By Justin Chadwick
Fremantle’s season is on life support but a Carlton charge is well and truly up and running after the Blues posted a crushing 53-point AFL win at Optus Stadium.
The Blues dominated Sunday’s match from the outset, booting eight consecutive goals either side of half-time to run away with the 14.14 (98) to 6.9 (45) win in front of 49,469 fans.
Carlton spearheads Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow booted three goals apiece, while Sam Walsh tallied 23 disposals in the first half alone before finishing with 32 possessions.
Blues captain Patrick Cripps was dominant with 29 disposals and a game-high 10 clearances.
Former Dockers duo Adam Cerra (27 disposals, six clearances, one goal) and Blake Acres (23 disposals, four clearances) both played important roles to rub further salt into the wound for Fremantle.
The triumph lifted Carlton from 15th to 11th on the ladder, with the Blues now just one win adrift of eighth spot ahead of a big challenge against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium next weekend.
But Sunday’s win came at a cost, with Matthew Kennedy carried off by two trainers in the third quarter after injuring his right knee in a tackle.
Defender Mitch McGovern suffered a game-ending left thigh injury just before three-quarter time after a collision in a marking contest.
Those two injuries were the only dampeners on what was an otherwise glorious day for the Blues, whose season was on the scrapheap last month on the back of a six-match losing run.
Big wins over Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Fremantle over the past three weeks have reignited Carlton’s flag hopes, with the team now a genuine finals chance.
In contrast, Fremantle have lost four of their past five games to slip to 14th on the ladder with a 7-9 record.
Fremantle won the hitouts 21-4 in the opening term, but it was the only statistic they were able to dominate as Carlton took control of the match to race out to a 27-3 lead by quarter-time.
The Dockers launched a brief fightback early in the second term with goals to Michael Walters and Luke Jackson.
But Carlton closed the door with the next eight goals. McKay booted two of those, with Fremantle’s structure falling to bits as Carlton ran rampant.
The third quarter was particularly brutal as the Blues slammed through six goals to nil to extend the margin to 64 points.
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy tallied 58 hitouts against Carlton’s second-string ruck duo. In all, the Dockers won the hitouts 70-18. But Carlton feasted at ground level, winning the clearances 42-35, which helped them dominate the inside-50 count 60-42.
The Blues also won the contested possession battle 156-135, showcasing their hunger for the ball.
Dockers backman Luke Ryan battled hard to finish with 35 possessions and 10 marks, but the weight of inside-50s for Carlton proved decisive.
AAP
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