Carlton will be looking to keep hold of its top-four spot when it faces Sydney in a Friday night blockbuster at Marvel Stadium.
The Blues (7-2, 114.3%) continue to impress in 2022, dispatching of the Giants in round nine in Leon Cameron’s final game as coach.
Sydney (6-3, 125.7%) demolished Essendon last week, but has looked sporadic in its bid to follow up last year’s finals campaign.
There were no late changes for either side. Brodie Kemp (Carlton) and Braeden Campbell (Sydney Swans) were named the medical substitutes.
This match gets underway at 7:50pm AEST from Marvel Stadium.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 7pm AEST.
Follow Carlton vs Sydney in our live blog below!
Luke Parker got Sydney off to a great start against the Blues at Marvel Stadium, after his week of controversy.
The Swan, who was criticised for mocking opponent Dylan Shiel, got on the end of a great forward entry from Tom McCartin to mark and goal.
Sydney youngster Logan McDonald was off to a flyer with the second goal of the match from his third mark of the night.
The McDonald goal came off the back of a Blues turnover as Sydney took full advantage coming through the corridor.
“They are a great kicking team so they don’t need much of a gap to get through,” commentator Daisy Pearce said.
But the Blues found an answer from skipper Patrick Cripps.
And locking the ball in their forward half, Jack Silvagni provided a contest and brought the ball to ground where Cripps swooped.
Big man Charlie Curnow brought the crowd to their feet with his long range shot to an open goal square.
After taking a strong mark outside 50, Curnow quickly wheeled around and kicked his first for the night.
“He will wheel and go, particularly if he’s on that 50-metre line,” commentator Matthew Richardson said.
“He feels comfortable doing it. You have to know he will do it every time.”
Carlton could have opened up an early lead if not for their inaccuracy. Both Curnow and Sam Docherty hit the post with their set shots while Jesse Motlop and Matt Owies were wayward and Corey Durdin’s shot was touched off the boot.
McDonald added his second for the night – again from a strong mark inside 50 but the goal would spark the Blues into action.
Curnow was paid a holding free kick seconds before the quarter time siren and went back to bring the Blues to within one at the first change.
And from there, it was all Carlton in the second term as they kicked five straight – six including Curnow’s after the quarter time siren.
“It’s been a blistering 10 minutes by the Blues,” commentator James Brayshaw said.
“They’ve really got a hold of them now.”
Durdin kicked his first from the night before Curnow added his third from a strong contested grab.
Matthew Kennedy had Swan Parker caught holding the ball and went back to calmly slot the goal.
Despite steadying, Sydney’s Chad Warner lost his cool when he was penalised for running too far. And his frustration boiled over when he was further punished by a 50-metre penalty for dissent.
As a result, the Blues went straight inside 50m where Curnow was awarded his second free kick for holding, and suddenly the lead was out to a game-high 29 points.
McDonald was able to keep the Swans within striking distance with his third for the night before half-time, but the ball lived in Carlton’s half of the ground.
Curnow added his fifth for the night midway through the second term after being all alone at the back of the pack.
He easily added the goal from in the goal square, to became the first Blue to kick five goals in a half since Jarrod Waite in 2013.
“Jeez he’d be worried now John Longmire,” Brayshaw said.
“You can’t leave your opponent,” commentator Luke Hodge said of Tom McCartin.
“I know that was unlucky it’s come off a lot of hands and fallen, but (McCartin) was sort of doing nothing here. You either stay back on Curnow or you fly and try and punch that ball as far away from the contest so it doesn’t fall into your opponent’s hands.”
The Blues kicked a remarkable nine goals in the second quarter as they simply “manhandled” the Swans.
