Giants down Blues and muscle in to finals action

Save articles for later

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

Greater Western Sydney have sensationally ended Carlton’s nine-match winning streak to grab a finals berth and leave the Western Bulldogs to watch from the sidelines.

The Giants saved their best for last on a thrilling final day of the home-and-away season, absorbing Charlie Curnow’s first-quarter onslaught to score a 32-point victory and qualify for September in coach Adam Kingsley’s first year in charge.

Brent Daniels celebrates a goal during the Giants’ win.Credit: AFL Photos

They were in the bottom four through 12 rounds, but won nine of their next 11 matches to snatch seventh spot and relegate the Swans – who coughed up a lead against Melbourne earlier in the day – to eighth and deny the Dogs a finals berth.

GWS were briefly in position to earn a home final in the last quarter, but late goals to Corey Durdin and Zac Fisher means they will be back in Melbourne to lock horns with sixth-placed St Kilda in an elimination final.

The Blues had far less to play for, having already secured fifth spot and a home final, but they ticked off their main goal in the opening 15 minutes when Curnow secured consecutive Coleman Medals.

They face a nervous wait to see if Jacob Weitering has a case to answer after he left Toby Greene with a cut above one of his eyes, when he remonstrated with the Giants’ captain for a dump tackle he laid seconds earlier in the second term.

Charlie Curnow secured a second straight Cole Medal.Credit: Getty Images

“He might be in trouble – I think I got in trouble for that,” Greene told Fox Footy post-match of the incident.

But coach Michael Voss will be pleased with the returns from injury of star on-ballers Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra, who were among their side’s best players as they prepare to host Sydney in a fortnight’s time.

Marvel Stadium was a sea of Blue, with the vast majority of the 44,354 fans that crammed in desperate for a Carlton win, including some Bulldogs stragglers. The GWS cheer squad filled a few rows with orange behind the goals but were overwhelmed.

Toby Greene celebrates a goal.Credit: Getty

None of that mattered, with the Giants rallying from an early 14-point deficit to swing the match for good with a five-goal-to-two third term, including the last four, that saw them take a 26-point lead to the final break.

The GWS midfielders – led by Tom Green, 200-gamer Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly – began to feast at stoppages, helped by breakout ruckman Kieren Briggs’ latest excellent performance, while the always-classy Lachie Whitfield was dynamic on his wing.

Greene kicked four goals to cap what will be another All-Australian campaign, and the recently re-signed Jake Riccardi bobbed up with three second-half goals of his own.

Coleman Charlie

It took Carlton superstar Charlie Curnow barely 15 minutes to secure his second straight Coleman Medal as the AFL’s leading goalkicker.

Charlie Curnow makes his feelings clear.Credit: Getty Images

Technically, Curnow already had four minutes earlier, when he marked, played on and snapped truly – drawing level with Crows veteran Taylor Walker, whose nine-goal binge on Saturday night made things interesting.

The 26-year-old would have privately fist-pumped when news came through that All-Australian Giant Sam Taylor (hamstring) was ruled out, which left Jack Buckley to pick up the slack.

Curnow terrorised Buckley early, with his second goal of the night – to win the Coleman with his 77th of the season – following an athletic ‘hanger’ that sent Blues fans into raptures. They were even louder when his set shot sailed through from about 50 metres.

His Carlton teammates mobbed him as he celebrated with arms outstretched before flexing towards the crowd, then urging them to make even more noise.

Curnow also out-wrestled Buckley to take a brilliant mark shortly after, but his snap was smothered. He finished with three goals, with Buckley holding ultimately holding his own.

GWS 3.2 8.4 13.7 16.9 (105)
CARLTON 4.3 7.5 9.5 11.7 (73)

GOALS
GWS: Greene 4, Riccardi 3, Coniglio 2, Cumming, Daniels, Lloyd, Hogan, Ward, Keeffe, Brown.
Carlton: Curnow 3, Owies 2, Cottrell, Martin, Hewett, De Koning, Fisher, Durdin.
BEST
GWS: Green, Whitfield, Coniglio, Greene, Briggs, Himmelberg, Kelly.
Carlton: Walsh, Weitering, Dow, Cerra, C. Curnow, Newman.
INJURIES
Carlton: Acres (collarbone).
CROWD
44,354 at Marvel Stadium.

Most Viewed in Sport

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article