That’s it from us. Brisbane versus Collingwood next week from the MCG, of course we’ll have coverage of that on the day and all week leading up. See you there.
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For Carlton, Walsh led all comers with 34 stats today plus two assists, with Newman and McGovern prominent behind him. Cripps looked hampered but showed quality at key moments. Marchbank took eight marks in defence and had 20 possessions. McKay, Martin and Cripps kicked two goals each.
You’ve had a blazing run, Carlton people. Hope you enjoyed it.
Lachie Neale credits Coleman with being the one to change the game in that second quarter with his kicking accuracy and ball movement. That kick through the centre square stands out. 21 possessions for him. Conor McKenna was good as well, brought some dynamism. Neale ticked over as usual without catching the eye, Berry was Brisbane’s highest possession-getter with 24 after his early error running too far. McInerney contributed with two goals out of the ruck, Daniher kicked two through the middle when he was needed, and McCarthy’s two finished it off late. Plus he led the ground with seven tackles.
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Brisbane 11.13.79 defeat Carlton 9.9.63 to reach the grand final
It will be Collingwood and Brisbane again, just like the start of this century. What a performance that was from the Lions tonight. For any side to be hit with an opening-quarter storm like that, five goals from nowhere, unable to lay a hand on the ball, then to weather it and turn it back around in the quarter to follow – that takes a lot of calm and a lot of confidence.
Carlton started so well, but there was always that thought that they were a touch short with their five goals given how dominant that quarter was in open play, and that Brisbane were always a chance to come back from that sort of margin. It happened in a hurry, and Carlton pretty much vanished after quarter time, got nervous and got bossed around themselves, and only reappeared in that final ten minutes to give the home straight a shake.
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4th quarter, 0 minutes remaining: Brisbane 11.13.79 – Carlton 9.9.63
Jack Martin kicks a late Carlton goal after marking with 30 seconds on the clock, but that’s that.
4th quarter, 3 minutes remaining: Brisbane 11.13.79 – Carlton 8.8.56
If McCarthy didn’t kill the game earlier in the quarter, he does it here. Carlton having to take risks and play on. Turnovers are always likely. McCluggage hits the post from one, but from that kick-in, Darcy Gardiner chops off the ball at half forward, runs to 50, drills a kick, and McCarthy could have let it go through but isn’t taking any chances, plus the mark lets him wipe 30 more seconds off the clock. Goal.
4th quarter, 5 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.12.72 – Carlton 8.8.56
Another brilliant few possessions through the middle of the ground for Carlton, but de Koning two against one gives away a holding free in his desperation to compete for the ball after McKay crashed out of the contest. Another high kick from the boundary line hits de Koning’s chest but bounces off in the pack. Docherty gets another entry, looking for Curnow but the intercept mark comes. Brisbane’s defensive positioning is holding up.
4th quarter, 7 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.12.72 – Carlton 8.8.56
Gee, reckon that’s a free kick to McKay there. Another kick into the pocket, he’s leading towards and ball and gets cannoned into during the attempted spoil. Right in the back. Not paid. Another entry is nearly marked by de Koning but it spills as he falls tog round. The margin is 16 points.
4th quarter, 9 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.12.72 – Carlton 8.8.56
Goal to Harry McKay! Missed one a few minutes ago, but the Cripps goal perhaps has helped him relax. This started with Cripps, too, marking contest in the middle of the ground and he taps the ball down to Walsh with exquisite touch. Walsh is running by at the right moment, bangs it 50 metres forward, and McKay leads up perfectly. Kicks it from 40.
4th quarter, 10 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.12.72 – Carlton 7.8.50
Another shot at goal for Charlie Cameron, and this time he hits the post. Straight in front, 40 out. Carlton break away from the kick-in, get to their 50 arc, scrum the ball through into the pocket, and a little kick inside finds Cripps. He’s sore from a heavy hit not long before that, but he nails the shot. The margin is 22 points.
4th quarter, 12 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.11.71 – Carlton 6.8.44
It’s amazing how often it happens when a team is down. Good movement from Carlton down the wing, fast entry to the pocket. McKay is leading to the ball and Andrews gives away a free kick for a hold. McKay lines it up, strikes it pretty nicely at first, but the ball fades and hits the post.
