CARLTON has kept its top-four chances alive with a thrilling five-point come-from-behind win over Brisbane at Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing by 22 points at half-time and already missing Claudia Whitfort (hamstring awareness), the Blues unleashed a remarkable comeback.
LIONS V BLUES Full match details and stats
They kicked three unanswered goals in the third quarter and another two in the fourth to claim victory,6.4 (40) to 5.5 (35).
The result leaves them temporarily in fourth place and cheering for Greater Western Sydney to upset Gold Coast on Sunday afternoon to lock away the double chance.
With her team down and almost out it was Irish sensation Erone Fitzpatrick that led the Blues’ second-half surge, although it was young star Sophie McKay that played match-winner.
McKay kicked all three of her goals after half-time, including the go-ahead major with less than three minutes remaining.
Fitzpatrick (27 disposals and a goal) seemed to be swimming upstream for much of the contest, but she laid on a goal for McKay in the third and another for Nell Morris-Dalton to breathe life into the Blues.
Abbie McKay (28), Keeley Sherar (27) and Mimi Hill (27) all lifted after Brisbane dominated the first half, particularly around the stoppages.
Ally Anderson (27) was tireless for the Lions, as was vice-captain Nat Grider, who had 11 intercepts from her 25 touches.
Following a goalless opening term, Brisbane played its best quarter of the season in the second to blow the game open.
They kicked four goals and moved the ball wonderfully from one end of the ground to the other to establish a 22-point advantage at the main break.
It was a free-flowing brand the Lions had been working on for weeks, linking up through handball and changing directions with their kicks to find uncontested marks at will.
Charlie Mullins kicked the game’s first goal following some great pressure from Evie Long, and then it was Sophie Conway kicking another moments later, again after Long had been instrumental in the build-up.
Lily-Rose Williamson drilled a set shot and when Dakota Davidson added another just before half-time – on the back of a brilliant Cathy Svarc rundown tackle of Fitzpatrick – the home team was flying.
But Carlton not only halted momentum in the third quarter, they completely flipped the script and did not look back.
A worry for Whitfort
Before quarter-time Carlton was down one player when Claudia Whitfort left the field with what the club described as hamstring awareness. Whitfort has had a huge impact in her first season in navy blue after moving from Gold Coast last off-season. She will be monitored closely ahead of next weekend’s first week of finals.
Sophie’s second-half fireworks
Sophie McKay spent the final stages of the first half on Carlton’s bench appearing to get some work done on her back. Whatever happened then, the Blues need to bottle it because the young star helped turn the game after the break. She kicked her first goal midway through the third quarter and then added two more – including the match-winner – in the fourth. The strut and the celebrations were back, and they deserved to be, as McKay played a major role in her team’s incredible turnaround.
Next up
While Brisbane misses finals for just the second time in its history, Carlton now waits to see where it will finish the home and away season. Currently fourth, they could be off to face North Melbourne in a qualifying final, or if Gold Coast beats GWS on Sunday, the Blues will play an elimination final.
BRISBANE 0.2 4.5 4.5 5.5 (35)
CARLTON 0.0 1.1 4.2 6.4 (40)
GOALS
Brisbane: Mullins, Conway, Williamson, Davidson, O’Dwyer
Carlton: S.McKay 3, Fitzpatrick, McMillan, Morris-Dalton
BEST
Brisbane: Anderson, Mullins, Grider, Dunne, O’Dwyer, Conway
Carlton: Fitzpatrick, S.McKay,, Sherar, A.McKay, O’Connell, Hill
INJURIES
Brisbane: Dawes (foot)
Carlton: Whitfort (hamstring)
LATE CHANGE
Brisbane: Shanae Davison (hamstring) replaced by Lily-Rose Williamson
Carlton: Nil
Reports: Nil
Crowd: TBC at Brighton Homes Arena