A JOSH Kennedy masterclass has seen the West Coast open its 2015 account in emphatic style, the spearhead kicking 10 goals as the Eagles steamrolled Carlton by 69 points at Domain Stadium on Friday night.
Kennedy was a one-man wrecking crew against his former side, booting six goals in the third quarter alone and cracking double-figures for the third time in his career in the 20.11 (131) to 9.8 (62) victory, with Carlton managing just a single goal across the middle two quarters of the match.
Magic moments: Click here for the match photo gallery
The Blues have won just three of their past 15 games dating back to round 11 last season, and Friday night’s result came after the visitors got off to a promising start, kicking six goals in the first term.
The Eagles took the lead for good when Kennedy capitalised on a Chris Yarran kick-in turnover early in the second term to snap his second goal, and the home side then kicked eight of the next nine, Kennedy responsible for seven of them.
When he drilled a 50-metre set shot after the third-term siren for his ninth goal, West Coast’s lead was 46 points. Kennedy’s 10th came after a free kick 10 minutes into the last quarter.
Carlton’s loss was the first for Mick Malthouse as coach against his former side in nine meetings since 2007.
Earlier, West Coast took a 13-point lead into half-time after holding Carlton scoreless in the second term, the first time either team had failed to score in a quarter in 41 previous meetings.
Carlton was pinned in its back 50 for much of the second term as the Eagles’ tackling pressure lifted, and the home side should arguably have been more than two goals up at the long break after squandering several opportunities, managing just 3.7 for the quarter. The Eagles enjoyed a 14-3 free kick count in their favour in the first half, a discrepancy that wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard.
The second-quarter turnaround was as swift as it was unexpected, coming after a free-wheeling 10-goal first quarter where Carlton took a 12-point lead after a brilliant start by Chris Judd.
The former Eagles captain and premiership player turned back the clock with 12 possessions to quarter-time, but Matt Rosa quelled his influence thereafter.
Carlton was short-handed from late in the first quarter when Simon White left the ground with a recurrence of a left knee injury; Clem Smith replaced the Blues’ backman, coming into the game early for a second straight week after replacing Dale Thomas (shoulder) in round one.
West Coast named debutant Liam Duggan as its substitute, with Simon Tunbridge (left ankle) subbed out of the game in the third quarter.
WEST COAST 4.1 7.8 14.10 20.11 (131)
CARLTON 6.1 6.1 7.6 9.8 (62)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 10, LeCras 4, Shuey 2, Cripps 2, Lycett, Naitanui,
Carlton: Casboult 2, Everitt, Tuohy, Murphy, Henderson, Bell, Ellard, Jones
BEST
West Coast: Kennedy, Priddis, Shuey, Rosa, Gaff, LeCras, Masten
Carlton: Gibbs, Everitt, Tuohy, Murphy, Casboult
INJURIES
West Coast: Tunbridge (left calf)
Carlton: Cripps (back) replaced in selected side, White (left knee)
SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Liam Duggan replaced Simon Tunbridge during the third quarter
Carlton: Clem Smith replaced Simon White during the first quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Farmer, Hosking
Official crowd: 34,588 at Domain Stadium
