It was a courageous game by Mitch Robinson, who injured his shoulder in a marking contest in the second quarter. He was seen talking to the Carlton club doctor and pointing to the back of his left shoulder, raising fears about damage to his scapula. But Robinson continues to make a name for himself as a player who can fight through immense pain, gritting his teeth and playing on. Robinson was driven into the turf in the third quarter, landing hard on the damaged shoulder, but bravely battled on and fought out the game.
2. Marking a milestone
Reaching 250 games on Friday night was a big occasion for Chris Judd, and the former Carlton skipper made his milestone match one to remember. Judd endured a slow start by his standards, with just one possession to the 22-minute mark of the first quarter, but he worked his way into the game as only he can. He finished with 29 possessions, nine clearances and a long set-shot goal in the second quarter, living up to his ranking of number 17 in the Official AFL Player Ratings.
3. Murphy's early exit
While Friday night was a showcase for a former Carlton skipper, the current captain had a night to forget. Marc Murphy's night ended in the second quarter after he clashed heads with Luke Hodge. The midfielder managed to walk off the ground, but was subbed out of the game soon after and sent to hospital for scans, which revealed a fractured cheekbone. It was an abrupt end to a special night for the Murphy family, with Marc and his dad John notching their 400th game combined as a father and son. It was Marc's 154th game, while John played 246 games for Fitzroy, South Melbourne and North Melbourne.
4. Small change extends big run
Hawthorn has dominated the Blues in recent times, winning the past nine matches by an average margin of 41 points coming into Friday night’s clash. But the Hawks didn't find the going so easy at Etihad Stadium, trailing by 17 points in the third term, a worrying turnaround after booting the first three goals of the game inside seven minutes. Alastair Clarkson’s team made a decisive change in the third term, taking off one of their talls in Max Bailey in order to inject Jonathan Simpkin into the game. The Hawks booted five goals to three in the third quarter, and accelerated away in the last term with four of the final five goals to ensure their remarkable run over the Blues remained intact.
5. Double trouble
Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead have enjoyed life against Carlton in the past. Franklin had booted 27 goals against the Blues in their past eight encounters before Friday night’s contest, while Roughead had 24 from their past seven meetings. The dynamic duo once again proved threatening up forward on Friday night. Roughead was in the thick of it as the Hawks launched a third-quarter attack, and finished the game with four goals. Franklin also chimed in with four, two of which came in the final term when the Hawks finally kicked clear.
