Round 4, 2025

Carlton 3,5 23 4.5 29 4.6 30 6.10 46 Collingwood 3,2 20 3.7 25 7.13 55 8.15 63
Venue:	MCG
Date:	Thursday, 3rd April 2025 (7.30 pm).
Result:	Lost by 17 points.
Crowd:	82,058
Goalkickers:	O. Hollands 2.1, G. Hewett 2.1, C. Curnow 1.1, P. Cripps 1.0, W. White 0.3, J. Motlop 0.1, T. De Koning 0.1, L. Fogarty 0.1, Rushed 0.1.
Reports:	Dan Houston (COLL) was suspended for two weeks after a high bump on Lachie Fogarty. it was rated as careless conduct, high impact, and high contact. Patrick Cripps received a fine of $1875 for careless contact with the umpire (second offence). George Hewett received a fine of $3125 for careless contact with the umpire (third offence).
Umpires:	Nick Foot, Jacob Mollison, Brendan Hosking, Robert Findlay.
Injuries:	L. Cowan (hamstring)
Ladder:	16th.

Game Review

Blues go down to Pies

Carlton has gone down to Collingwood by 17 points. - By Cristian Filippo, Carlton Media

Carlton has fallen by 17 points to old enemy Collingwood at the MCG on Thursday night. After a combative first half, a costly third term was the decisive factor in the defeat to the Pies, with the Blues falling 6.10 (46) to 8.15 (63). Adam Saad didn’t stop all night with 23 disposals, while George Hewett continued his outstanding personal start to the season with 29 disposals and two goals. Ollie Hollands provided the run and dare that the coaching staff had encouraged the Blues to embrace in the early going, surging forward to kick his first goal of the season - and his first since the last meeting with the Pies in Round 21 of last season. The Blues’ mandate to go quick and take the game on was evident, and it brought results in the opening term, with transition footy ending in captain Patrick Cripps’ first goal of the season.

For the most part, the Blues were defending the Pies’ transition game well, not conceding a goal from the source for the entire term - however, three consecutive goals from clearances (two of those from defensive-50 stoppages) would’ve frustrated the Blues after a promising start. Carlton continued to run and carry with a 1:1 kick-to-handball ratio, with an industrious Adam Saad proving extremely effective in the early going. His assist for Charlie Curnow saw the Blues get the lead back before quarter time, where tempers started to flare. Blake Acres was busy around the contest with 13 disposals and four tackles, while Zac Williams moved to half-back following an early hamstring injury to Lachie Cowan, which saw the young defender subbed out for Ashton Moir. A quarter-time shower made for a contested start to the second term, with Sam Docherty busy on the wing and supporting the defence.There were 24 goalless minutes in the second term, with the Blues scoreless while the Pies registered five straight behinds. That run was ended off the boot of George Hewett, who got on the end of some selfless work from Brodie Kemp following a coast-to-coast move for the Blues.

It meant the Blues maintained a narrow lead, owning the ball in the first half (+44 uncontested possessions) while also winning key duels: Lewis Young kept Darcy Moore to no marks at half-time, while largely Saad had restricted Jordan De Goey to just four first-half disposals. Some of Carlton’s senior heads were the ones ensuring the Blues maintained a calm approach, with Docherty, Walsh and Williams registering 10 disposals apiece while the Blues had the top seven ball-winners on the ground in the second term. Upon play resuming in the second half, Carlton was behind the eight ball, with Collingwood owning forward territory, registering the first seven inside 50s of the quarter and kicking three goals in quick succession. Over the course of the third term, the Pies had 38 more disposals and had levelled the contested possession count, outhunting the Blues at the source. The Pies played the conditions better as rain fell, registering 18-7 inside 50s for the quarter and piling on four unanswered goals while the Blues’ forwards were starved of opportunity. Saad continued to work hard behind the ball with four intercepts, but the Blues were unable to generate any run and found themselves 25 points down at the final change. The rain only got heavier at the start of the final term and that brought with it another Collingwood major through sub Ned Long, before Hollands stopped the run with his second goal - the first time he’s registered multiple goals in a game - at the halfway mark of the final term. It was too little too late for the Blues, who fell to a 17-point defeat in the 30th Peter Mac Cup.

