Weitering leaves King to go third man up to spoil Casboult in the square but doesn’t kill in, King roves and gives to Fiorini for a snap from the pocket 15m out… touched by Saad. (Q1 8:27)
Davies sends a long speculator up the flank to a pack of six big blokes 25m out, Casboult clunks it in front of Kemp and steers through the first goal of the afternoon, finally. (Q1 13:02)
Pittonet is pinged for a hold in ruck 20m out in the pocket, Casboult misses across the face with a drop punt. (Q1 16:04)
Ballard intercepts on the wing and starts a switch through Anderson, Ainsworth does a one-two on the boundary 40m out to get rid of Cincotta and curls in a fabulous finish! (Q1 17:17)
Martin roves in the pocket, swerves long enough to avoid the chasing Atkins and pokes a lovely inside ball off his left to Cerra on his own at the hotspot. Cerra goals. (Q1 20:48)
Collins falcons a sideways kick in the centre as the sun got in his eyes, Blues sweep forward on the fat side, Acres passes short to Cuningham 45m out on a slight angle, no score. (Q1 26:18)
Lukosius tries to go long and quick from the wing down the flank to King who only has a small on him, but the ball clears him and bounces for a behind. (Q1 27:48)
Gold Coast is clearly going better than Carlton, but not by much. Neither side is prepared to take the game on enough to bust it open, too much bum-covering slow plays. (Qtr Time)
Halfway through Q1 the clearances were 11-6 Gold Coast’s way, with the scoring chances reflecting that even if the Suns couldn’t kick straight. After that it was all slow rebounds. (Qtr Time)
Cripps sets Walsh to run away from the first bounce of Q2 and goes long, McKay goes over the top of Charlie Curnow to juggle the mark 20m out on a slight angle, he kicks straight. (Q2 0:29)
That was more like it from Carlton! And of course it was Cripps who starts it all. (Q2 0:47)
Docherty takes advantage from a 50m penalty at half back to pass to Martin then receive back for a the kick inside 50 to Cottrell 45m in front. Cottrell delivers the goal. (Q2 3:48)
Another Carlton centre clearance with Cripps involved, Andrew leaves Owies to spoil but Owies roves and grubbers to the square, sits up for Cottrell to volley home! (Q2 6:14)
Carlton out of the centre again, Witts spoils at the hotspot, Long roves but gets caught HTB by Owies, another Blues goal! Now they are cooking. (Q2 7:44)
Blues out of the centre quickly again, Ballard curses as his man Charlie Curnow marks on the lead 30m out on a slight angle and kicks straight as well! (Q2 8:44)
Walsh it was with the goal assist inside 50 kick for that Curnow goal, he was involved in the chain for the previous one as well. (Q2 9:24)
Newman goes long from 55m in front, the ball clears McKay and bounces right for a point. (Q2 12:29)
Lukosius marks an Atkins wobbler at half forward and spots Ainsworth on a hook lead to 25m out on a slight angle, but his set shot is poor for a behind. (Q2 14:00)
Cottrell misses a pass inside 50, loose ball over Martin’s head to the pocket but he gathers and goes inboard to Cerra 40m out on a slight angle. Cerra misses to the left. (Q2 15:05)
Macpherson roves in the pocket and blazes OOTF but gets dumped late by De Koning, downfield free on the boundary to Atkins 20m out who checksides wide. (Q2 17:12)
Carlton rebounds up the guts from that kick in with speed and precision, Kennedy passes to McKay near the hotspot, he tries a J-curve set shot and works it through in his 100th. (Q2 18:05)
Walsh speeds away from the next bounce at full pace, De Koning marks at the back of a pack at the hotspot and goals as well. (Q2 19:40)
Davies has been moved to the mids as the Blues are dominating, he was too Cripps conscious on that play as he left the ball to tackle, Walsh accepted the crumb gleefully. (Q2 20:30)
Martin marks on the HFF in front of Jeffrey after another Blue centre clearance, he kicks to the square, Fogarty roves De Koning’s contest and feeds Kennedy for another one! (Q2 21:48)
Cerra catches a dithering Anderson HTB at the next bounce, long ball to the hotspot but Ballard intercepts to stop the royal tsunami. (Q2 23:25)
Kemp beats Humphrey for a repeat inside 50 at half forward which goes to Cripps 40m out on a slight angle. Cripps delivers another major for the rampaging Baggers! (Q2 23:55)
