JUST what they needed.

After kicking only six goals in each of the past three weeks – and only seven in round 10 and eight in round nine – Carlton has a pulse again after booting nine unanswered goals in the second quarter en route to a 59-point win over Gold Coast on Sunday.

BLUES v SUNS Full match coverage and stats

The Blues faithful were becoming restless following six straight losses – and only a single win in nine games – but Michael Voss' side will head to the mid-season bye with their season still alive after the 18.12 (120) to 8.13 (61) win at the MCG. 

It doesn't change what has happened to date in 2023, but it does change the mood at Princes Park.  

And it was on the back of a midfield domination led by Adam Cerra, Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and Matt Kennedy that led to Carlton registering 100 points for the first time since the triple figure rout over West Coast in round seven, and just the third time this season. 

Cerra finished 10th in the John Nicholls Medal in his first season at Carlton, but could be the clubhouse leader entering the back nine after another strong showing by the 23-year-old, who kicked two goals from 27 disposals, 17 contested possessions, eight clearances and six tackles. 

The final margin should have been more than what it was, but it arrived after Gold Coast made a fast start to make Carlton anxious early.  

Levi Casboult plucked a big contested mark and slotted the opening goal of the game – his 200th career goal – against the club he played 154 games for before starting a new life in Queensland. 

By the time Cerra kicked the Blues' first goal 21 minutes into the game, the murmurs were growing louder in the crowd. But they swiftly turned into a chorus of cheers, goal by goal in a second quarter onslaught that asked the question: where has this been?

After kicking eight goals or less since round eight, Carlton booted nine goals in 24 minutes of had-to-see-it-to-believe-it football in the second quarter to leave those who didn't come to the game wishing they had. 

Stuart Dew got a response in the third quarter, but it was not enough to cause Carlton any distress. Gold Coast kicked three successive goals and could have kicked a couple more if Ben King converted his opportunities. 

But when Charlie Curnow juggled a mark in a contest with Charlie Ballard – which was the most intriguing match-up of the game – to kick his second, both sides had three apiece for the term and the reigning Coleman Medallist was on a path to moving three goals clear of Jeremy Cameron in his pursuit of a second consecutive goal kicking crown. 

Cripps putting the icing on the cake late in the final quarter when he kicked his third goal – after having only one for the season to date – to finish with 27 touches.

While the narrative has been around Carlton for all of winter and most of autumn, Gold Coast is a story, too. 

The Suns returned from a fantastic fortnight in the Northern Territory 6-6 and looked fresh early after the bye. They were 7-6 this time last year and have only ever been north of the win-loss ratio at round 14 on one other occasion. But now Gold Coast's chances of playing in September for the first time look much further away again.

Big tackle response
After only laying 33 tackles last week, tackling was a clear focus for the Blues on Sunday. Carlton had 30 on the board at half-time in a sign of the intent they delivered at the MCG. They finished with 71 tackles and it wasn't on the back of double digits to two or three. No one had more than six and almost everyone had multiple. In a game they won by 10 goals, that was another big plus.

Standing ovation
Carlton supporters have been venting on every radio station that will have them on in the past month. They have been seen abusing their own players over the fence. But just after 2.15pm on Sunday, they rose as one to applaud the most dominant quarter of the Michael Voss era. After not kicking more than eight goals in the past five games, the Blues booted 9.3 to 0.3 in a dominant 30-minute display, converting 12 of 15 inside 50s into scores to leave Carlton supporters looking around in disbelief. 

Cuningham return
After 763 days between AFL appearances, David Cuningham put a nightmare injury run behind him on Sunday when he played his first game tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against Melbourne in May 2021. Cunningham battled calf issues in 2022, dislocated his shoulder in February but after a fortnight in the VFL the former first-round pick resumed his career on Sunday.

CARLTON            1.2    10.5   13.8    18.12 (120)
GOLD COAST      2.6    2.9     5.11    8.13 (61)

GOALS
Carlton: McKay 3, Cripps 3, Curnow 2, Cottrell 2, Cerra 2, Owies 2, De Koning 2, Kennedy, Fogarty
Gold Coast: Casboult 2, Ainsworth 2, Swallow, Lukosius, King, Humphrey

BEST
Carlton: Cerra, Cripps, Kennedy, Weitering, Docherty, Walsh, McKay
Gold Coast: Ainsworth, Anderson, Ballard, Witts

INJURIES
Carlton: Nil  
Gold Coast: Joel Jeffrey (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Paddy Dow (replaced Jack Martin in the fourth quarter)
Gold Coast: Alex Sexton (replaced Thomas Berry at half-time)

Crowd: 29,602 at the MCG