4th quarter, 16 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.10.70 – Carlton 6.7.43
That’s the game! Sorry folks. Spring-heel McCarthy takes off from the turf, 15 out from goal, as the kick-in doesn’t make it further than half back before coming back towards Brisbane’s goal. He plucks the mark under pressure and kicks his set shot truly. The former Cat is a much bigger feline now, and he’s heading to a grand final.
4th quarter, 17 minutes remaining: Brisbane 9.10.64 – Carlton 6.7.43
All depends on the first few minutes here. Brisbane get the first clearance, inside 50 but again Saad shuts it down. A wave of runners outside for the Blues, but Docherty is shut down by Hipwood on the wing. Carlton win it back. Get to half forward, but Berry smothers a kick intended to go inside 50. Great defence from the Lions, twice, and they slingshot back up the ground to find Charlie Cameron marking in the left pocket. Kicks from 40 but misses.
Three-quarter time - Brisbane 9.9.63 – Carlton 6.7.43
Twenty points the difference at the last break. Four goals in a hurry to change that. All Brisbane need to do is hold off one more team at the Gabba, as they’ve done all year.
3rd quarter, 0 minutes remaining: Brisbane 9.9.63 – Carlton 6.7.43
Getting increasingly desperate for Carlton, Weitering with a last-line kick back outside defensive 50, out on the full. Brisbane have the net closed tight. Every time the ball leaves 50, it comes back in. Finally Walsh gets a clean kick from half back. Tom de Koning marks at centre half forward, but turns and kicks blindly into an empty forward line. Deserted. Could have waited for an option. Could have tried to run on a few steps. Instead he blazes. Instead of a goal, the ball rolls out of bounds next to the right behind post.
They get another chance, Carlton. From the boundary throw-in, Adam Cerra wins a free kick for high contact. Shoots from 30, mild angle, and misses. Always felt like he would. The lack of confidence in that shot, the scrambled mind of de Koning – those are the signs of a team that can’t win. They need a miraculous confidence infusion at three-quarter time to change that.
3rd quarter, 3 minutes remaining: Brisbane 9.9.63 – Carlton 6.6.42
More last-ditch defending from Weitering as the Lions go forward, big mark at full back. Heads back up the ground, towards half forward for Carlton, but when the ball is in dispute the Lions keep coming away with it. Back they go, inside 50, loose ball. Ah Chee attacks it! Running back from the centre circle, gets into a marking contest, knocks the ball over the back, keeps his feet, runs onto it at speed, and finishes from 40 out on the run. What a goal.
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3rd quarter, 5 minutes remaining: Brisbane 8.9.57 – Carlton 6.6.42
Carlton manage to wrestle possession for a couple of minutes, getting inside 50 a couple of times. Jordan Boyd marks just outside the arc and has a long shot from 55, having never kicked an AFL goal – accuracy is there but it gets punched over on the line. They’re trying but they can’t get through Brisbane.
3rd quarter, 7 minutes remaining: Brisbane 8.9.57 – Carlton 6.5.41
It’s becoming a real scrap through the middle, almost impossible to get clean possession. Nic Newman has worn a whack in the eye, it’s swelling shut already. McKay apparently went down to the rooms a few minutes ago. Brisbane go forward, de Koning takes an intercept mark reminiscent of his brother just outside the defensive goalsquare. Curnow has a long blaze from the top of the goalsquare but it’s offline and beats Cottrell running back.
3rd quarter, 12 minutes remaining: Brisbane 8.9.57 – Carlton 6.4.40
Three goals the difference after McCluggage misses a flying shot at goal. McKay has taken a couple of strong marks across half back, here’s another. Kicks down the wing and finds Curnow, long kick inside has Cottrell on the end of it, but the ball bounces away from him in the pocket. He has to run past the goals, turn back inside from the pocket, and his snap misses to the near side. That’s a dire wasted opportunity from the man who kicked the night’s first.
3rd quarter, 13 minutes remaining: Brisbane 8.8.56 – Carlton 6.3.39
Coleman increasingly prominent, another couple of contested possessions won in the middle, and another inside 50 finds a target in Hipwood. He dishes off to the pocket for Curnow, but again a round the body kick isn’t right, this time he doesn’t get enough of it and it falls short of the behind line.
3rd quarter, 16 minutes remaining: Brisbane 8.7.55 – Carlton 6.3.39
Two minutes past the half, and is it stick a fork in Carlton time already? A free kick at the other end, Curnow pushed in the back as he leads out into the right forward pocket. Has to give it a ride from near 50, and the ball slews off the outside of the boot and the Blues sharpshooter puts it out on the full. Rebound down the other end, blistering speed, and Cameron receives a handball over the top from the pocket and slams home the goal! Hipwood nearly adds another after marking from the centre bounce, but his set shot misses.
