It’s not something that was said at all in the first half of the season, but it’s true at the end: Carlton finished well.
They won their final two matches after confirming Michael Voss would coach them into 2026, defeating their arch-rivals by 34 points.
Flynn Young of the Blues runs with the ball under pressure from Bomber Jayden Nguyen.Credit: Getty Images
Changes are afoot. Tom De Koning, who was playing his 100th match, is expected to join St Kilda. He had just 15 touches and exerted little influence.
No one expects Jack Silvagni to be around, the football manager Brad Lloyd is finishing up, and assistant coaches are nervously awaiting decisions on their future.
So it was credit to them that they were able to stay positive enough to put away Essendon for the second time this season to finish with nine wins – enough to end up in 11th spot unless the Saints upset the Giants.
Of course, the story of Carlton’s year has been told too often, but there were promising signs at the start of the match when the Blues began with intent. They wanted to move the ball.
They had players prepared to give the handball to teammates running from behind, and they had Harry McKay leading hard from the square.
At times, they even looked good against an undermanned opposition who were further depleted when Sam Durham and Jayden Laverde were late withdrawals due to injury.
That two of the biggest Victorian clubs were not on free to air on a Thursday night reflected how disappointing their seasons have been – the host broadcaster preferring to inflict anything but the footy on their viewers.
That was a reasonable call as the standard was as you would expect from two teams that were locked in the bottom half of the ladder for the back half of the season.
There were rookies, pre-season supplemental selections, and mid-season rookies and category-B rookies everywhere as Essendon, who have used 44 players in 2025, dipped deep into their list to even field a team.
It has made them look much worse than they are, with 12 players from their round one team out, but it was disappointing to watch their champion skipper Zach Merrett running around in his 250th match in a game that lacked atmosphere.
There were plenty of low points, with missed goals by Jye Menzie, Jade Gresham and Dylan Shiel in the second quarter that took the edge off any potential comeback by the Bombers.
It saw them five goals behind Carlton at half-time, with the Blues dominating territory through their ascendancy in the centre clearance.
The positives included Isaac Kako’s efforts in the centre, where he showed his fast feet might be an asset if opportunities up forward dry up.
Isaac Kako handballs under real heat from Blues skipper Patrick Cripps.Credit: Getty Images
He also kicked two goals in the final quarter and used the ball well. The small forward has played every match so far in his first season and is living up to the hype that accompanied him ahead of the draft.
Andy McGrath battled hard, too, and Mason Redman has found some late-season form after battling early in the season. And the Bombers did not give up in front of 41,150 dedicated footy fans – the smallest crowd in a match involving the two teams since 2006.
It was a three-goal second half from Francis Evans which started late in the third quarter that made the difference.
The Blues were better, although there were as many groans as roars of approval during the night given all the miskicks and poor decisions.
Carlton midfielder George Hewett has been excellent all season and topped it off with an outstanding final game of his campaign.
Sam Walsh reminded everyone how critical he is to the Blues with his running power set to combine well with Jagga Smith next season.
Flynn Young played his best game since arriving as a mid-season rookie, and Jesse Motlop showed flashes at stoppages.
Lachlan Cowan was also very good in defence, with Nick Haynes spending some time on the wing. Jacob Weitering was his usual miserly self.
In all, it was the deadest of dead rubbers, with Essendon having to find the energy to head to the Gold Coast where their season will finish with 12 losses on the trot trailing them.
Carlton can start planning now for 2026, or they should already be. Start praying.
