Carlton, with Anthony Koutoufides close to his brilliant best, unwound a strong finish to beat Port Adelaide by seven points in a hard-fought Wizard Regional Challenge Series practice match at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.
Koutoufides’ robust display in attack, midfield and defence delighted the Blues, who are entitled to believe he has made a sound recovery from the knee surgery that restricted him to just three AFL appearances last year.
This was the Blues’ second win from their four pre-season matches, following the 40-point victory against Sydney at Coffs Harbour two weeks ago, while the injury-depleted Power, pre-season premier in the past two years, was left to reflect on four successive losses – to Adelaide (one point), the Western Bulldogs (35), Fremantle (49) and Carlton.
But Port’s line-up bore no comparison to what it will be at full strength this season because eight regulars were missing – Warren Tredrea (dislocated patella), Damien Hardwick (hamstring), Jarrad Schofield (hamstring), Adam Kingsley (hamstring), Che Cockatoo-Collins (hamstring), Michael Wilson (hamstring), Roger James (groin) and Peter Burgoyne (back).
Port also rested Brett Montgomery, who has had a back problem, in the second half, and Carlton kept Corey McKernan (slight knock to a knee) and Scott Camporeale (back tightness) on the bench for all of the second half.
The Power had first use of about a three-goal wind to the northern end, but Carlton did well to trail by only nine points at quarter-time and would have been in front if it had kicked more accurately. It was 1.6 until McKernan and Trent Sporn goaled in the last three minutes of the term, just before Stuart Dew sunk his second goal for Port.
There was not shortage of height and strength in the Blues’ forward line – Koutoufides, Lance Whitnall, Brendan Fevola and McKernan, opposed by Stuart Cochrane, Stephen Paxman, Matthew Bishop and Darryl Wakelin respectively.
Port had Kane Cornes running with Brett Ratten in the midfield and Josh Francou paired off with Justin Murphy.
Carlton had the better of the second quarter but 3.2 to 1.4 – for a one-point lead at half-time – was not sufficient reward.
Chad Cornes’ strong marking and accurate kicking (two goals) helped Port to regain the lead in the third quarter but the Blues burst back into business late in the term and goals to Whitnall, Simon Beaumont and Adrian Hickmott gave them a five-point lead at the last change.
Port looked to be in control after Nick Stevens, Shaun Burgoyne and Gavin Wanganeen goaled early in the final quarter, but four goals in seven minutes from Sporn, Hickmott, Simon Fletcher and Whitnall allowed Carlton to wipe out a 14-point deficit.
Dew’s two late goals for Port were interspersed with a Ratten goal for Carlton and time ran out for the Power.
DETAILS
CARLTON 3.6, 6.8, 9.11, 14.15 (99)
PORT ADELAIDE 5.3, 6.7, 8.12, 13.14 (92)
GOALS – Carlton: Whitnall 3, Sporn 2, Hickmott 2, Koutoufides, McKernan, Houlihan, Fevola, Beaumont, Fletcher, Ratten. Port Adelaide: Dew 4, C. Cornes 2, Pickett, Guerra, Francou, Lade, Stevens, S. Burgoyne, Wanganeeen.
BEST – Carlton: Koutoufides, Beaumont, Lappin, Hickmott, Whitnall, Murphy. Port Adelaide: Wanganeen, C. Cornes, Dew, Wakelin, Paxman, Francou.
UMPIRES: Avon, Rowston, Woodcock, Dey.
CROWD: 5603 at AAMI Stadium.
