The Blues entered half time 26 points behind and seemed destined to record their fifth loss in six games, but their midfield lifted in the second half and drove the 15.19 (109) to 11.17 (83) win.
The result leaves Carlton one game clear in eighth position on the ladder, with a further percentage advantage over ninth-placed North Melbourne, which lost narrowly to Essendon earlier in the evening.
Marc Murphy (26 possessions and six clearances), Chris Judd (26 and six) and Kade Simpson (33 and five) were new players after the main break, and their clearance work allowed the Blues to kick 11 of the last 14 goals.
With the visitors enjoying a 34-16 advantage in inside 50s after half time, small forwards Eddie Betts, Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett also lifted and shared seven goals for the night.
As dramatic as Carlton’s improvement was West Coast’s second-half slump. The home side kicked just 3.8 after half time in a 52-point turnaround.
Carlton rookie David Ellard can take much credit for crippling the Eagles midfield, having restricted prolific ball-winner Matt Priddis to 19 possessions. Ellard was playing just his second AFL game and his first since 2008.
Shaun Grigg (29 possessions) was impressive in the first half and kept his side in the contest.
The Blues were left a man down after quarter time after Dennis Armfield was collected front on by Ashton Hams and taken to hospital for precautionary scans on his neck.
Coach Brett Ratten praised his side’s capacity to stay in the game despite losing a teammate early and said Judd, Simpson and recalled ruckman Robbie Warnock (17 hit-outs and 10 possessions) turned the momentum.
“The centre bounces was the thing that really changed ... that changed the game by allowing us to get the ball inside 50 and create those opportunities,” the coach said after the match.
“Both ruckmen need to be congratulated because (Dean) Cox has been in pretty good form and [they kept] him to eight possessions and (Nic) Naitanui 11. Our boys had about the same but scored a goal as well.
“That was our tactic early to nullify Cox in particular and they did that.”
The loss leaves West Coast one game adrift on the bottom of the ladder and they had few winners after half time.
Fresh off his 12-goal demolition of Essendon last week, Mark LeCras booted 3.3 in the first half but could only add another two behinds.
Andrew Strijk, who was taken from the ground on a stretcher after a courageous spoiling effort, was impressive with nine inside 50s, while Matt Rosa, Ashton Hams and Brad Ebert worked hard.
Coach John Worsfold said midfielder Adam Selwood, who suffered an AC joint injury late in the game, would be assessed ahead of next week’s western derby.
“There’s an AC joint on the other shoulder, so depending on the extent of that, whether he’s available next week we’re not sure,” the coach said of Selwood, who missed two games earlier this season with a similar injury.
Worsfold said the difference was the third quarter, during which West Coast lost the inside-50 count 23-6 and the clearances 15-4.
“They certainly lifted their efficiency after half time and then started to put us under more pressure and we couldn’t win those midfield turnovers.
“We certainly looked like we’d gone into our shells. Part of that was the intensity that Carlton came out with (and) their clean ball-handling.”
Judd, who was booed throughout his second game against West Coast at his former home, kicked a momentum-building goal on the run from 50m halfway through the third term.
When Yarran converted a right-foot snap off one step minutes later, the Blues were two points down and launched their irresistible run to the finish.
West Coast 3.3 8.9 10.11 11.17 (83)
Carlton 2.5 4.7 11.16 15.19 (109)
GOALS
West Coast: LeCras 3, Kennedy 2, Hams 2, Ebert 2, Strijk, Embley
Carlton: Betts 3, Garlett 3, Murphy 2, Waite 2, Yarran 2, Henderson, Judd, Hampson
BEST
West Coast: Rosa, Strijk, LeCras, Embley, Ebert, Hams,
Carlton: Simpson, Judd, Murphy, Grigg, Betts, Scotland, Johnson
INJURIES
West Coast: Strijk (concussion), A Selwood (shoulder)
Carlton: Armfield (compressed vertebrae)
Reports: Ashton Hams (West Coast) for engaging in rough conduct on Dennis Armfield in the second quarter. Jarrad Waite (Carlton) for engaging in rough conduct on Adam Selwood in the fourth quarter
Umpires: Donlon, Schmitt, Pannell
Official crowd: 35,925 at Subiaco Oval
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.
