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![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Matthew-Buck-Carlton.png\"\/)
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Russell Freeman\/AFL Photos<\/p>\n
CARLTON produced the upset of the AFL Women\u2019s season last Sunday when it toppled Brisbane at Brighton Homes Arena to move to 2-1 for the year. The Blues piled on five goals to one in a stunning second term which was enough to see them get home, 9.4 (58) to 6.8 (44).<\/p>\n
Blues coach Matthew Buck said it was an incredible performance and he said it was \u201cmore about the reward and effort\u201d for the players after working hard in his first two seasons at Ikon Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been big over the first two years around high performance standards and ensuring that we turn into professional athletes,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t really talk about that any more as our girls do that automatically. \u201cSo now to come up and get that reward, and say hey you\u2019re doing that bit really well, keep learning the gameplan, keep leaning into the education that\u2019s really important for how we play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it just gives them the lift that hey we\u2019re on the right track and we\u2019re doing the right things. \u201cA lot of games to go in the season, a great win and we\u2019ll celebrate it, but it\u2019s important we take the learnings from the second half and improve as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was little doubt in the coach\u2019s mind that it was the best footy that they had played thus far.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Buck said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been chasing that, we\u2019ve had a strong preseason to focus on our ball movement. \u201cWe\u2019d like to think our contest and our defensive acts can stand up, but we really needed to add that layer, and I thought the second quarter was a real highlight with how we\u2019ve grown in that area so proud of the girls in that one.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were winners across the board for the Blues, with Carlton\u2019s defence drawing praise from the coach including young gun Poppy Scholz<\/a> who took four marks \u2013 including one contested \u2013 from 10 disposals.<\/p>\n \u201cI think defensively our backs are really organised and even our young players are back there have bought into how we want to play,\u201d Buck said. \u201cWe like the way we educate and our players like to put in the time to learn how we want to play.<\/p>\n \u201cPoppy Scholz was an example of that tonight, I thought she had a great night, but she\u2019s well supported by another six backliners who help her get into the right spots. \u201cWe\u2019re big on where we need to be to defend the ground and I thought we executed that really well tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n