Blog log from R20 of 2024: Carlton vs Port Adelaide

Elijah Hollands picks off a Rioli sideways kick on members wing, Port all off side on the counter, Curnow marks in front of Aliir 40m out in front for the first goal of the night. (Q1 1:42)
Curnow marks 55m out on the flank, wheels and bangs long over Young to an empty square, but Burgoyne gets back just in time to touch it through. (Q1 3:44)
Burgoyne is whistled for insufficient intent after a stoppage 20m out, Fogarty’s set shot is a helicopter ball that is narrow to the left. (Q1 7:12)
Cottrell plays on around Rozee on the mark on the HFF, runs around the boundary for a one-two with Elijah Hollands but strikes too much traffic and it’s off hands for a point. (Q1 8:57)
Burgoyne is over the back to rove a long ball to a pack at the hotspot but doesn’t see Elijah Hollands coming from his blind spot to mow him down and prevent a certain goal! (Q1 9:45)
Ken Hinkley has chosen to attack in this game with Aliir playing back shoulder on Curnow rather than engineering a loose man. Quality of supply will be key to the result. (Q1 10:43)
If the Blues are able to spot up Curnow with passes to his chest, Aliir will be powerless. The more passes to Curnow are floaty and high, advantage Aliir. (Q1 11:13)
Francis Evans bustles Elijah Hollands off a ground ball in the centre to set up Ratugolea to mark 45m out in the corridor for the opener for Port. (Q1 11:51)
Byrne-Jones passes short to the boundary for Georgiades to mark unopposed, Cowan had conceded the low-percentage grass. Georgiades threads the needle anyway! (Q1 14:17)
Port slingshots through the centre from a stoppage at half back, Horne-Francis delivers a fine pass to 40m on a slight angle for Ratugolea to mark in front of Kemp, but miss. (Q1 24:26)
Hewett looks to have caught Logan Evans cold on members wing but the ump saw high contact, Georgiades marks at the hotspot just before the QT siren and misses, footy gods smile. (Qtr Time)
Zerk-Thatcher spoils at half forward but the crumb takes a wicked bounce past Aliir to Curnow who sets Kennedy off into the open goal. (Q2 1:51)
Hewett stands up in a Sweet tackle after the next bounce but goes 360 and gets pinged for HTB, long Farrell ball up the guts for Georgiades to mark and goal from the square. (Q2 3:28)
Cripps sends a long speculator from members wing to the flank 30m out, Zerk-Thatcher blocks early and the ump saw it, justified free to Young who converts. (Q2 5:43)
Mead snaps off the left from a ball up 25m out on a slight angle but the ball nicks the far left post for a point. (Q2 8:01)
Walsh gives outside of congestion inside 50 to Newman who tries his luck off a step off his left boot from 50m on the flank… starts straight but fades to the left. (Q2 8:59)
Dixon takes a link mark on the HFF and goes quickly to the pocket for Mead 20m out, on the end of a quick transition from defence. Mead’s kick is just a point. (Q2 10:01)
Jones is whistled for a block on Curnow 50m out on the flank, this is Charlie’s range and he bangs through a classic set shot drop punt. (Q2 11:57)
Francis Evans is perfectly placed for the crumb for a long Bergman ball from outer wing to a pack 25m out on the flank but his right-foot checkside bounces into the post. (Q2 14:17)
Fogarty catches Horne-Francis HTB on the HFF and passes short down the line to Cottrell 40m out. Cottrell’s drop punt starts to the right but draws left and in. (Q2 15:27)
Logan Evans is sandwiched between small Blues in defence and coughs up a handball to Kennedy whose hurried snap from 20m is wide right. (Q2 17:30)
Carlton’s pressure has been elite this quarter, they force another turnover at half forward, kick to the hotspot where Bergman catches Curnow around the neck for another one. (Q2 18:47)
Bergman is in good position to intercept one out with Owies at the hotspot but juggles and drops it plus loses his feet, Owies keeps his to gather and goal. (Q2 23:02)
Curnow provides a crumb for Kennedy on the HFF, he kicks to the fat side to the advantage of Motlop to mark 25m out on a slight angle, who makes no mistake. (Q2 27:08)
This is finals form from Carlton, applying the screws and shaking the life out of Port. (Q2 27:08)
Boak kicks to Georgiades 30m out on the flank, Cowan chops the arms to give away an obvious free kick, Georgiades kicks his third goal. (Q2 29:49)
