Carlton managed just one goal after half time, but it was enough to hold on to a four-point win over Richmond on Thursday night.
Despite taking the 10.15 (75) to 9.17 (71) victory at the MCG, the Blues’ second half woes rolled on in worrying signs for coach Michael Voss.
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Tiger Tom Lynch will be left to rue his wasted opportunities in front of goal as he finished with 2.7 – that second goal coming in the dying minutes from a free kick to set up a grandstand finish.
Only 15 players since 1965 have had a worse game in front of the sticks than 1.7, a brutal scoreline which Lynch narrowly avoided.
“If I’m Michael Voss, I’m sending a bouquet of flowers to Tom Lynch’s house,” Leigh Montagna said.
“Richmond blew it.”
In the end, Carlton held on for their first win of 2026.
“I am literally stunned with what we saw play out in the second half,” AFL great Jason Dunstall said.
“We saw them stop last week in the second half, the Blues. They stopped again! There was no run.
“To kick one goal in a half of football and hang on and win a game, it’s just that the opposition weren’t good enough to execute when they had their opportunity to actually get the game done.
“I am flabbergasted that they hung on! I felt nervous for the Blues all the way through that second half because you could tell what was happening; in the end I felt sorry for the Tigers because they probably deserved to win.”
David King explained of Richmond’s young side: “They didn’t know how to win.”
After a week of turmoil where former club captain Sam Docherty found himself banned from a pre-game function, the Blues were off to a red-hot start with a six-goal opening term.
But they managed just four more goals for the match, leading from start to finish.
The Tigers threw everything at the Blues in the second half, but Lynch’s woes in front of goal – and a moment of ill-discipline – cost his side their momentum.
When Zac Williams nailed the late final quarter goal – breaking Carlton’s 55-minute drought, the Blues were home.
THE 3-2-1… (what we learnt)
3. TALE OF TWO HALVES AGAIN AS ‘NEW CARLTON’ LET OFF THE HOOK
The “new Carlton” was on full display on Thursday night… though it was again only for two quarters in a repeated tale of two halves.
And the Blues might’ve been saved by Tom Lynch’s horror night in front of goal.
Lynch converted a wasteful 2.7 in front of goal including three consecutive misses in the fourth quarter when Richmond was pressing.
It came during a scoring drought from both clubs. Until Zac Williams nailed Carlton’s first major in a whole 54 minutes — and only goal of the second half — in the most important of steadiers to give the Blues a handy 11-point buffer in the dying minutes
Of course, Lynch finally responded at the other end to break his run of costly misses and get Richmond back within a kick, setting up a tense finish.
But Carlton hung on for dear life in the end.
Just like last week, the Blues were again utilising the forward handball to great effect in the first half in a clear shift in style from Michael Voss’ side.
It included a particularly promising six-goal first quarter. However, just like last week — and last year’s corresponding match — Carlton faded badly in the second half to let Richmond back in.
At least this time, Michael Voss’ side was able to bank the four points. But questions of their ability to play this new game style over four quarters will clearly be raised.
The Blues, who averaged 207 metres gained from handball last year, had 287 at half-time after 538 total against Sydney last week.
You could see Carlton wanted to move the ball at speed with hand and run in waves at just about every opportunity to create overlap and open up Richmond defensively.
“That is new Carlton,” Kangaroos legend David King said on Fox Footy commentary after a Blues chain in the first quarter.
“That’s the best version of them when they can link like that … get it to the outside, let ‘em run.”
It gave Carlton more pure looks at goal inside 50, at least in the first half, in an area it’s previously struggled.
“It works, because they were the worst field kicking team in the competition last year,” dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy at half-time.
“So to use the handball game and the strengths and some of the players, they all join in.
“It’s making them more efficient when they go inside 50, because they’re not bombing the ball from the wing .. they’re getting closer to the 50m line and getting better avenues to goal.”
The contrasting reactions on the siren.Source: Getty Images
2. YOUNG BLUES STAR DRAWS DAICOS COMPARISON
In case you didn’t know, the kid in the No. 7 jumper for Carlton can seriously play.
Jagga Smith has drawn comparisons to Nick Daicos after the young Blues star produced yet another brilliant performance in just his second AFL game – and first of many on the MCG.
Smith was particularly blistering early with 15 of his 32 disposals in the first term alone as hie elite running capacity stood out.
He just runs, and runs … and runs.
“Blues fans would be smiling … they’ve got a massive grin because of what Jagga Smith is putting on the board tonight – 15 disposals – but it’s more than that, it’s the second and third efforts,” Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson said on Fox Footy at quarter-time.
“He’s a type of player, that, if you don’t get on your bike and run with Jagga Smith, you’re going to miss out on an opportunity to get involved.
“He goes and reads it so well and he’s so effective with ball in hand.”
Indigenous great Eddie Betts noted Smith was “super exciting” and “super quick,” comparing the way the young gun plays to Pies superstar Daicos.
“He is like Nick Daicos with the way he gets it and goes,” Betts said.
“He is that outside run and it takes the pressure off Sam Walsh … to have two players like that in the midfield, you don’t know who to go to.
“It’s super exciting, you enjoy watching it.”
Dual premiership Kangaroo David King added: “They say don’t go with the messiah complex at Carlton and that it hasn’t worked in the past. Well, I’m telling you it’s hard not to!
“He’s arrived, he’s back, he’s here in Jagga and wow, what a start.”
The modern prototype midfielder, Smith – the Rising Star favourite after his first season was ruined by an ACL injury – clearly adds a different dynamic to Carlton’s midfield it desperately needs.
The combination of speed and classy ball use is what sets him apart from, not only the rest of the Blues on-ballers, but already many other gun mids in the AFL.
“His first quarter was actually unfair – he got too much of the footy, they couldn’t run with him,” Hawks legend Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy at half-time.
“Covering the ground is an understatement … he keeps running and gets the next one. He keeps putting himself in good positions to receive the ball.
“We’ve spoken about how quick he is and he runs and he covers ground, but he’s not afraid to get down and inside the contest and feed the ball out to those around him.”
Zac Williams celebrates the match-winning goal.Source: News Corp Australia
1. ‘EASIEST DECISION THIS YEAR’: YOUNG TIGER FACES BAN FOR ‘SILLY’ ACT
AFL footy boss Greg Swan put his flag in the ground around how there will be a crackdown of jumper and stomach punches in 2026.
Well, Match Review Officer Michael Christian faces his “easiest decision” this year for an incident where Richmond youngster Jonty Faull struck Carlton star defender Jacob Weitering off the ball.
Faull is set to be suspended for the stomach punch to Weitering behind play in the second term of Thursday’s match.
“That might be a little rib tickler there and it’s been given a week this year already. Greg Swan was adamant that was going to be a week’s suspension at the start of the season,” Tigers legend Jack Riewoldt said on Fox Footy commentary.
Kangaroos great David King responded: “Should be a week.”
Assessing the incident at half-time, Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph suggested Faull was a near certainty be suspended for next week’s clash with Gold Coast.
“This might be the easiest decision (MRO) Michael Christian makes all year. I’m sure Jonty Faull will be suspended for a week for that stomach punch to Jacob Weiteirng. It was off the ball, it was ridiculous, and he will face a one-week ban.
“With that crackdown, international strikes to the stomach will generally be graded as medium (impact), so you’d imagine he will miss against Gold Coast.
“It’s a pretty silly act, it’s misplaced aggression.”
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