AFL 2024 LIVE updates: Stengle fires but Bontempelli responds as Cats lead Bulldogs; Blues celebrate comeback win

CARLTON 10.13 (73) d FREMANTLE 9.9 (63)

KEY POSTS

DOUBLE-GOAL DRAMA
Carlton needed something special when they trailed in the low-scoring thriller by eight points in the dying stages. Charlie Curnow stood up with a powerful one-handed mark against Josh Draper, which he converted, trimming Fremantle’s lead to two points. Then with 40 seconds remaining, Matthew Cottrell goaled after pouching a mark from a kick from George Hewett, which the Dockers were adamant was touched off the boot by James Aish. But Fremantle protested too much in the view of the umpires and were penalised for dissent, allowing Matthew Kennedy to boot a second straight goal and seal Carlton’s epic steal.

DOUR DOCKERS
The vast majority of Saturday’s Gather Round clash was played in unbeaten Fremantle’s image. Stifling, grinding, defensive, attritional. Spearheaded by the relentless Andrew Brayshaw, the Dockers burrowed away at the contest, curbed Carlton’s run off half-back and kept the competition’s premier attacking double-threat – Curnow and Harry McKay – in relative check. But the Dockers’ in-the-trenches, low-scoring approach combined with the undefeated Blues’ gilt-edged forward threats meant the scoreboard gap never got out of hand. Then there was also Carlton’s incredible recent record in close games, which continued in the most dramatic fashion.

FOGARTY FIST FLOORS FYFE
Blues forward Lachie Fogarty faces scrutiny from the MRO after his right fist collected Nat Fyfe in the throat deep into the third quarter. Fyfe, who was wreaking havoc on the half-forward line with his size, class and experience, camped himself under Jacob Weitering’s defensive rebound when he was hit by a clumsy attempted spoil from Fogarty. The incident triggered a melee on the members’ wing, which Fogarty found himself at the bottom of, nursing his sore hand. Fyfe started the fourth term on the bench but returned to play out the match. Carlton’s Elijah Hollands (suspected hip/abductor) and Fremantle’s Michael Frederick (suspected hamstring) finished the game on their respective benches, both with their right leg iced.

KEY STATS

The Bulldogs won the ball from the middle and it ended up with Marcus Bontempelli kicking another goal.

Cats 86, Dogs 64 with four mins to go in Q3.

Eddie Betts predicted his little mate Tyson Stengle would have a big game in front of his family tonight and he has done just that.

He has just kicked his third goal with a poised snap from the pocket.

He has followed up with another goal just moments later.

Stengle has four goals and plenty of time to kick a few more.

Cats 86, Dogs 58 with four mins to go in Q3.

Ollie Henry has marked and kicked a goal in the right pocket.

That adds to the Geelong lead after two goals against them.

The game feels like it is starting to open up, could be time for Geelong to string together some goals.

Cats 74, Bulldogs 57 with nine mins to go in Q3.

Sam Darcy is having a career night kicking his third goal and giving the Bulldogs another strong forward target.

His goal has stemmed the flow of those Cats goals and now Cody Weightman has followed up with a goal of his own leading into the pocket and snapping the goal.

Cats 67, Dogs 57 with 13 mins to go in Q3.

Here come the Cats.

Stengle is the latest Geelong player to kick his second goal as they have lifted their play and are looking to take more chances and move clear of the Bulldogs.

Cats 67, Bulldogs 45 with 16 mins to go in Q3.

Jeremy Cameron has started the second half on the wing, although he known to wonder around the forward half of the ground.

He has kicked his second goal and Brad Close has followed up with a goal of his own as the Cats look to respond to a renewed push from the Bulldogs.

Cats 61, Bulldogs 45 with 16 mins to go in Q3.

Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson has admitted he directed a homophobic slur towards an Essendon player during the third quarter of Friday night’s clash at Adelaide Oval.

The comment was picked up on the umpire’s microphone with opposition players asking the umpire at the time whether they heard what was said, the AFL confirmed on Saturday night.

Port Adelaide said in a statement that Finlayson “made the club aware during the three-quarter time break and apologised to the victim on field after the final siren last night.

“Finlayson, who will be counselled by club leaders in the coming days, will provide a statement tomorrow.”

Click here to read the story.

Tom Liberatore has stood tall to give the Dogs a goal to open the second half.

The Cats will need to find a way to slow him down.

Cats 48, Dogs 45 with 18 mins to go in Q3.

A late goal to the Bulldogs’ pressure forward Rhylee West just before half-time gave his team the lift they needed after the Cats dominated for the middle part of the second quarter.

The margin is just nine points but Geelong looked to gain the ascendancy when they began to find space inside 50 and stopped Liam Jones from interrupting their attacks with intercept marks.

It would be a surprise if this game is not tight at the finish as both teams have players capable of hurting any errors from the opposition.

The Bulldogs are winning more of the ball but the Cats have more inside 50s and have looked more dangerous.

Fremantle are adamant Matthew Cottrell’s go-ahead goal came from a mark that should have been disallowed but coach Justin Lomgmuir says his team “should have just got on with it” instead of arguing the point in their controversial 10-point loss to Carlton.

Cottrell goaled with 40 seconds remaining after pouching a mark from a pass from George Hewitt, which the Dockers insisted was touched en route by James Aish.

Fremantle voiced their displeasure at the decision, continuing to the point gun defender Jordan Clark was whistled for dissent, resulting in Matthew Kennedy’s match-sealing major.

The “double-goal” ensured a first loss in 2024 for the Dockers, who had the Blues’ measure for the majority of the afternoon at Adelaide Oval.

“We should have just got on with it,” Longmuir said.

“The players clearly thought they touched the footy – and they still say that now.

“But it’s really hard call for the umpire to make. Even if they weren’t happy with the call before, there’s not much you can do without going to a replay – and we don’t want to do that with every decision – we just need to move on because the umpires are never going to backtrack.”

Meanwhile, Carlton coach Michael Voss has defended Lachie Fogarty’s clumsy attempted spoil of Nat Fyfe late in the third quarter.

Fogarty’s clenched fist made contact with Fyfe’s neck on the member’s wing in an incident likely to attract the MRO’s attention.

“I thought it was a great contest from two guys keeping their eye on the footy,” Voss said.

“Fyfe went back with the flight of the ball and Fog came across and tried to spoil it, with eyes on the ball the whole way.

“I thought it was just a great contest.”

The Blues’ great escape continued their remarkable recent record in close games, leaving Voss wondering how his side conjured their latest miracle.

“I said at the end (to the players) ‘you’ll have to fill me in on what just happened’,” he beamed.

“We weren’t real accurate today but we were accurate when we needed to be.

“We’ve had a lot of moments in the past when we’ve had some really hard, harsh lessons and the boys have gone to work a lot themselves around that and been able to stand up when it counts.”