There's no greater incentive to play well than when your entire season depends on it. But Carlton struggled to get out of first gear for most of the game against the Bulldogs. It was surprising, given the reward on offer. Port Adelaide's loss to Geelong meant victory would move the Blues to within one with of the top eight with three games to play. They can blame some of it on injuries, with Chris Judd, Matthew Watson and Jeff Garlett forced off the ground. They also got very little out of the likes of Jarrad Waite, who finished with just one goal. But overall, they just lacked intensity and played poorly. They've got Richmond, Essendon and Port Adelaide on the run home, and now need something miraculous to happen in order to play finals football. 2013 is one that got away.

Welcome to the big time, Jarrad Grant. The forward has endured an up-and-down career, and has struggled to break into the senior side. But now that he's in, he's showing just why he was rated so highly. He's the X-factor the Western Bulldogs have longed for. He's quick, agile and unpredictable, and he gave the Blues all sorts of headaches. The club's forward line has been its Achilles heel in recent years, but Grant has slotted in brilliantly with Tom Campbell and Liam Jones. He finished with four goals, and plenty of new fans.

It's been a season that promised plenty for the Carlton faithful but has delivered very little, and the fans are lashing out. Skipper Marc Murphy – who is ranked 23rd overall in the Official AFL Player Ratings - is now wearing the brunt of that anger. Whenever he got near the ball, Bronx cheers echoed throughout Etihad Stadium. The captain finished on 23 possessions but didn't have a real effect on the game. It can't be doing great things for his confidence.

Bryce Gibbs has always had a target on his back, unfair or not, after being selected as pick No.1 in the 2006 draft. It's a pick that always carries high expectations and enormous pressure to perform. Gibbs has felt that weight on his shoulders for his entire career. Despite all that, he has become an incredibly durable player for the Blues, sitting behind Robert Walls as the second-youngest player at the club to reach 150 games. He's earning high accolades from those within the Blues inner sanctum, including club president Stephen Kernahan.

"He's the first to understand when you're the No.1 pick, you've got a lot of heat on you," Kernahan said on Saturday. "Gibbsy's going to be a very long-term player. He'll play 300 games at this football club. Not many do that. I think we'll see the best of him to come."

Teammate Dennis Armfield also marked an important milestone, notching game 100. 

"There's a man I call the 'heart and balls man'," Kernahan said. "He gives you everything he's got. Runs hard, does everything for the footy club, a real good foot soldier."

The hit was massive. Tom Campbell went back with the flight of the ball, lunging to take a mark, only to be cleaned up by the goal post. The contact was brutal, the crowd gasped with horror. The replay showed his face took the full force of the contact. The post wobbled violently. As Campbell lay on the ground, with worried teammates around him, one could only imagine what sort of pain he was in. It looked like he could have sustained a serious injury. But the big man got to his feet, walking calmly back to take his set shot. He got the goal, and got on with the game. He's one tough Bulldog, that one.