SCORE GOAL - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
18:58
Port Adelaide hits straight back with a goal to Georgiades launched from the centre clearance to Dan Houston. That's one up for the Power, as this season the Blues average 7.8 additional points per game than their opponents from centre clearances (ranked third).
20:23
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Sam Walsh)
20:30
It's goal for goal at the MCG as Sam Walsh levels the scores once more with a fine set shot from 48 metres. He has had a strong start to the match, already winning three clearances and seven disposals to go with his first goal.
24:14
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Patrick Cripps)
25:19
SCORE GOAL - Power (Robbie Gray)
25:46
Robbie Gray's love affair with Carlton continues, banging through his 29th career goal in just his 14th match against the Blues. His average of 2.1 goals per game against Carlton is well ahead of his career average of 1.4 goals per game.
27:01
SCORE GOAL - Power (Orazio Fantasia)
27:34
Blues Interchange - Sam Docherty off due to an injury.
27:45
Both teams have won three centre clearances apiece, but it's the Power with two goals as a direct result of their trio. The Blues have only taken possession from one centre clearance inside 50, and are yet to register a score from this source.
28:58
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Levi Casboult)
29:27
Levi Casboult pulls one back for the Blues with a snap shot from general play. Prior to this match, only 20 of Casboult's 150 career goals had been kicked from general play.
31:47
It took over 12 minutes for the first goal of this match, but the following 19 minutes returned seven goals in an enthralling contest. There wasn't much between the sides, but Port Adelaide's kicking effectiveness of 70 per cent was superior to Carlton's at 47 per cent.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:54
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
04:05
SCORE GOAL - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
04:16
Power Interchange - Dan Houston off due to an injury.
04:52
A bright start for Port Adelaide in the second term, with two scores from its first two forward 50 entries. The goal to Georgiades was launched from a Darcy Byrne-Jones intercept, who now has two intercepts for the term and a team-high three for the game.
06:51
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ollie Wines)
07:43
The Blues' defence is under real pressure to start the second quarter. The Power has recorded the first five forward 50 entries of the term, scoring from four of them (80 per cent). Prior to this match, this season Carlton concedes a score from an average of 45 per cent of its oppositions' inside 50s (ranked eighth).
07:44
SCORE GOAL - Power (Robbie Gray)
11:24
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Levi Casboult)
12:02
Sam Docherty's intercept mark in defensive 50 has set up Carlton's first transition goal for the game, with Levi Casboult kicking his second in total. Docherty has recorded nine kicks (with all but one effective), and a game-high 266 metres gained.
12:48
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
13:29
Power Interchange - Hamish Hartlett off due to an injury.
20:01
Robbie Gray is putting on a goal kicking clinic with three majors before half time. Port Adelaide has now converted five of 13 possession chains launched in defensive 50 into forward 50 (38 per cent), well above the league average of 22 per cent this season.
22:37
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Zac Williams)
26:05
SCORE GOAL - Power (Scott Lycett)
26:38
That's now three goals for the half kicked by Port Adelaide off the back of possession chains originated inside defensive 50. It is worth noting prior to this match, Carlton had allowed its opposition to score from just 5.1 per cent of their defensive 50 chains, ranked first defensively.
28:32
Port Adelaide's transition game was too potent for Carlton in the second term. The Power kicked four goals launched from intercepts for the quarter, and averaged 5.9 disposals per turnover, considerably more than the Blues' 4.4 disposals per turnover.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:48
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Harry McKay)
01:37
Sam Walsh has won the first centre clearance of the second half, resulting in a mark and goal to Harry McKay. Walsh has won a team-high 17 disposals and has recorded equal team-highs in clearances (four) and score involvements (five).
02:33
SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)
03:51
SCORE GOAL - Power (Karl Amon)
04:22
Two straight centre clearances to Port Adelaide and two quick goals as a result. The Power has won eight centre clearances, taking six resulting possession chains inside 50, resulting in 3.1 (19). The Blues have returned 1.1 (7) from their eight centre clearances.
05:46
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Levi Casboult)
06:33
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Mitch McGovern)
08:24
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Mitch McGovern)
09:02
Perhaps the loss of Dan Houston for the match has upset the Port Adelaide defensive unit, but Carlton has scored from each of its four forward 50 entries for the term. The Blues have retained possession from all kicks inside 50 for the quarter, compared to just 60 per cent in the first half.
13:29
SCORE GOAL - Power (Orazio Fantasia)
13:38
A second fantastic goal to Fantasia as Port Adelaide pushes the margin back out to 27 points. The Power has been far more potent from general play, kicking 6.2 (38) compared to the Blues' 1.2 (8) from that shot source.
14:37
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
16:58
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
18:30
Blues Interchange - Jacob Weitering off due to an injury.
18:35
Port Adelaide is out to a game-high 31-point lead through Mitch Georgiades with his third major. The young Power forward recorded four marks inside 50, one score assist, one goal and six score involvements last week against the Tigers.
20:16
SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)
20:28
Reflecting a similar pattern to the first quarter, once again Port Adelaide has been far cleaner than Carlton for the term. The Power has recorded a 77 per cent kicking effectiveness for the quarter, well ahead of the Blues' 48 per cent.
22:13
Power Interchange - Todd Marshall off due to an injury.
22:48
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Harry McKay)
24:43
SCORE GOAL - Power (Boyd Woodcock)
25:38
Port Adelaide has won possession on four occasions inside its forward 50 for the term, kicking a goal from three of the resulting possession chains (75 per cent). This conversion rate is significantly above the league average of 26 per cent this season.
31:07
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Willem Drew)
31:53
Port Adelaide focussed on quality over quantity in the third quarter, recording 33 more disposals than Carlton even with five fewer forward 50 entries. The Powers' control paid dividends, managing six goals from just 13 forward 50 entries to take full control of the match.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
05:12
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
06:53
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Connor Rozee)
07:29
Port Adelaide's goal kicking accuracy tonight cannot be better emphasised than its record from distance. From outside 40 metres, the Power has kicked 8.0 (48), with the Blues kicking just 2.2 (14) from this distance range.
11:29
Matthew Cottrell has broken the drought in an otherwise uninspiring final quarter with a terrific goal from the boundary. Carlton has been marginally stronger this term, with 11 per cent additional game time in possession than Port Adelaide.
12:23
Blues Interchange - Harry McKay off due to the blood rule.
16:16
Scott Lycett has been the best big man on the ground, winning game-high hitouts (23) with almost half to advantage (11). He has also followed up his ruck work with five clearances, including three at the centre bounce, as well as kicking a major.
20:20
SCORE GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)
20:53
The Power has been lethal in capitalising on the Blues' turnovers. Port Adelaide has won one fewer intercept (67) than Carlton (68), however on the counter-attack it has launched 61 points from those intercepts, compared to just 27 points by the Blues.
22:09
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Tom Williamson)
25:17
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Michael Gibbons)
25:58
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Jack Newnes)
26:08
A late goal to Jack Newnes marks just Carlton's third goal from general play for the match. Port Adelaide has kicked seven goals from general play.
29:37
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Marc Pittonet)
31:13
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Harry McKay)
31:35
Port Adelaide was professional and precise in a convincing 28-point win over Carlton. Although they conceded ten additional forward 50 entries across the match, until three-quarter time the Powers' kicking effectiveness of 73 per cent was far superior to the Blues' 57 per cent.