AFTER the brightest of pre-seasons, Carlton crashed back to earth, conceding an astonishing 12 third-quarter goals to Sydney as its pressure around the footy dropped.

The Blues had led by 22 points early in that same third quarter before the Swans got on a roll, eventually winning by 63 points.

SWANS v BLUES Full match coverage and stats

"Our intensity just dropped significantly. They absolutely dialled up their pressure around the ball, probably across the whole ground. But we lost some pretty important territory in our stoppages, their centre-square bounce was too good," Carlton coach Michael Voss said.

"Their best players got going and had a significant influence on the game in the second half. Our intensity dropped. We kicked the first two goals after half-time and were thinking the game was in pretty good shape, and for the next 20-odd minutes, it was watching the ball go through the opposition's goals. No matter what we did, we couldn't stop it.

"The game was looking really healthy for us, we were winning some really important battles that we'd assigned people to do, but the challenge for us will be the consistency of being able to do that. If we stray from it, we see what happens. 

"When we lost our pressure around the ball, and we were losing our contest, and we lost important metres from stoppage, they were just able to dominate field position, and they were kicking them from everywhere. We're going to have to look back at that pretty closely."

Given three players – Charlie Curnow, Ollie Florent and Will Hayward – switched between the two teams in a slightly contentious deal over the Trade Period, there was always going to be plenty of emotion in the clash.

But the sheer number of tussles and ill-disciplined free kicks conceded, particularly by the Blues, contributed to the third-quarter rot, although Voss said he didn't think his side was overawed by emotion.

"I need to go back and see [the post-goal free kicks], because sitting on the interchange bench, I don't have the privilege of being able to look at all the instances," Voss said.

"But what's important for us, and what I'll always maintain, first and foremost, is that we'll defend ourselves, and we'll protect our own. Those two particular scenarios didn't go our way, and I'll reserve judgement on it for now, but there were plenty of others where we were flying the flag for our teammates. 

"There were different melees that were happening across the ground – I don't know what was behind those, but what I want to see is the Carlton jumper defending the Carlton jumper. I'm never ever going to ask my players not to do that."

Sydney coach Dean Cox was thrilled with how big-name recruit Curnow competed in his first game in the red and white, under significant pressure against his former side.

"We spoke about [the emotion of the trade] throughout the week, but there wasn't a particular plan to do anything with it. It was more to acknowledge Charlie – it's a big game, 150th, against his old club, but we also had two other players (Malcolm Rosas jnr and Jai Serong) play their first games for the footy club, and the two players who played against us were here for a long time," Cox said.

"We knew it was going to boil over at some stage, and something was going to happen, but it was a credit to our guys that we didn't overreact and give away free kicks, or do anything that was the other way.

"Everyone understands the narrative behind it, and the expectation when you get a great player like Charlie to your football club. We've had some unbelievable key forwards, and the hype that surrounds that. 

"I was more worried if he missed (his first goal), all the boys were waiting to congratulate him and give him a high five, rather than set up and win the ball back from a kick-in."