CARLTON 1.0 2.3 4.4 7.5 (47)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.1 2.2 4.4 5.4 (34)
Goals: Carlton: D Vescio 2 A Downie B Jakobsson G Pound L Brazzale S Audley. Greater Western Sydney: A Schmidt H Wallett J Barclay J Dal Pos P McWilliams.
Best: Carlton: B.Davey, B. Jakobsson, L. Arnell, N. Exon, D. Vescio, T. Lucas-Rodd, S. Audley GWS: J. Dal Pos, A. Schmidt, A. Guest, P. McWilliams, N. Barr, R. Beeson
Crowd: 7884 at Ikon Park
Carlton charged home, kicking five of the last six goals of the game to beat Greater Western Sydney and continue their winning start to the season.
![Carlton v Adelaide](/web/20170211104555im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/a/s/e/0/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guar90.png/1486801353174.jpg)
WHY CARLTON WON
Carlton were about as red-hot favourites as you can be in a five-game old competition. The slick Blues had impressed eight days earlier against Collingwood, keeping the Magpies goalless after quarter-time. Conversely, the Giants, missing both their marquee players and already considered outsiders before the season, had waited until the final quarter of their loss to Adelaide to post their lone goal for the day. But the sides proved to be much more closely matched than it appeared pre-game.
This was the pick of the small sample of AFLW games to date, and the first to feature several momentum shifts. Down by a point after going goalless in the second term, GWS came out firing after the long break as Phoebe McWilliams and Jess Dal Pos goaled in quick succession.
Things were getting desperate for the Blues but Shae Audley squeezed her way through traffic to kick an important goal, and that was almost immediately followed by another when Darcy Vescio took a juggling mark and goaled from 40m with less than two minutes left in the third quarter. The game was up for grabs at the final change, but the Blues rode the wave of support from a partisan 7884-strong Ikon Park crowd. Brianna Davey, Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Alison Downie and skipper Lauren Arnell stood up when needed, the Blues adding three goals to start the term and ensure a 2-0 start to the season. Bookends Davey and Bianca Jakobsson were again standouts for the winners, while Vescio was handy after her starring role last week.
PLAY OF THE GAME
The Giants had more than held their own in the early stages but it was the Blues who struck first when Jakobsson slotted a set shot from the pocket. Far from being deterred though, GWS hit right back, as Phoebe McWilliams charged out of the middle and steered the ball to Aimee Schmidt who gathered nicely, turned, ran inside 50m and goaled on the run from 45m.
THE MOMENT
Midway through the first quarter with the Giants deep in attack, priority selection Dal Pos was locked up by Davey and tackled into the ground. While it wasn't quite a sling, Dal Pos' head hit the ground heavily. She was very slow to get to her feet, and when she eventually made her way to the boundary line Fox Footy reported that she complained her neck had gone the wrong way in the tackle. Thankfully for GWS she returned to the field, but star Davey looks likely to receive match review panel scrutiny. "I think I remember her going down but it was sort of in play so I didn't recognise what actually happened," Davey told Fairfax Media after the match.
WHAT THE RESULT MEANS
Having survived a scare, the Blues have set up a tantalising away clash next Sunday with another undefeated side, Adelaide. Blues coach Damien Keeping said he expected vice-captain Madeline Keryk to return to the side after missing this game with soreness. While gallant on Saturday the Giants are now all but shot as a premiership chance, and face Fremantle at home next Saturday.