Rioli smothers a Saad kick from the pocket, crumb falls to Horne-Francis who tries a grubber off a step from 20m on the boundary… narrow. (Q3 2:21)
Rozee tries to hit Horne-Francis with a long ball from the HFF to the fat side but the ball hits grass, the Hornet gathers and gives to Georgiades for a miss from 30m. (Q3 4:05)
Butters marks a low dart up the corridor by Houston from the centre in front of Cripps 40m out in front. His kick starts right, fades inwards but hits the right post. (Q3 6:14)
Elijah Hollands’ kicks inside 50 from members wing is smothered straight to McGovern who has a ping off a step from 45m but it drifts left across the face. (Q3 9:06)
Port have scored a few goals on slingshots today and look like doing it again, but three efforts by Cowan on Francis Evans and Georgiades prevent the score. (Q3 10:10)
Sweet flies in front of Pittonet to clunk the mark from a Drew pass to 40m on a slight angle, he gives off to Farrell who encounters traffic, no score results. (Q3 11:41)
Port has lifted its ratings in Q3 and is now taking it up to Carlton in general play and contested footy, but not getting enough scoreboard nourishment. (Q3 12:02)
Fogarty passes to Curnow who marks after Aliir slips over 30m out in the pocket. The drop punt hits the front of the far left post, flush on. (Q3 15:52)
Byrne-Jones is front and centre for a Ratugolea contest to a Boak kick 40m out on a slight angle, he runs towards the flank and wobbles through the goal off his left. (Q3 16:41)
Cowan flies but can’t intercept at the hotspot, seas almost part for Rioli after crumbing but he snaps wide right under a tackle from 20m. (Q3 19:22)
Zerk-Thatcher is in good position to intercept Cripps’ long ball from centre wing to the hotspot but Kennedy flies going back with the flight for a fine grab and goal! (Q3 20:21)
Cerra prevents Georgiades marks a centring ball to the top of the square but the spillage falls nicely for Rioli who snaps over the shoulder for a classic crumbing goal. (Q3 24:06)
The goal assist was from Francis Evans, who has done some nice things tonight. (Q3 24:21)
Oliver Hollands dumps a kick from defensive hotspot to the HBF but it falls into the arms of Farrell to intercept over Cottrell, he strokes through the goal! (Q3 25:57)
Horne-Francis snaps narrow to the right from a ball up 20m out in the pocket. (Q3 29:39)
Rioli marks just inside true CHF, plays on around Cottrell on the mark but shoots wide right with a low punt from 40m. (Q4 2:26)
Rioli roves and shoots on the turn from a stoppage 25m out on a slight angle but the ball swerves into the near right post. (Q4 3:49)
Ratugolea marks a repeat inside 50 ball by Aliir leaping in front of a huge pack 30m out on a slight angle. He steers through the goal to bring the margin back to a kick. (Q4 5:07)
Newman leaps to smother Byrne-Jones at CHB but gives away a contact free after disposal in Brayden Maynard style, downfield to Mead 40m out on the flank, he goals, Port leads! (Q4 7:18)
Port Adelaide have enjoyed a decent clearance lead all through this game, now reaching 39-22, but they have also done better in contested possession in Q3 with rewards. (Q4 9:05)
Pittonet with an inside tap to Hewett from a stoppage deep in the pocket but George can only wobble it across the face off the right under heavy pressure. (Q4 10:18)
Dixon tries to checkside out of a ball up 20m out in the pocket but doesn’t catch it right, Young rushes with ease in the square. (Q4 14:36)
Elijah Hollands kicks long and straight from a set shot just inside 50m on the flank but the ball falls on the goal line for Sweet to touch through, just not long enough. (Q4 18:51)
Repeat inside 50s for Carlton now, Kennedy marks a long Kemp ball over Horne-Francis 45m out on the flank but misses. (Q4 19:28)
After Drew catches Cripps HTB in midfield, Horne-Francis marks a Butters pass 45m out in the corridor and bangs through a huge goal with five minutes to play! (Q4 21:22)
Byrne-Jones soccers a loose ball past Cowan in the square towards the left goalpost where the goal umpire gets in the way, anyone’s guess what the decision will be on review… (Q4 25:18)
Ball hit the goal umpire’s leg and deflected into the post, very technical decision here which will decide the game… ruled a goal! Port are home even though they are away! (Q4 26:20)
3:20 to go at the next bounce and now three kicks in it. (Q4 27:20)