AFL Season 2008 - Round Three: Essendon v Carlton Wrap-Up
April 10th 2008 08:39
Essendon 23.12.150 v Carlton 21.8.134 - Wrap-Up
Oh what a game!
There is not a sport in the world that can compare to the pure exhilaration of fast-paced free-flowing, high-scoring AFL, and Saturday night’s match between Carlton and Essendon was no exception.
When the siren sounded to start proceedings nothing separated these two sides on the scoreboard and by the end of the third quarter, a whopping 227 points later, little had changed with Carlton leading by a single point 18.6.114 to 17.11.113. But there could only be one winner, and it was Essendon who ran away with the match in the final quarter to emerge victorious 23.12.150 to Carlton 21.8.134.
For Carlton, the three big guns led from the front in unison for the first time this season. Judd lived up to his hard-earned reputation as a classy ball magnet with a game-high 32 disposals and 2 goals. Stevens was also impressive with 26 disposals and 2 goals himself, while the real standout of the night was Brendan Fevola, who played with renewed confidence and finished the match with a whopping 8.4 to his name.
But the pace and skill of Chris Judd, the firepower of Fevola and the guile of a resurgent Eddie Betts were not enough for the Blues to overcome the poise and determination of the well-balanced Bombers, who seemed to have an answer for every Carlton attack.
In a match where Captain Matthew Lloyd was relatively quiet despite his 4 goals, it was the likes of Mark McVeigh, Dustin Fletcher and particularly Andrew Lovett who saw the Bombers through to victory.
Playing in his 50th match, Lovett set the ground alight with two breathtaking running goals, showcasing rapid pace, lighting-quick acceleration and precision execution. Not only did Lovett’s goals contribute to Essendon’s constant scoreboard pressure, they also played an instrumental role in critical momentum swings in the Bombers’ favour. It’s still early days in season 2008, but the second may even earn Lovett Goal of the Year.
Back in the present, the round 3 clash between Essendon and Carlton holds promise for both of these young sides. Although the Blues have yet to win a match this season, they have shown that they are capable of kicking goals, and assuming Judd, Stevens and Fevola can maintain the form they showed on Saturday night, Carlton will be notching up some solid victories in no time. As for the Bombers, last week’s horrific loss to Geelong means they will just have to take it a game at a time, but there is certainly cause for optimism in the season ahead.
In the meantime, reflecting on Saturday night’s match – an undeniably spectacular clash between two traditional rivals - reminds us all of just how great this legendary Aussie game truly is.
Oh what a game!
There is not a sport in the world that can compare to the pure exhilaration of fast-paced free-flowing, high-scoring AFL, and Saturday night’s match between Carlton and Essendon was no exception.
When the siren sounded to start proceedings nothing separated these two sides on the scoreboard and by the end of the third quarter, a whopping 227 points later, little had changed with Carlton leading by a single point 18.6.114 to 17.11.113. But there could only be one winner, and it was Essendon who ran away with the match in the final quarter to emerge victorious 23.12.150 to Carlton 21.8.134.
For Carlton, the three big guns led from the front in unison for the first time this season. Judd lived up to his hard-earned reputation as a classy ball magnet with a game-high 32 disposals and 2 goals. Stevens was also impressive with 26 disposals and 2 goals himself, while the real standout of the night was Brendan Fevola, who played with renewed confidence and finished the match with a whopping 8.4 to his name.
But the pace and skill of Chris Judd, the firepower of Fevola and the guile of a resurgent Eddie Betts were not enough for the Blues to overcome the poise and determination of the well-balanced Bombers, who seemed to have an answer for every Carlton attack.
In a match where Captain Matthew Lloyd was relatively quiet despite his 4 goals, it was the likes of Mark McVeigh, Dustin Fletcher and particularly Andrew Lovett who saw the Bombers through to victory.
Playing in his 50th match, Lovett set the ground alight with two breathtaking running goals, showcasing rapid pace, lighting-quick acceleration and precision execution. Not only did Lovett’s goals contribute to Essendon’s constant scoreboard pressure, they also played an instrumental role in critical momentum swings in the Bombers’ favour. It’s still early days in season 2008, but the second may even earn Lovett Goal of the Year.
Back in the present, the round 3 clash between Essendon and Carlton holds promise for both of these young sides. Although the Blues have yet to win a match this season, they have shown that they are capable of kicking goals, and assuming Judd, Stevens and Fevola can maintain the form they showed on Saturday night, Carlton will be notching up some solid victories in no time. As for the Bombers, last week’s horrific loss to Geelong means they will just have to take it a game at a time, but there is certainly cause for optimism in the season ahead.
In the meantime, reflecting on Saturday night’s match – an undeniably spectacular clash between two traditional rivals - reminds us all of just how great this legendary Aussie game truly is.
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