The Pies made the Blues look second-rate, demolishing Brett Ratten’s side with a devastating first-half before eventually winning 15.15 (105) to 9.3 (57).
In a further blow to Carlton, skipper Chris Judd spent the majority of the final term on the bench with a suspected shoulder injury.
Watch the boys sing the song after the big winPerhaps the only concern for the winners was a leg injury to Sharrod Wellingham. After starring in the first half with 19 possessions, he didn’t return after the main break and must be in some doubt for next week’s blockbuster against Geelong.
But the Pies had winners everywhere on the ground.
Dane Swan (31 disposals, eight clearances) helped establish his team’s mammoth early lead, fellow midfielder Luke Ball (28, seven tackles) was great while forwards Travis Cloke (12 marks, 2.5) and Alan Didak (31 touches, two goals) were also outstanding.
A week after booting one of the goals of the season, Didak provided fans with the game’s highlight mid-way through the last term by launching a torpedo through the sticks from 60m out near the boundary.
The match had no real highlights for Blues fans, however, as Mick Malthouse’s team steamrolled an opponent supposedly hoping to play a role in finals action.
Carlton had no clear winners. Ruckman Robbie Warnock battled hard against Darren Jolly, and Kade Simpson, Shaun Grigg and Heath Scotland also tried hard.
The Blues did boot two early goals, but that only gave their fans false hope, as the remainder of the first half was completely dominated by the Pies.
Swan overcame his tightest tag for some time to get the Pies rolling in the first term. When he goaled from a free kick after opponent Andrew Carrazzo was pinged for interfering at a stoppage, Collingwood was out to an 11-point break at quarter time.
The writing had been on the wall early as Collingwood controlled play, the inside 50s and general play while Carlton struggled to penetrate its forward 50.
However, no one saw the annihilation or lack of resistance that was to follow in the second term.
With Swan gathering seven possessions inside the first three minutes of the resumption, the Pies quickly resumed with Chris Dawes booting the first of his team’s 6.4 for the term, while the Blues could manage just 0.1.
Watch Dayne Beams speak to CTV in the MCG rooms after the winCarlton’s only score, which came 26 minutes into the term, was its first since the seven-minute mark of the first quarter.
By half time, Collingwood led by 50 points. Harry O’Brien was waltzing out of defence, Ball was dominant at stoppages and Cloke was marking everything but simply couldn’t finish his work in front of goal.
Carlton rarely went forward and, when it did, it was under immense pressure and generally turned the footy over.
The Pies, perhaps content with their lead and knowing they were a man down after the interval, shut up shop a little after half-time.
The Blues managed to boot six goals in the final term to add some respectability to the scoreboard, although the final margin probably didn’t reflect the gulf between the two sides on the day.
Collingwood 3.5 9.9 11.14 15.15 (105)
Carlton 2.0 2.1 3.2 9.3 (57)
GOALS
Collingwood: Beams 3, Davis 3, Dawes 2, Cloke 2, Didak 2, Swan, Wellingham, Pendlebury
Carlton: Hampson 2, Walker 2, Grigg, Fisher, Betts, Simpson, Johnson
BEST
Collingwood: Swan, Ball, Pendlebury, Cloke, Davis, O’Brien, Didak,
Carlton: Simpson, Warnock, Grigg, Scotland
INJURIES
Collingwood: Wellingham (knee)
Carlton: Armfield (concussion) out, replaced in selected side by Ellard, Judd (chest/shoulder)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Meredith, Pannell
Official crowd: 76,980 at the MCG
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
