AND SOMEHOW, Carlton has done the seemingly impossible.

Under the guidance of interim coach Josh Fraser, the Blues have confirmed a wildcard position with a round to play, following a dramatic draw with the Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon.

BULLDOGS v BLUES Full match coverage and stats

Captain Patrick Cripps put the side on his back, leading the 12.10 (82) stalemate under the Marvel Stadium roof, as he finished with 33 disposals and 12 clearances out of the middle.

His midfield proteges Sam Walsh (33 disposals, 318 metres gained) and Jagga Smith (25 disposals, six inside 50s) flanked him, pulling the Blues back up every time it looked as if the Bulldogs had landed the crucial blow.

In a see-sawing encounter at Marvel Stadium, the Blues trialled by seven points with six minutes remaining, with a Bulldogs win to leave Fraser's side needing to beat Fremantle next week to guarantee finals.

A Dogs win would have also kept St Kilda and Greater Western Sydney alive heading into the final round of the season.

But the Blues rallied with a behind from Ben Ainsworth and then a goal through Francis Evans that levelled the scores with less than three minutes remaining.

And despite some nervous moments late, the Blues held on for a draw that leaves them six points clear of the chasing pack with one round remaining.

It is the second draw in less than 24 hours after Hawthorn and Collingwood finished all square at the MCG on Saturday night.

Early on, the Bulldogs were hurt around stoppage, and warning bells were ringing with both Marcus Bontempelli and Tim English out of the side. But it was Ed Richards (31 disposals, six clearances, two goals) who donned the cape to wrench it back the Dogs' way, moving with power out of the contest and remaining involved in passages as they moved down the ground.

Tom Liberatore also came to the party with 12 clearances and 33 disposals, doing his usual grunt work to release the likes of Joel Freijah and Ryley Sanders on the outside.

The home side lived in its attack for large swathes of the game, and while in the second term it capitalised on that territory, recording four goals to Carlton's one, in the third it lacked some finishing.

It was quick, ground level players who were able to do the damage for the Bulldogs, positioning themselves well and applying a heap of pressure within goal scoring range.

In his first game captaining the club, Aaron Naughton had a tough day. It wasn't always the fault of his own – some of the Dogs' choices going inside 50 didn't give him the best of chances – but his capacity to convert in front of goal was limited, recording three behinds for the afternoon.

Nick Haynes' sweet patch of form continued, with 26 disposals and 12 intercept possessions, and Harry Dean's aggression was channelled well to record eight intercepts and seven marks. The pair jelled well with the returning Jacob Weitering, who didn't miss a beat on his first game since round 12.

And at the other end of the ground, Carlton's talls caused some headaches for the Dogs' defence. Harry McKay (two goals), Mitch McGovern (one) and Brodie Kemp (one) effectively worked together, creating leading space for one another and separating the Dogs' keys.

They were assisted by the midfield's willingness to move laterally around the forward 50 arc before going for the money kick inside.

The subplot of the match was the head-to-head battle between young Blues defender Wilson and dynamic Dogs forward Arty Jones. The pair traded blows all afternoon – Jones with his clean gathers and ground speed, Wilson with his tackle pressure and rebounding ability.

Blues fume at pivotal call
In the tense final quarter, the Blues were up by six points but the Dogs were surging. Running down the wing, Jordan Croft was caught in a tackle, but released the footy. Legally? Not according to Carlton fans. It ultimately resulted in a goal to Rhylee West to equal things up, but on replay, it looked like a certain throw, irritating the vocal Blues crowd.

Hayward's frequent flyer points
Will Hayward is known for his capacity to fly at the ball, and protect it on its way down, but there aren't too many Hayward highlights better than his fly over Ryley Sanders in the third quarter. One-out against the young Bulldog, Hayward leapt and kept climbing to take what very well could be Mark of the Year. Unfortunately for the Blue, he hurt his ankle on the landing, and while the adrenaline was high enough for him to kick truly for his third goal, he immediately came from the ground in lieu of celebrating and went straight to the rooms with the club doctor. He spent the better part of the second half trying to convince the medical staff he was able to play on, and after a brief return to the field, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Fire on the siren
On the cusp of the half-time siren, the Western Bulldogs were pressing forward for yet another inside 50 after a four-goal quarter. Arty Jones was there to swoop on the ground ball, and key back Harry Dean swung an arm in an attempt to tackle the Bulldog. Clumsily, he caught Jones in the face, with all in the stadium anticipating a high free kick to be paid, but the wrong-sided umpire called for play on, and Dean leapt to lock Jones down in a tackle, ultimately winning a holding the ball free kick. The siren went as the skirmish was wrapping up, and Dean had some words to Jones, triggering a melee between the sides before they split to head into their respective rooms. Amidst it all, Rory Lobb and Will Hayward shared some words loudly from afar, still throwing barbs as they moved to their separate races.

WESTERN BULLDOGS      3.2    7.4    9.8   12.10 (82)
CARLTON                      5.3    6.5    10.7   12.10 (82)

GOALS 
Western Bulldogs: Freijah 2, Richards 2, Davidson, Jones, Weightman, Croft, L.Kennedy, Dolan, Williams, West
Carlton: Hayward 3, McKay 2, Evans 2, McGovern, Lord, Pittonet, Acres, Kemp

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Richards, Liberatore, Hynes, Sellwood, Freijah
Carlton: Cripps, Smith, Walsh, McKay, Pittonet, Haynes

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Carlton: Hayward (right ankle)

Crowd: 44,106 at Marvel Stadium