Carlton stay undefeated after controversial win over Fremantle

Carlton have continued their perfect start to the season after a wild 10-point win over Fremantle.

Trailing by nine points deep into the last quarter, the Blues kicked the final three goals to seal an unlikely victory.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The controversial finish unpacked.

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Charlie Curnow got the first after a clutch mark and goal with just over two minutes remaining.

The Blues won the resulting centre clearance and had the ball in their forward line when the controversy unfolded.

With a ball-up just inside Carlton’s forward 50, a quick kick forward was marked by Matthew Cottrell, but the Dockers were furious as they believed the ball was touched on the way through.

Fremantle were convinced this ball was touched. Credit: Channel 7

However, the mark was given and Cottrell went back and drilled the go-ahead goal.

As the Dockers continued to argue with the umpires, a free kick was paid — seemingly for dissent — which allowed Matthew Kennedy to put the result beyond doubt.

“You know why they are flat,” Channel 7 commentator Matthew Richardson said.

“That was an arm wrestle all day … They go back to the middle and there was remonstrating. Dissent is paid. That was the end of the game.

“They still had a chance to win from that centre bounce. Then it was all over.

“This is a tightly fought competition. It’s never been more even. Freo are in the fight, in the hunt to win. Did we need to pay dissent there? I don’t think so.”

It continued Carlton’s extraordinary run in close games after already winning two games by less than a kick this season.

Jacob Weitering was superb in defence, taking a dozen marks, and Adam Cerra (one goal, 24 touches) and Adam Saad (25 disposals) were standouts.

Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw collected a game-high 38 disposals, and James Aish (27), Jeremy Sharp (29) and Jordan Clark (30) were also prolific.

Ex-skipper Nat Fyfe gathered five clearances in 26 touches, and defenders Luke Ryan and Alex Pearce were solid.

Cerra snapped the first goal, but a tight tone was set early, with Freo scoring the next two before Blues skipper Patrick Cripps converted a set shot.

The Dockers led by one point (2.2 to 2.1) at quarter-time, and by three at halftime (4.2 to 3.5), when they had the top five ball-winners on the ground.

The Dockers snuck further ahead while the Blues were stuck in a rut, scoring six consecutive behinds, a lean spell broken by Curnow, who squared scores after a contested mark.

And five minutes later the dual Coleman medallist converted a 40m shot from a tight angle as the Blues hit the front for the first time since the opening term.

But Carlton’s advantage was short-lived as two Dockers— Tom Emmett and Josh Treacy – earnt holding-the-ball decisions to reply rapidly and restore a seven-point buffer.

Fremantle’s Fyfe was then involved in a flashpoint when, after taking a mark on the wing, he was collected high by Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty, whose outstretched arm in the contest will attract match review scrutiny.

Fyfe played on and the Dockers edged their lead to nine points at three-quarter-time.

They appeared en route to victory when nine points up after a Michael Walters goal, only for the Blues to come from behind to snatch the four points.

– With AAP

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