Eliminate the negative

Wow - what a win!! Yesterday's victory over the old enemy Essendon was really one for the ages. To watch these two footballing titans - the two most successful clubs in AFL/VFL history - battle it out for a chance to keep their finals hopes alive, was magical stuff!

Sitting behind the Carlton cheer-squad, we were all swept up in the emotion attached to such an important game, as we rode every tackle, flew for every mark, and celebrated every goal as though it was the best we'd seen.

After a bright, yet ineffective start to the game in which we found it difficult to register a goal, Carlton suddenly found itself 13 points in arrears. This seemed an unlikely scenario only moments before, as the Blues appeared to be totally in control, and had the ball down in its forward line for the bulk of the opening 10 minutes.

From midway through the first quarter, however, the Blues never looked back, and apart from some junk-time goals to the Bombers when the game had already been decided, Carlton dominated throughout.

The Carlton boys gave their all, and were totally spent once the final siren sounded. This didn't stop the playing group making their way over to thank the Blues supporters, most of who stayed long after the game had ended, happy to sing the club song again and again.

Speaking of giving their all, a special Carlton mention should go to the club's official match-day Tweeter, Luca Gonano, who tweeted gameplay throughout the entire match, providing up to the minute on-field action, for those unable to be at the MCG. Great effort, Luca!

So now unto the West we go. Saturday’s semi-final sees Carlton take on the much-improved West Coast Eagles. The last time these two teams met resulted in a convincing win to the Eagles at Etihad Stadium. However, as all Blues fans know, Etihad has not exactly been a happy hunting ground for Carlton of late. In contrast, the last time we played over in the West, Carlton came away with a win against the Fremantle Dockers. The Blues have also beaten the Eagles four out of their last five meetings, including two victories over in Perth. There is every reason to be confident in another Carlton finals victory this coming weekend!

The Carlton Football Club has announced today that Saturday night's game will be broadcast live via a big screen at Visy Park, allowing home fans who are not making the trip to Perth, to watch the game amongst fellow supporters, at the Blues home base.

Follow this link for further details:
http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/123219/default.aspx

Stay tuned for an update following Carlton's next training session.