3rd quarter, 20 minutes remaining: Brisbane 7.6.48 – Carlton 6.3.39
Very start of the first half… and it’s a 50 metre penalty against Carlton. They’ve had a couple go their way already, now they get punished. Ball up, umpire whistles for a Brisbane free for a hold, but Cripps doesn’t notice the whistle and plays on, kicking it forward. Thought he had a good clearance for a second. Nope, 50 the other way. It brings McInerney within range, albeit still needs a fair kick, and the ruckman nails it!
Half time - Brisbane 6.6.42 – Carlton 6.3.39
It always felt like that was going to happen. A quarter for Carlton, less expected, a comeback quarter for Brisbane, far more so. This is their patch. They blow a chance to extend their lead late: great work from McKenna again in a contest, wrestles the ball free, bombs it to Cameron 15 metres out, but he tries to kick around the corner and hits it wrong, hitting the belly of the ball and striking it high and to the right of goal while shooting from the left. Strange choice over the drop punt from that range and angle. Either way, the Lions are back in front, and now Carlton have to pull themselves together.
2nd quarter, 2 minutes remaining: Brisbane 6.4.40 – Carlton 6.3.39
They’ve run back over the top of the Blues! Jack Martin has the ball in the centre of the ground. Looks around, shapes to handball. Gets closed down, smothered. Ball spills Brisbane’s way. Suddenly reverses direction. Long kick inside 50 to Daniher, who leads up like a full forward should, and goes back to slot the simple shot. What a charge from the Lions. Carlton in trouble.
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2nd quarter, 4 minutes remaining: Brisbane 5.4.34 – Carlton 6.3.39
Goal by goal, they’re erasing the margin. Ryan Lester this time with the snap, from a similar spot to McKenna. Four of the last five goals to Brisbane. Again it’s based on a fast forward entry, a contest at the fall of the ball, then shovelling the ball into space from the left forward pocket into the corridor. Lester puts himself in the right spot.
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2nd quarter, 5 minutes remaining: Brisbane 4.4.28 – Carlton 6.3.39
There’s the goal instead from McKenna! Brilliant work inside the forward line from the Irishman. Daniher puts it in there. Bouncing loose, Carlton gets first contact, handball into space, but McKenna times his run perfectly to intercept, slap it to ground, have it bounce back up for him, snap around the body on the run from 40 out, and send it home. Outstanding.
2nd quarter, 7 minutes remaining: Brisbane 3.4.22 – Carlton 6.3.39
What on earth was that! A charge down the field for Brisbane, right to the teeth of goal, Ah Chee picks it up, snaps from point blank range… and the ball has clipped Blake Acres on the forehead! His attempt to get a touch with his hands missed, flailing at the ball flying at him at speed, but it clips his scone instead. He appeals for the touch, the goal umpire says goal, but the score review confirms the contact. It doesn’t matter how the defending team touches the ball, it only matters that they do.
2nd quarter, 8 minutes remaining: Brisbane 3.3.21 – Carlton 6.3.39
Searing kick from Coleman! Flat and fast from half back, must have travelled 50 metres in no time at all to the centre square, finding his target, Brisbane going forward but Cameron can’t mark and the defenders punch it off the ground for a point. Carlton get a 50 metre penalty in defence, run it up the ground quickly, put it into the forward line, unsuccessfully at first, but the second time Cripps is going for the ball and gets a hip to the head. Free kick for high contact, I think it was Josh Dunkley who made the accidental contact arriving to contest, but…
Cripps kicks the goal!
2nd quarter, 10 minutes remaining: Brisbane 3.2.20 – Carlton 5.3.33
Free kick to Harry McKay against Andrews outside the 50, but again the next kick is off target, kicking short and missing his target. Then a rugged sequence of play, tackle pressure has ratcheted up from Brisbane. I wonder if Fagan emphasised that at quarter time. Saad takes a couple of relieving marks for the Blues as Brisbane kick out of centre-field congestion. Tom de Koning gets on the end of a kick forward, marking outside 50 as others go to ground, but his big boot falls short in the goalsquare and is punched through.
