Blog log from R3 of 2025: Carlton vs Western Bulldogs

Motlop catches Bramble HTB 25m out on the flank and steers through the first goal of the evening. (Q1 1:34)
Williams breaks lines with a scoot up the centre from CHB, baulks past English and spots up Curnow 40m out, set shot looks to be hooking but straightens for the goal! (Q1 4:04)
Saad delivers a long kick to a phonebox on centre wing to again get a rebound going fast, Cripps has Young over the back of Khamis to mark and waltz into goal. Blues on FIYAH! (Q1 8:07)
Dogs boss the next centre bounce, Harmes passes to Darcy who uses his long arms to mark in front of Weitering on the boundary 40m out, but hook his kick left. (Q1 9:17)
Series of stoppages in the Bulldogs FP, Davidson scrubs a kick towards the square but it rolls across the face. (Q1 13:25)
Khamis drops an intercept on the HBF, crumb flips over the back to Motlop who turns and runs to 25m but checksides narrow to the right, with a man on inside. (Q1 18:09)
Naughton beats Silvagni on a hook lead to draw a McNeil pass to the pocket 25m out, but misses. (Q1 20:04)
Chain of handballs out the front of a stoppage on members wing to the fat side flank, McNeil shoots in a lot of space from 30m but sprays it near side left. (Q1 21:34)
Motlop marks on the 50m arc but passes to the pocket for Kemp to mark over Baker 25m out, he misses near side right. (Q1 24:30)
Saad receives from Cripps for a quick snap from just outside 50m on a slight angle, crowd goes WOOF but it flies wide left. (Q1 26:17)
Kemp sets up Motlop on outer wing to pass to Curnow 50m out on the flank, Charlie plays on around Jones on the mark and hoofs an ugly helicopter kick for a goal! (Q1 27:48)
West takes a link mark outside CHF and passes to the fat side for Williams 35m out on a slight angle, who hooks it left. (Q2 6:06)
Young manhandles Lobb to mark a long Cowan kick to 20m on a slight angle, but shanks it like the backman he is, barely a point. (Q2 8:00)
Saad is out of position and gives away a contact free to O’Donnell going for a Davidson pass to the pocket 20m out, the son of SOD curls in the inswinger. (Q2 9:01)
Cerra tumbles a chaos ball towards the hotspot after the next bounce, Khamis is pinged for high contact on Kemp that looked on replay to be dubious. Kemp goals, just. (Q2 10:49)
English taps over his head from a throw-in from 20m, Kennedy is there for the set play and curls in a big goal off the right against his old team! (Q2 20:34)
After Walsh bursts from the centre but kicks straight to Khamis, Bramble passes short from outer wing to Sanders 40m out on the flank who slots the goal. (Q2 22:15)
Walsh releases De Koning to run from the next centre bounce, his pass hits Kemp 45m out on a slight angle who kicks long and straight, his second. (Q2 24:33)
Curnow leaps in front of a pack 45m out on the flank to juggle the mark from another De Koning inside 50 kick after the next bounce. His set shot is another peach. (Q2 26:25)
West feeds Liberatore for a snap across the body off the left from a ball up near the hotspot, that one falls in. (Q2 29:23)
Davidson sends a high speculator from HFF to hotspot, Naughton is outnumbered but there’s a free off the fall of the ball on Weitering to Darcy who converts. (Q3 4:42)
Liam Jones rises on the goal line to intercept a long Acres snap from 50m on a slight angle, no score. (Q3 5:59)
Haynes dumps a kick from CHB but straight to Darcy who goes quickly to Harmes 45m out on a slight angle, set shot is to the right. (Q3 7:58)
Cerra rides a tackle on members wing to start a chain of handballs that ends with a Cottrell pass to the pocket for Kemp 20m out, who slots goal number three. (Q3 10:43)
Acres roves on the HBF 45m out but gets caught HTB in a chicken wing tackle by Vandermeer, who sails through a lovely drop punt. (Q3 14:13)
Cottrell roves a Curnow contest but shoots to the left from 40m on a slight angle. (Q3 15:50)
West roves a long ball to the top of the square and reefs out a diving handball, McNeil gathers and avoids a diving McGovern to snap the goal from 15m! (Q3 17:44)
Liberatore feeds O’Donnell for a low-percentage snap off the left from the boundary 20m out that floats across the face for a point. (Q3 19:04)
Liberatore is doing it at both ends, he touches through a snap by Docherty from the hotspot. (Q3 20:02)
Mad scramble after a long ball to the Dogs hotspot as the tall Blues fall over each other, crumb suits Kennedy for his second goal! (Q3 21:59)
Carlton looking like they might get run over here, the Bulldogs applying just as much pressure as the Blues did before HT. (Q3 22:44)
Walsh misses a flying snap from the HFF to put Blues ahead again after the scores were levelled. (Q3 23:26)
Hewett passes to Kemp leading to 45m on the flank, he launches goal number four! (Q3 25:04)
Curnow soccers wide from the pocket under heavy Jones pressure. (Q3 26:13)
Cowan comes in as second tackler at a stoppage at half back but catches West around the neck. West shoots after the 3QT siren, crowd hoots, goal from 40m. (Q3 29:41)
Curnow passes to the pocket for Young 40m out, set shot is a pearler from the tight angle, that’s not the kick of a backman! (Q4 1:13)
West avoids Boyd on the HFF but snaps narrow to the right. (Q4 2:33)
Darcy roves an English contest and snaps off the left in a pack 35m out on the flank, curls near the post, did it hit the post or Acres’ fingers? Called a goal, review…. (Q4 4:32)
Ruled touched by Weitering off the boot, just a behind. (Q4 5:47)
De Koning comes back with the flight to spoil English in the pocket 20m but catches him high… English fluffs the kick. (Q4 8:55)
Long, accurate kicks on rebound by Lobb and Freijah set up Dolan to pass short to Darcy 40m out on a slight angle. The Unicorn’s set shot is sharp as a unicorn’s horn! (Q4 12:20)
Sanders handballs from a stoppage on members wing to start a switch through the centre, Dolan marks on the HFF but his kick lands in the square to be rushed. (Q4 18:25)
Liberatore kicks to CHF but straight to Cripps, he starts a quick counter up the guts, Evans has Kemp over the back to goal to restore Carlton’s lead! (Q4 20:15)
Naughton has had a dirty night so far but takes a pack mark 25m out on the flank and curls in the goal to puts the Bullies back in the lead! (Q4 27:32)
Dale spoils at half forward, roves it himself, baulks clear for a shot off a step… lands in the square where O’Donnell marks over McGovern and plays on for the goal! (Q4 29:29)
Three minutes to go and that should be the sealer. (Q4 31:07)