Blog log from R23 of 2023: Gold Coast vs Carlton

Atkins fires a bullet towards Flanders who kicks quickly to Rosas. Rosas plays on and snaps through the opener with a composed finish! (Q1 2:31)
Swallow flicks up a handpass to Sexton who squares the ball up to Chol, it gets past everyone and takes a wicked bounce, but Marchbank sees it through (Q1 4:34)
Lukosius marks a Flanders kick 45m out from goal and backs himself in with the kick. The ball drops short and is rushed over (Q1 7:15)
Motlop wins a high free and Hewett takes advantage enabling Cripps to take a step and kick for goal, but misses (Q1 8:43)
Chol kicks deep and Sexton wins the ball in the contest, he plays on and snaps from a tricky spot but threads the needle to perfection! (Q1 9:41)
Sexton wins a big two-on-one in the goalsquare to take a strong mark. He converts for his second goal as the Suns blitz away early! (Q1 11:36)
Martin is tackled without the ball in the pocket and wins himself a free kick. He opts for the snap from 20m out but is lazy with the kick, bending through a point! (Q1 15:13)
Swallow wins a big contest at half forward to bring the ball down for Sexton who is able to kick out the back to Ainsworth who strolls into an open goal! (Q1 18:38)
A Lukosius bomb finds Chol 65m out who sets up Fiorini with a kick. Fiorini almost loses it to a Saad tackle but barely gets it away to Anderson. Handpass to Swallow and a goal! (Q1 20:40)
Swallow tries to bag his second goal with a snap from stoppage, but misses (Q1 22:14)
Fiorini gathers and snaps quickly, but hits the behind post (Q1 25:58)
Rowell goes to the square but the ball spills off hands and Weitering walks it over (Q1 27:56)
Ellis finds Swallow 40m out on the flank with a kick, he loads up but pushes it wide for another point (Q1 29:03)
Curnow kicks long low and hard to the square where Cottrell is able to shove Budarick out of the way, run onto the loose ball and snap through Carlton’s first goal! (Q1 30:02)
Swallow rises in the dying seconds to take a strong pack mark 35m out! The siren sounds and Swallow kicks his second goal at last after the siren! (Qtr Time)
Cincotta coughs the ball up and the Suns counter quickly getting the ball down to Swallow 40m out from goal. He screws the ball into the post though (Q2 3:48)
Miller finds Chol who in turn squares it up to Lukosius 35m out. The kick was never in doubt as the Suns keep rolling! (Q2 6:22)
Budarick catches Curnow high as he loses his footing, and the star forward converts to get on the board! (Q2 8:27)
Cuningham flicks a handball to Motlop who throws it on the boot quickly, but a lunging Ellis tackle forces a miss (Q2 13:48)
Chol gets loose and has Sexton running into space, Chol kicks on his left and the ball is shocking as a result. Sexton gathers and snaps, but misses (Q2 14:46)
Carlton go coast to coast with Dow kicking to the square from 50m out. It gets past everyone and bounces through for a behind (Q2 15:33)
Ellis tries to gobble up a Docherty kick but the sun gets in his eyes and spills it to Curnow who dribbles through a goal! (Q2 15:48)
Acres delivers a long ball inside 50 and Curnow takes a double grabber on Ballard! He slots the goal from 30m out and the Blues are cutting away at that lead! (Q2 17:48)
Martin gathers a dropped Johnston ball and screws a snap into the pocket for Owies. He goes for the checkside snap, but hits the post (Q2 19:50)
Curnow marks 65m out from goal and lopes around to kick deep for Owies in the pocket. After a brief delay Owies converts the snap from close range! (Q2 23:53)
Sexton blocks out Acres in the back pocket and Lukosius isn’t pleased. He gives away 50, then 100 as he strikes Newman. Acres kicks to the forward pocket and Martin, who goals! (Q2 26:26)
Carlton have a spring in their step now as Curnow slots goal number 4! It’s all falling apart for the Suns! (Q2 27:33)
De Koning gathers and feeds a handball back to the approaching Motlop who snaps through a goal and the Blues take the lead! (Q3 2:50)
Cuningham tries to kick a low one through, but it bobbles up and Budarick runs it over (Q3 5:55)
Owies pops up to mark deep in the pocket 35m out. His kick drops in the square and is rushed over the line (Q3 5:55)
Ainsworth snatches the ball from Cincotta and screws through a lovely finish to level the scores, and the game as evened up a bit now! (Q3 12:28)
Martin gets separation from Andrew and kicks for goal from 45m out on the run, but misses narrowly (Q3 12:56)
Owies kicks to Curnow in the square, but Collins is able to shove him out of the contest and force a behind (Q3 18:11)
Motlop rips the ball out from congestion and snaps at goal, but misses in a rush (Q3 18:11)
Ballard coughs it up to Curnow who snaps at goal, but misses to the left (Q3 19:04)
McKay finally gets on the end of a kick 35m out from goal, but he pushes the kick well wide and short for a behind (Q3 20:32)
Lukosius finds Swallow with a pop kick in the shadows of 3QT, and the Suns’ stalwart slots the goal to edge Gold Coast ahead! (Q3 27:11)
Kemp’s handball is picked off in the middle of the ground and the Suns are away through Rosas and Swallow who flicks a handpass to Miller. The captain goals from 40m out on the run (Q4 3:15)
Ainsworth pops the ball up to the square and somehow Swallow marks uncontested out the back! The former captain now kicks goal number four in a personal best! (Q4 5:45)
Ballard drops a sitter and allows Docherty to get his mitts on the ball, a quick handball to Motlop who snaps from 45m out and sends through a response! (Q4 7:20)
Rosas forces a bad kick from the sub Ed Curnow and the other sub MacPherson gets the free kick for OOTF. He finds Chol on the lead who marks 25m out from goal. Goal Suns! (Q4 11:15)
Motlop finds Martin with a low ball 45m out. Martin kicks from 50m out and splits it right down the middle with a beauty! (Q4 14:35)
Motlop lines up a ball to Charlie Curnow who marks 40m out and gets clattered by Ballard. He plays on and slides the ball through the big sticks from 45! (Q4 18:36)
Lukosius snaps from a forward stoppage, but Kemp is able to tap it over for a behind (Q4 19:33)
Carlton move quickly from defence and it’s Charlie Curnow who gets the ball and smashes the ball deep to McKay who is out the back. MacPherson tries to run him down, but can’t! (Q4 21:41)
Fisher pops up at half forward and blasts one from 50m out, but misses… (Q4 22:41)
Owies takes a diving mark after Cripps hacks a kick inside 50. Owies runs in to 40m out and aces the kick, 11 point lead with just under 5 minutes remaining! (Q4 24:56)
Casboult bullocks his way through the pack and Humphrey cleans up the scraps, popping it forward to the square and Ellis who marks, runs through and goals from the square! (Q4 28:13)
The possession game begins for the Blues as the clock ticks down to 2 minutes (Q4 29:32)
Ball in on the wing with 1:51 remaining (Q4 29:32)
Another ball in inside Gold Coast’s forward 50. 48 seconds. (Q4 31:00)
Swallow feeds a handball to Anderson from the stoppage, Anderson wheels and goes from 45m out, it’s a booming kick and he misses! (Q4 31:00)
Lemmens feds the ball back inside one last time for the Suns, but Charlie Curnow has gone into defence and marks to save the game! (3 Qtr Time)