Humphrey intercepts Docherty at half back and goes long to the square, crumb to the front where Holman roves but snaps wide under pressure. (Q2 27:28)
McKay gets a set shot 40m out on a slight angle and goes back for a drop punt this time, but it’s a shank left and OOTF. (Q2 28:43)
Cincotta blazes wide from 55m out at the edge of the centre square. (Q2 29:44)
Cerrar roves at half forward, Rowell comes in hot and catches him around the neck 35m out in front. Cerra kicks truly, Q3 begins as Q2 ended. (Q3 0:59)
Long is pinged for insufficient intent 45m out, Curnow takes the free but goes inboard and it doesn’t work. (Q3 2:56)
Martin gathers a pass to the flank in front of Long and gives inside to McKay who blazes wide left off his right off a step from 40m on a slight angle. (Q3 4:38)
After a long, aimless Ainsworth kick to an outnumber up the wing, Curnow marks in the pocket and feeds Fogarty to run into the open goal. (Q3 8:55)
Atkins volleys to the HFF from a stoppage in midfield, Lukosius gets a soft holding free on Newman 40m out. This must go through for Gold Coast… Luko delivers a peach. (Q3 9:52)
Ballard spoils Curnow on outer wing and the Suns counter, Ainsworth hits King leading to the fat side pocket 20m out but the big Suns shanks right. (Q3 15:51)
Davies spoils a McGovern rebound kick, mops up and passes to King on the boundary 25m out, his drop punt is narrow right again. (Q3 17:00)
Humphrey marks over Newman on the HFF, wheels and plays on for a long ball to the square which King clunks over Weitering for his first goal, belatedly. (Q3 19:59)
Essendon beat Carlton last week with one good quarter to nil, the Blues might do the same to Gold Coast this week. (Q3 20:35)
Jeffrey gets a terrible bounce deep in the back pocket, Curnow flashes in but misses from next to the behind post. (Q3 23:35)
Cuningham bisects two teammates with a handball across half back, Long soccers forward for Ainsworth to gather and goal from 15m. (Q3 25:59)
Curnow marks a centring ball by Kennedy from the HFF to the hotspot over Ballard, he makes no mistake with the set shot. Goalkicking has been elite from Carlton today. (Q3 28:00)
Curnow marks again despite Ballard draped all over him just inside true CHF, but this set shot is wide right. (3 Qtr Time)
The Blues win the ball out of the first bounce of Q4 through Kennedy and Cripps, Martin feeds McKay to dribble home from 10m. (Q4 0:42)
Owies roves after a stoppage on the HFF and feeds Cripps who tumbles his second goal through from 20m. Suns aren’t coming back today. (Q4 3:17)
Boyd goes long after a gallop through midfield, his kick from 60m pitches behind the pack 15m out and rolls wide left for a point. (Q4 4:45)
Macpherson passes to Lukosius on the boundary 35m out, his checkside is narrow. (Q4 7:55)
Swallow volleys a rare goal from the top of the square after a throw in from the pocket. (Q4 8:54)
Carlton started with about 75% of the support in the stands and there aren’t many Suns freaks left, judging from the near-silence after that goal. (Q4 9:57)
Humphrey marks an Atkins pass from midfield to 40m on a slight angle. Here’s Humphrey with a lovely set shot, high excitement at the GCG… not. (Q4 10:53)
Cripps feeds Cerra for a snap off a step from 40m on a slight angle after a stoppage… but it’s sprayed wide right and OOTF off the left. (Q4 12:55)
Casboult is out of position for a long Kennedy ball to the top of the square and gives away a contact free to De Koning, who converts. (Q4 17:55)
Walsh baulks after roving a throw in to the pocket 25m out but snaps wide off the left. (Q4 20:58)
Curnow handballs to grass near the square but Ballard fumbles and Owies comes in to volley it home for another one! (Q4 24:38)
Curnow roves at half forward after the next bounce and pokes a pass to Cripps 45m out on the flank, he steers through his third goal. (Q4 26:18)
Macpherson kicks to a contest from the last line, Dow roves and feeds Walsh whose checkside off a step from the hotspot is wide left. (Q4 27:42)
Casboult snaps a garbage time special from a stoppage deep in the pocket 25m out after catching the ball out of ruck. (Q4 31:34)
