Carlton finishes off brave Giants

Updated May 06, 2012 19:32:44

Carlton produced a solid but uninspiring performance to beat a stubborn Greater Western Sydney side by 67 points at Docklands on Sunday.

Coach Brett Ratten would not have given his players many style points for their display, but the Blues held their composure and kicked away in the second half to win 15.20 (110) to 6.7 (43).

Carlton forward Eddie Betts - who played his 150th game against GWS - told Grandstand that the Blues were happy to have ground out after a poor first-half effort.

"The first half I think most of us weren't running as hard (as we should),'' Betts said.

"We might have been playing for ourselves but we got a little bit of a spray, and after half-time we came out and ran, ran, ran, and tackled and got ourselves back into it.''

Betts was optimistic that Carlton still had potential to improve, even after an opening to the season where the team had won five out of the first six matches.

"We didn't play our best footy (today), I think we played our worst brand of footy for the year, apart from the Essendon game, so there's still a lot of improvement to go,'' he said.

Just as they did against the Bulldogs in round five, the Giants started strongly and kept with Carlton for the opening half.

Indeed the Blues appeared outdone for intensity at times, with players like Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene and Taylor Adams all having strong patches of play.

Debutant Liam Sumner kicked a first-half goal, while Setanta O'hAilpin enjoyed playing against his old side, kicking two goals for GWS.

Carlton's senior players steadied the ship in the third quarter, and the Blues consolidated their position to lead by 25 points at the final change.

The Blues ran freely in the final term, kicking 6.6 to no score to run out easy winners.

The Giants ran out of legs, finishing the game with only two players on the bench.

O'hAilpin finished the game on crutches after injuring his knee in the third quarter.

The AFL reported O'hAilpin's season could be over, amid fears the Irishman had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

Earlier, GWS veteran ruckman Dean Brogan was subbed after injuring his arm in a contest with Carlton's Heath Scotland.

Carlton: 15.20 (110) - Thornton 3, Hampson 3, Lucas 2, Simpson 2, Walker 2, Robinson, Bower, Garlett.

GWS: 6.7 (43) - O'hAilpin 2, Davis 2, Sumner, Scully.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted May 06, 2012 15:54:58

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Brave Hawks smash listless Saints

By Raman Goraya

Updated May 15, 2011 17:28:00

St Kilda's languishing season was all but read its last rites by Hawthorn as a injury-cruelled Hawks produced a courageous 30-point victory at the MCG on Sunday.

The Saints bounded out of the blocks with the opening five goals and a 35-point first quarter lead before Hawthorn, after losing key defender Stephen Gilham and ruckman David Hale in the opening term, instigated an extraordinary turnaround.

The Hawks responded with the next five majors in the second period to lead by four points at the long change before totally dominating the second half as the lowly Saints Kilda added just five more goals to their promising first-quarter haul.

Lance Franklin, who was forced to alternate in the ruck with the outstanding Jarryd Roughead, revelled in the fourth term, finishing with five goals as Hawthorn eventually coasted to a 14.15 (99) to 10.9 (69) triumph and a 5-2 record.

"To come back from five goals down and losing two important big players, the resilience of the group was superb today," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"It was a very, very important win for our club today, and we'll hopefully build our season from this point."

The victory was soured by what appears to be serious knee injuries to both Gilham and Hale while second-gamer Paul Puopolo was forced to battle through in obvious discomfort.

But with just two fit men on the bench the Hawks responded in the best possible fashion, with 13 players registering 20 or more possessions in what was a terrific all-round display by both Hawthorn's experienced leaders and young crop.

Debutant Luke Breust, who was subbed on after Gilham crumpled in a heap trying to change direction in the first two minutes, booted two goals along with Shane Savage.

"To see Gil and then Haley go down pretty early in the game, then the boys to fight on with the 20 left was a great effort," Breust told Grandstand.

Nick Reiwoldt kicked three first-term goals to have the St Kilda faithful dreaming of a revival.

But those hopes were vanquished in another insipid performance by the 1-1-5 Saints, whose season is in crisis with clashes against the Demons, Dockers, Magpies, Bulldogs and Cats in the next five weeks.

Arryn Sipos (two goals) and Sam Fisher (31 touches, 11 marks) were the only real shining lights for St Kilda while the much talked about, poor form of Brendon Goddard showed very little sign of improvement.

Breust has spent two-and-a-half seasons on the Hawks' rookie list, but said he is ready to play his role as a high half forward and received some valuable advice from coach Clarkson when he was called in to the action early.

"Clarko just said don't worry about the possessions, that'll come, just try and get yourself in to the game with tackles and forward pressure and the ball will fall your way after that,"

"I think that was great advice."

The 20-year-old from New South Wales switched to AFL at just 15 after realised he did not have the body shape to follow in the footsteps of former rugby league star and cousin Trent Barrett.

"I was never going to be big enough to play a good role in an NRL side. I was never going to be tall enough or built enough, so that probably swayed me," Breust added.

Hawks: 14.15 (99) - L Franklin 5, L Breust 2, S Savage 2, B Sewell, J Lewis, J Roughead, L Shiels, M Osborne.

Saints: 10.9 (69) - N Riewoldt 3, A Siposs 2, J Cripps 2, A Schneider, D Polo, S Dempster.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, hawthorn-3122, st-kilda-3182

First posted May 15, 2011 16:02:00

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