Carlton versus Sydney
1.10pm, Sunday, 20 July
Telstra Dome, Melbourne

WE’RE RUNNING LATE. The train is wobbling into Southern Cross. Useless bastard of a thing. Useless privatised bastard of a thing. Inhale. Now exhale. It’s crunch time for Carlton. The next few weeks will tell if we
are a finals contender or another Richmond. But there’s bad news: Sydney could do with a win, too.
We’re inside and make for the outer. Or the upper.
There’s the siren. There’s the first bounce. They’re away. A manic pace. Who is going to handle the ball more cleanly in the forward line? Who is going to make the most of their opportunities?
Carlton draw first blood. But only a trickle. A point. The Carlton fans seem excited: just ready and waiting to get behind their team after the years of hopelessness. Dare I say it, there’s an air of expectation around the ground.
Darren Jolly scores the first major for Sydney. At the other end Fisher’s muffed his set shot from 25. Is it going to be one of those days? Kreuzer has got a free now. Right in front. Thank you.
Sydney are looking a little rattled. They’re over-finessing things. Struggling to keep up with the early pace, as they do sometimes. A running Judd gets the handball from Wiggins. That’s another. The Carlton fans let it out. They’ ve been waiting for that.
Carlton are playing a bit like their fans are cheering. The ball has rebounded to Fev. He’s on the run. Shoots from fifty. Yeeeees. Carlton are starting to play with some confidence. And there’s the siren. Carlton 5.5 (35) to Sydney 2.1 (13).
How about O’Loughlin and McVeigh spoiling each other right in front? Richo-esque. Goodes has got his first effective possession and we’re in the second quarter! Push-out free to Walker. Well… questionable. Is it too early to be gracious in victory? He’s goaled from 48.
That was a brilliant snap from Fev. The crowd is going spare. What? Touched? Point.
Bevan’s got a soft free 25 out. Holding? Goal.
Two can play that game. Now Fev’s got a free in the goalsquare. One more to us. The Blues are again moving the ball quickly. The ball spills to Playfair from a contest. A banana kick. Goal. The Carlton fans groan. He shouldn’t get six points for that. Maybe two.
McVeigh again! How did he find space in the goalsquare? But if they’re relying on him to kick their goals we should be right.
Half-time. Still up by 16 points. Playing good football, Blues. Open. Fast moving. Pretty tight at the back.
The third quarter. Worrying. A typical Sydney goal. They just kept pushing it forward. O’Keefe ended up soccering it through. Sydney are running better.
They’re managing to keep possession; that’s their bag. O’Keefe again into an open goal. How did he miss? Breathe.
Sydney are dominating. McVeigh has goaled. Sydney are just a point down!
Seven and a half minutes into the quarter. Again they’ve won it out of the centre.
Thank God O’Loughlin is missing them today. But Jarred Moore’s got a free.
Lucky. And a fifty! For what? Another goal.
Blues rebound from defence. Fev marks on a lead, 45 out. You’d back him from here. And you’d be right. We’re fighting back. The forwards have done well to keep the ball in the forward line for two bounces. From the stoppage Walker breaks free. Goal of the bloody year. Inspirational.
More no-nonsense Sydney play. Now Goodes has marked inside fifty on a lead. Just his third kick. But it’s a goal. Kirk has been good on Judd, too.
A cracker of a game, you’d have to say.
Bugger it. The Hyphenator has kicked one right on the siren. We’re still up by five points. McVeigh’s got his fourth. Would you believe it? And Sydney have hit the front. Scotland again beaten all ends up in a marking contest. He just cost us that goal to McVeigh. Now O’Keefe’s goaled.
Goodes has outmarked Gibbs and goaled on the run. That’s bad luck. He’s killed Goodes today.
They’re still trying. Great smother from Simpson. Darren Jolly marks.
Plays on. Goals from 45. They seem to have that little bit of calmness at the death, Sydney.
I can hear a Sydney chant.
That’s the way, Blues, get it out of the centre. Betts goals. We’re down by 13.
Good work Fev, recontesting. He’s pulled another one back. Jolly’ s set-shot from the pocket hits the post. That would have buried us. “Hah! Too cute for school,” says someone near me. Exactly. Great contest, Fev. Betts crumbs. Be buggered. We’re back to just two points down. Twenty-eight minutes in. Should be a couple more minutes left. No sir. There’s the siren.
“Cheer, cheer, the red and the white…” Fair enough. But we’re improving.

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