2nd quarter, 13 minutes remaining: Brisbane 3.2.20 – Carlton 5.2.32
Now it’s Carlton being challenged and they need to respond. Jack Martin marks strong at half forward but kicks poorly into the 50. Carlton get possession in the middle but two hard tackles close them down, Cripps almost run down from behind but just getting boot to ball. Attacking chance lost.
2nd quarter, 15 minutes remaining: Brisbane 3.2.20 – Carlton 5.2.32
There they go! Three in a row for the home team, as Coleman comes bursting through the middle after a tussle from the centre bounce, has Daniher running at his, and finds him with a flat low pass. Daniher straight through the middle from 35 metres.
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2nd quarter, 16 minutes remaining: Brisbane 2.2.14 – Carlton 5.2.32
Bad kick from Newman coughs up possession as the Blues were building down the wing. Coleman intercepts. Hipwood gets a free for in the back, takes his kick at half forward. McCluggage gets a short kick away from 50, and finds the big man McInerney! The ruckman kicks truly from about 20 out. Brisbane alive.
2nd quarter, 18 minutes remaining: Brisbane 1.2.8 – Carlton 5.2.32
Carlton start the second quarter the same way. Pittonet a driving kick forward, de Koning flies but the ball tips over the back, McKay in the pocket roves the pack, spins towards the paint, and kicks end over end along the ground, but it goes wide. Brisbane move into their forward line, but there’s a call for holding the ball from a Carlton tackle.
Quarter time - Brisbane 1.2.8 – Carlton 5.1.31
There’s an unexpected start. Carlton arrived like a train. Brisbane seemed stunned early, didn’t know how to respond. Worked their way back into the contest in the last five or six minutes and got themselves a goal. It’s a useful lead for the Blues, but I wonder if they shouldn’t have scored another one or two given how dominant they were in that run. It’s hard to stay ahead of the home team with the crowd behind them, and surely the Lions will start to come back.
1st quarter, 1 minute remaining: Brisbane 1.2.8 – Carlton 5.1.31
Finally a win for the Lions: a series of possessions, linking handballs through the middle, Berry runs forward and this time counts his steps correctly, centres the ball to Hipwood, who marks and goals from 30 out.
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1st quarter, 2 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.2.2 – Carlton 5.1.31
Brisbane out of defence, infringed, advantage paid but the Blues poach the ball just afterwards, closing down the runners. Huge kick to the goalsquare but Curnow and McKay can’t win it. Back out it comes to a series of contests on centre wing.
1st quarter, 4 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.2.2 – Carlton 5.1.31
First score off the boot for Brisbane with four minutes to go, as Daniher gives the ball a ride from 60 metres out but hangs it well to the right. Back up the wing they come, into the Blues’ forward line. Brisbane’s defence holds off a couple more entries, Jack Martin bouncing around every stoppage, de Koning in the ruck.
1st quarter, 5 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.1.1 – Carlton 5.1.31
Another mark inside 50! This time it’s Charlie Curnow. A clean clearance from the centre bounce, straight into the forward line, and the main man takes the grab and kicks it truly. Five in a row for Carlton on foreign soil!
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1st quarter, 6 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.1.1 – Carlton 4.1.25
Another one for Carlton! Quick rebound from a turnover, up the wing, kick inside 50 and Docherty is on the end of it. Takes a good shot from about 45 metres on a partial angle towards the right pocket and pops it straight through.
1st quarter, 8 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.1.1 – Carlton 3.1.19
Brilliant attack on the footy by Harris Andrews in the centre square to spoil, then another attack on a loose ball at half forward by Daniher. A couple of big Lions doing their best to raise the intensity. The ball winds up in the forward pocket and is rushed through for Brisbane’s first score of the game. Very dodgy rush by Cottrell under no pressure.
But if that was a tiny consolation, it’s all undone at the other end. Hipwood charges onto the ball at half back, gets tackled and has it knocked away. Pinged for holding the ball, and either he or somebody else is vocal in frustration. 50 metre penalty for dissent, and Jack Martin having applied the tackle gets taken to the top of the square and kicks another!
1st quarter, 11 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.0.0 – Carlton 2.1.13
Walsh a strong mark at centre half forward, puts it to full forward but Brisbane manage to scrub a little kick and a mark to relieve pressure. Berry down the wing to Hipwood, but a rare forward move for Brisbane ends up out of bounds in the pocket. Another drive forward is marked and repelled by Carlton ruckman Pittonet.