Best: G. Hewett, A. Saad, S. Walsh, O. Hollands, S. Docherty.

Feeling Blue: Magpies' masterclass leaves Carlton teetering at 0-4.

Collingwood salutes over arch-rival Carlton by 17 points at a packed MCG. - By Josh Gabelich at the MCG.

Deja Blue?
Carlton's season is officially on life support after the Blues slumped to 0-4 to start 2025 after losing to ancient rival Collingwood by 17 points at the MCG on Thursday night. For the fourth week in a row, Carlton made the better start and led at half-time, before being completely outplayed in the second half. With 82,058 people turning up in the wet to watch the 30th edition of the Peter Mac Cup and the 267th fixture between the two Victorian powerhouses, the Magpies booted the only four goals of the third quarter en route to a 8.15 (63) to 6.10 (46) win that was far more comfortable than it looks on paper.It will be a long road back from here for Michael Voss' side. Only seven sides in VFL/AFL history have recovered from a 0-4 start to feature in September. Hawthorn did it last year after starting 0-5, while Sydney overcame a 0-6 start to 2017 to be the first side since the 1970s to play finals after losing the first month. Carlton kicked only two goals in the second half on Thursday night after eight total across the first three rounds. The Blues have now conceded 29.20 after half-time in the first month of 2025, losing the first four for the first time since 2019. The Magpies will head on back-to-back interstate trips to Adelaide and Brisbane 3-1, banking a third straight win after starting the season with a poor performance against Greater Western Sydney in Opening Round. Lachie Schultz won the Richard Pratt Medal for best on ground after producing plenty of moments that matter in one of his best games yet since moving from Fremantle at the end of 2023.

Steele Sidebottom wasn't far behind him in the votes, although you could throw a blanket over the Magpies' best players. The Daicos brothers found plenty of the ball, while Darcy Cameron beat in-form ruckman Tom De Koning and Darcy Moore starred in defence. Thursday night was built up like a final after a week of intense external focus. Carlton made the better start at the MCG. Ollie Hollands drilled the opening goal on the run to the City End, before Patrick Cripps added a second to settle a side in the spotlight. Collingwood responded with two goals to level the scores, before debutant Will White – the last man added to the list at Princes Park after the pre-season supplemental selection period deadline – had two chances in two minutes, but missed both. Before premiership teammates Michael Voss and Craig McRae could get to their players at quarter-time, a mild melee erupted after the siren.

Rain swept through the MCG early in the second quarter, but didn't linger long enough to force anyone in the outer out of their seats, although it made conditions more difficult. It resulted in an ugly spectacle, highlighted by three out on the full kicks for the term by the Blues. Bobby Hill and Brody Mihocek both missed set shots from long range, after Jordan De Goey missed a handball option. Dan McStay missed another, then Mihocek missed the most gettable shot of all. Instead, it was George Hewett who broke the deadlock 25 minutes into the second quarter, capitalising after picking the Pies apart through the corridor. The rain returned early in the second half, but only briefly. Nearly 40 minutes after he kicked Collingwood’s last goal, De Goey wove some magic to snap an important goal on his left. Nick Daicos started making an impact in the middle and alarm bells started ringing in the Blues' box when Lachie Schultz made the most of his shot from just inside 50. When Schultz swooped on a mark to kick his second, Carlton was on the canvas, down for the count. The Magpies kicked four goals to none in the third quarter to open up a 25-point lead at the final break. From there, the Magpies cruised home. The scoreboard flatted the Blues. Collingwood heads to Gather Round looking like contenders; Carlton look anything but right now.

Early hammy forces sub
Michael Voss had to pull the trigger on the sub before the first break when Lachie Cowan was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury. Ashton Moir was injected into the game earlier than expected. After starting as the sub in his first two games last year, the South Australian was again the 23rd man in game No.3.

Best: G. Hewett, S. Walsh, S. Docherty, T. De Koning.

