A POWERFUL performance all over the field.

IKON Park hosted a nail-biting encounter between Carlton and Port Melbourne that went down to the wire. This handy win shook up the VFLW ladder, pushing Carlton up from 12th place to 7th.

The Borough came into this with the upper hand taking out every game except for one so far in 2024, with the Blues handing them their second loss of the season.

Experience was abundant across the field for Carlton having 10 AFLW-listed players named for the side. Port Melbourne weren't shy of numbers either, having six Richmond players in their squad for the day.

The VFLW return of Darcy Vescio (one goal, 15 disposals and six marks) to the side was exactly what Carlton needed, as they brought strength to the ball and vision down the field.

Mimi Hill was also a VFLW returnee who left everything out on the field with one goal, 25 disposals and four tackles.

Both started the game off with a bang, being able to move through traffic and work the ball around efficiently.

The attack and defensive work of Carlton were outstanding as they put the pressure on their opponent early, forcing Port Melbourne to play catch up in the fourth quarter. 

Everyone on the field wearing a Navy Blue guernsey backed up each other and continued to put out second and third efforts to the ball.

Last week, the Blues struggled with their marking game but it greatly improved this week. They went from being -16 to just one short or the Borough’s mark count, indicating a strong front presence to the ball in transition.

The reaction time of the Blues was quick which caught the Borough off guard, while also making the most of their scoring opportunities.

AFLW-listed Lily Goss (19 disposals, four tackles and two marks) had the ball on a string, with her back-to-back goals giving Carlton the confidence they needed to continue their dominance.

It was a special moment for Simone Mooney who kicked her first VFLW goal after debuting last week against Collingwood. Her timing in attack was smooth and she never looked like missing when sighting the goalposts.

The fourth quarter had Port Melbourne written all over it, kicking three goals in the last term and pegging the lead back to just two points. The game-high lead held by Carlton was 24 points in the third quarter.

A goal from Vescio after the final siren solidified the win to take home the game by eight points.

After suffering three losses in a row, Carlton kept their consistent performance displayed last week but was able to reflect their hard work on the scoreboard, kicking 5.6 to take the four premiership points at home.

Match summary

CARLTON                       1.3     3.4      4.4       5.6 (36)
PORT MELBOURNE                 0.1     1.1      1.4       4.4 (28)

GOALS
Goss (2), Hill, Mooney, Vescio

BEST
Austin, Di Donato, Goss, Hill, Sherar, Vescio