Carlton have kept their wildcard hopes alive with a gritty 13-point win over Gold Coast thanks in part to a clever time-wasting tactic in the dying minutes.
In a topsy-turvy clash, the Blues did enough in the final quarter to keep the Suns at bay despite a hint of controversy in the closing stages.
With just under four minutes remaining and the Blues leading by 13 points, Lewis Young won a free kick 45m out from goal to effectively put the game to bed.
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Young not only took his allotted 30 seconds, but walked back to nearly the centre circle to begin his run-up.
That meant that he could waste even more time, with rules stating that he only needs to begin his run-up inside 30 seconds.
The umpires were powerless to call play-on and the Suns could only watch on as he slowly walked in for his run-up before his set-shot drifted wide.
“Look how far back he is going, that is ridiculous. He is going that far back so his walk in takes another 10 seconds,” Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said on Fox Footy.
“Look how far back he has gone. This is crazy. But he can do it, he can go back to centre-half back if he wants.
“As ridiculous as it is, it’s smart. It’s understanding the stage of the game and where they are at.”
The time-wasting tactic mattered little in the end as the Blues quickly kicked another goal after Young’s miss.
The victory lifted Gold Coast temporarily up to 10th place, but St Kilda and GWS could both leapfrog them with wins this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Suns remain in 14th place with their season effectively over after their ninth-straight loss.
Premiership favourites early in the season after a superb start in March, as well as coming off a semi-final appearance last year, the Suns’ campaign has descended into chaos.
Two weeks after coach Damien Hardwick prematurely declared Gold Coast’s season over, this time he might be right.
The Suns have crashed to 7-12 and 14th on the ladder, two games away from a wildcard spot with only four rounds left.
But Carlton, who began the season at 1-8 and dealt with the departure of coach Michael Voss, have jumped to 10th with a 9-10 record to give them a serious chance of featuring in finals.
The Blues’ midfield brigade battered Gold Coast for most of the day, captain Patrick Cripps, Hewett (three goals, 24 disposals), Jagga Smith (31 touches) and Sam Walsh (31) all immense in deciding the result.
The Suns’ stars had their moments, but were never able to sustain it for long enough.
Suns captain Noah Anderson stepped up, slotting a goal of the year contender in the second term when he dodged through traffic and slipped two tackles to finish superbly.
But Anderson’s influence in the second half waned, as his opposing captain – Cripps – went to another level.
Cripps had a colossal 15 clearances from his 30 possessions to go with an important goal in the third quarter.
In his 150th game, veteran Carlton defender Nic Newman had an early finish after hurting his hamstring when wildly attempting to kick a loose ball.
Blues small forward Talor Byrne continued his improvement with an equal career-best three goals, missing two gettable chances to better his record.
Young defender Harry Dean continued his push for the Rising Star award, again excelling for the Blues without injured vice-captain Jacob Weitering.
Carlton are back at home to reigning premiers Brisbane next Saturday night, while the Suns host finals-bound Melbourne at People First Stadium on Sunday.
— With AAP
