Carlton’s audacious finals charge amid McKay injury fears

Carlton are on the rampage and making an audacious run for the finals after pricking Port Adelaide’s bubble – but they may have to make their charge to September without Harry McKay.

The Blues do not believe McKay has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament but the star forward is staring at a stint in the stands after injuring his knee in the opening minutes of the Blues’ short-circuiting of the Power, whose 13-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt with a 50-point thrashing at Marvel Stadium.

Subbed out of the game shortly after, the 2021 Coleman Medallist hobbled out to join his teammates at the three-quarter time huddle sporting bandage around his right knee.

McKay sustained the injury at a marking contest, his knee appearing to buckle as he landed. The Blues are hopeful scans over the weekend will not reveal significant damage and that he can play a part in their bid to play finals for the first time since 2013.

Jack Silvagni of the Blues.Credit: Getty Images

“Early diagnosis no – but it’s one of those ones we wait until we get the scans and get the full bit of information and feed it out from there,” Blues coach Michael Voss said when asked if McKay could have damaged the dreaded ACL.

McKay missed about a month last year after undergoing surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his knee.

Beset by the yips during the Blues’ form slump, McKay had been instrumental in the club’s rise in the past four weeks – but his absence was not felt against Port by the Blues, who produced arguably their best performance in a dozen years.

In a rut a month ago, the Blues are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league, this victory their fourth on the trot by a margin of 50 points or more.

The partisan crowd of 34,306 were in delirium after an electrifying first half, in which last-minute inclusion Jesse Motlop was an unlikely hero with four goals, was backed up by a second half full of substance.

The contested possession and clearance counts were nearly even but the Blues’ manic intensity at the ball and their opponent proved too much for the Power, who bore little semblance to the side that had not lost since April Fool’s Day.

Voss said the Blues’ commitment to putting heat at every contest had been the cornerstone of their revival, which has them on the cusp of the eight with a game to come against West Coast next week.

“There’s probably been a couple of simple things – one of the first ones is just our application to get pressure on the ball – it’s been it’s been the main one,” Voss said.

“And I think we’re all sharing the load better. We’re clear on the roles we need to be able to get done, and we’re buying into others, and we’re prepared to take a back seat if we need to.”

The Blues have been criticised for a perceived lack of depth, but it was those lower down the order who starred. Coming in as a last-minute replacement for Matt Owies, who had calf tightness in the warm-up, Motlop booted four goals, as did Jack Silvagni, who was among the best on ground with 19 possessions playing as the second ruck.

Backing up a solid game last week, Silvagni was influential from the start with two early goals, defeating Jeremy Finlayson in a role the Power big man has been one of the best at playing this season.

“He was a standout,” Voss said of Silvagni, who is out of contract at the end of the year. “To be able to hit the scoreboard the way that he did and the role we’ve asked him to play, it’s a tough role to play second ruck and come in and compete there and then ask to go forward.”

Port had the three leading ball-winners, including Dan Houston with 41 disposals, but the Blues, with Patrick Cripps and Adam Cerra not influential, had a more even spread.

Jack Silvagni of the Blues and Scott Lycett of the Power.Credit: Getty Images

The signs were promising early for the Blues, who brought the heat that has been the key to their mid-season revival.

Charlie Curnow, who troubled recalled Port captain Tom Jonas early, was rewarded for his blue-collar attitude against Aliir Aliir with blue riband results late, taking his tally past 50 with three goals.

The key forward provided a reference point for Blues crumbers such as Motlop, Jack Martin and Lachie Fogarty, who were lively at his feet knowing he would at worst bring the ball to ground.

Their defence played with authority and verve. Jacob Weitering was dominant in the first half with his intercept marking though Todd Marshall fought back after half-time to be one of his team’s better players with three goals.

Nic Newman was a threat both defensively and offensively. Along with Mitch McGovern, who often left his man to halve contests further afield, they gave the Blues the run and carry that was absent during their six-game horror stretch.

The full reward on the scoreboard came in a pulsating and power-packed 20 in a six-goal second quarter that had the Blues faithful in raptures.

Nearly every entry inside 50 for the Blues was a menace for a shell shocked Port defence, who, even without McKay to contend with, had no answer.

Motlop was the unlikely destroyer – his crumbing clean, footwork fancy and kicking true. The pick of his four goals was his third when he collected at Curnow’s feet, baulked then snapped from 20 metres out.

Port’s flame flickered in the second and third terms but it was extinguished early in the last quarter when the margin blew out to seven goals.

Capping off a sorry night for Port, Zak Butters sat out much of the final term with groin soreness.

Blue ban looms

Blues defender Jordan Boyd is facing a stint on the sidelines after a dangerous tackle on Darcy Byrne-Jones, whose head hit the ground in a crunching tackle. Port’s 2020 club champion played on initially but was then subbed out with concussion.

Oh Lord

Ollie Lord, one of six inclusions into the Port side, had a day to forget in front of goal. The promising young Power forward was a handful for Brodie Kemp but kicked like his boots were filled with lead. One kick made more contact with his sock than his foot. It took until his fifth shot before he found his target.

CARLTON 3.6 9.8 14.10 18.14 (122)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 4.7 9.9 10.12 (72)
GOALS
Carlton: Silvagni 4, Motlop 4, Curnow 3, Cottrell 2, Newman, Cripps, Fogarty, Cuningham, Martin
Port Adelaide: Marshall 3, Rozee 2, Powell-Pepper, Lord, Byrne-Jones, Butters, McEntee
BEST
Carlton: Silvagni, C.Curnow, Newman, McGovern, Motlop, Docherty, Acres, Walsh.
Port Adelaide: Houston, Rozee, Drew, Marshall.
UMPIRES
Chamberlain, Fleer, Dore, Wallace
VENUE Marvel Stadium
CROWD 34,306