1st quarter, 13 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.0.0 – Carlton 2.1.13
Free kick for Harry McKay! Infringement in the marking contest, and he gets the ball in the pocket. The sometimes maligned big forward kicks around the corner from the right forward pocket and dobs it.
1st quarter, 14 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.0.0 – Carlton 1.1.7
De Koning this time with a strong mark on the wing as Brisbane try to clear. His kick forward is knocked out of play, but Brisbane are locked in defensive territory and on one side of the ground. One foray forward is cut off by Marchbank. Walsh goes inside 50, Curnow and Motlop spoil one another competing for the ball in the pocket. Lots of forward 50 entries, no more goals. Finally Jack Martin scraps the ball out of a pack, snaps on his left turning back in, but it goes wide.
1st quarter, 16 minutes remaining: Brisbane 0.0.0 – Carlton 1.0.6
Lachie Neale to full forward, but the Blues repel through Saad. The ball gets locked up on the wing. McKay takes a strong early mark out there and drives it forward, but Brisbane cope with that one. McGovern starts another surge forward which is repelled, but Carlton are turning up the heat.
1st quarter, 19 remaining: Brisbane 0.0.0 – Carlton 1.0.6
Early goal for Carlton! It could have been Brisbane. Berry on the half-forward flank surges to the 50 and kicks long, but is pinged for running too far. The umpire has a point there. Turns the ball over, and from a contest off half back the ball breaks Carlton’s way, a quick surge through the middle and over the top to Cottrell running back towards goal. The 50 is empty, and he has a headstart on the defenders to run within 20 metres and slot it through.
A sugary Advance Australia Fair is out of the way, and the crowd gives the traditional closing roar. Chris Fagan at the end of the player line-up looks like a miniature human next to his troops.
Shannon Ruska performs the Welcome to Country with great gusto, telling a story of two tribes meeting for a contest at the old lands of Woolloongabba. Fires up the crowd with a chant, and goes off with a smile. They enjoyed that.
Teams forming up for the national anthem. “For the loser, there is no tomorrow,” says one of the TV pundits. Drastic.
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Only a few minutes to go… that pre-game tension is ratcheting up. Interested to see whether this game becomes a slogathon like the one last night, where the players had battered each other so much by the final quarter that scoring was near impossible. The venues showing the game were absolutely heaving through that final quarter. A few will be doing the same over the next couple of hours.
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As ever, drop me an email with cogitations, corrections, contributions, complications. geoff.lemon@theguardian.com.
Carlton line-up
Full back: Jacob Weitering, Caleb Marchbank, Adam Saad
Half back: Mitch McGovern, Jordan Boyd, Nic Newman
Centre: Blake Acres, Patrick Cripps, Oliver Hollands
Half forward: Lachie Fogarty, Sam Docherty, Matthew Cottrell
Full forward: Jack Martin, Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay
Followers: Marc Pittonet, George Hewett, Sam Walsh
Bench: Jesse Motlop, Adam Cerra, Tom De Koning, Alex Cincotta
Brisbane line-up
Full back: Brandon Starcevich, Harris Andrews, Darcy Gardiner
Half back: Conor McKenna, Ryan Lester, Darcy Wilmot
Centre: Hugh McCluggage, Josh Dunkley, Dayne Zorko
Half forward: Charlie Cameron, Eric Hipwood, Zac Bailey
Full forward: Cam Rayner, Joe Daniher, Callum Ah Chee
Followers: Oscar McInerney, Lachie Neale, Jarrod Berry
Bench: Deven Robertson, Lincoln McCarthy, Keidean Coleman, Jaspa Fletcher
Carlton have been riding a wave. Winning streaks, climbing the ladder from the cellar, all of it culminating in that literally last-minute win over Melbourne last week. They’re the team with the story.
But Brisbane have not been beaten at the Gabba all year. Nor was their finals appearance all built on home ground advantage. In between times, they notched road victories over fellow finalists GWS, Carlton, St Kilda, and Collingwood, as well as losing away to Melbourne by a point.
Preamble
Aright then. We’ve got one half of the Old Firm grand final locked in – Collingwood, by a point and the bruises on their backs, after a brutal match with the Oraanje in Melbourne last night. Now it’s a matter of whether Carlton can join them, or whether instead of going back to 1970 we’ll be going back to 2002-03, with Brisbane to tackle Collingwood at the MCG next weekend.
Play starts at the Gabba in about 40 minutes from now.