Voss's pointed message as Blues look for answers after 'unacceptable' fadeout

Michael Voss says the Blues need to accept what's happened and get on with it after failing to fire after the main break against Collingwood - By Josh Gabelich at the MCG

Carlton coach Michael Voss says the Blues aren't meeting the standards they expect, after his side produced another second half fadeout against Collingwood that left the club 0-4 to start 2025. For the fourth consecutive week, Carlton led at half-time before limping to the finish. On Thursday night, the Blues kicked only two goals after the main break to lose by 17 points at the MCG. The Blues have kicked a combined total of 10 second half goals across the first month of the season, while conceding 29 goals against Richmond, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and now the Magpies, where a third quarter onslaught left Carlton stranded in the bottom four. "Coming into half-time we were pretty clear on what we need to get done. Certainly the way we played in the first half gave us encouragement that we could continue it. There were no signs to suggest that it was going to drop off, but ultimately the third quarter was unacceptable," Voss said in his post-game press conference on Thursday night. "We talk about this game and styles, but the reality is the game is played at contest first and we were disappointing in that area in the third quarter; we lost territory, couldn't get ball flow, hard to defend the way we wanted to; they were cleaner; they were tougher around the ball and we didn't handle it. That is something we will review strongly. "We've already had an honest chat about that within the rooms, but that's not us. We've got a standard that we play to, and we didn't meet that tonight. Ultimately, the way forward is to accept what's happened. You can't shy away from that, you've got to accept what's happened to be able to get on with it."

Collingwood coach Craig McRae revealed he referenced Carlton's poor second half form during his address at half-time, before the Magpies kicked four goals to zero in a third quarter blitz that put them on a path to victory. "We mentioned our second halves have been reasonably strong and theirs haven't. It's a small sample size, but you reach into those things if the opportunity is there to give belief," McRae said. Carlton has a nine-day break before facing West Coast at Adelaide Oval in Gather Round. Voss said his post-match address was measured but pointed, using a method from his old senior coach Leigh Matthews. "My old coach was one who didn't address at times; Leigh needed to separate the emotion a little bit. Come in a couple of days later, let's have a look at it, then have the conversation then. Why didn't I ask the players for the feedback because ultimately I said what I needed to say; it was pretty short, pretty sharp," he said. "We walk away without the win and need to address it. The reality is, our system is nothing more than we turn up next week and we play another opposition, that's all we need to focus on. I'm more concerned about the standard to be honest with you. That's what I'm concerned about. We've got to address that."

Team

B:	42 Adam Saad	23 Jacob Weitering	4 Ollie Hollands
HB:	1 Jack Silvagni	11 Mitch McGovern	2 Lachlan Cowan
C:	13 Blake Acres	9 Patrick Cripps (c)	18 Sam Walsh
HF:	15 Sam Docherty	17 Brodie Kemp	8 Lachie Fogarty
F:	33 Lewis Young	30 Charlie Curnow	3 Jesse Motlop
Ruck:	12 Tom De Koning	5 Adam Cerra	29 George Hewett
Interchange:	36 Cooper Lord	6 Zac Williams	26 Nick Haynes
	38 Will White
Substitute:	43 Ashton Moir
Coach:	Michael Voss
Emergencies:	25 Jaxon Binns	44 Francis Evans	37 Jordan Boyd

Substitute: Ashton Moir (replaced Lachie Cowan in the first quarter).

In: Cooper Lord, Will White, Ashton Moir
Out: Matt Cottrell (injured), Jordan Boyd (omitted), Francis Evans (omitted).

Free Kicks

Carlton 24
Collingwood 15

Front Runners

Sam Walsh 15.7km
Oliver Hollands 14.7km
Charlie Curnow 14.6km
Sam Docherty 14.4km

Milestones

Debut: Will White

Interesting Facts:

1. Carlton has never made the finals after starting the season at 0-4, can they break this omen?
2. This was the first occasion that Oliver Hollands had kicked two goals in a match for the Blues.
3. It was reported that Collingwood’s side was the oldest ever League side at 28 years and 275 days old. Carlton’s oldest League side was in the 1919 Semi Final and was 28 years and 59 days old and against Collingwood at the MCG when Carlton also scored 6-10-46 and lost by 18 points to Collingwood’s. 9-10-64.

AFLCA Votes

10 - Lachie Schultz (COLL)
7 - Darcy Cameron (COLL)
5 - Josh Daicos (COLL)
4 - Scott Pendlebury (COLL)
2 - Darcy Moore (COLL)
1 - Adam Saad (CARL)
1 - George Hewett (CARL)

Brownlow Votes

Best and Fairest Votes

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Round 3 | Round 5