‘Unbelievably s***’: Fans slam ugly game

Melbourne and Carlton are set to square off with a preliminary final berth on the line on Friday night.

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Carlton enter the contest having knocked off the Sydney Swans last weekend while being winners of 10 out of their past 11 matches.

Melbourne fell agonisingly short in their qualifying final against Collingwood and now stare down the barrel of their second consecutive straight sets finals exit if they’re to lose tonight.

These two faced off a month ago with the Blues emerging victorious in a nailbiting four point victory.

The winner will advance to a preliminary final showdown next weekend at the Gabba against the Brisbane Lions.

Don’t miss a second of the action right here.

9.45pm – Demons take the lead back

Melbourne are back on top after Kysaiah Pickett tumbled one through in the middle of a pack deep inside the Dees 50.

The momentum of the contest has shifted in the favour of the men in red and blue but not in any major way.

9.40pm – Skills on display are well below par

Both teams are struggling in a major way with simple execution as the turnovers pile up. From missing teammates by foot and hand, the game is turning into an ugly viewing spectacle.

CODE Sports’ Daniel Cherny wrote: “We’ve just seen the worst 10 minute period of kicks into the 50 this season.”

Another user wrote: “Never seen two teams so out of synch at the same moment. This is unbelievably sh*t.”

9.20pm – Carlton with the perfect start

Matthew Kennedy got on the end of a fast passage of play and kick started the second half in perfect fashion for the Blues with a goal.

It means they’ve now kicked six out of the last seven goals.

Joel Smith was once again the man to respond for the Demons after Kysaiah Pickett missed a golden opportunity a few minutes earlier.

9pm – Blues with the slight advantage at halftime

Down by seven at quarter, the Blues fired in the second quarter and will head into the rooms at the main break holding the slender two point advantage.

A three goal to one quarter saw the Blues flex their muscles as they comfortably took control of the contest.

Melbourne looked rushed at every contest as the pressure ramped right up on them. Their star players have been contained with skipper Max Gawn having no impact on the match.

8.45pm – Blues looking seriously dangerous

Melbourne kicked the match off with the hot hand, but after their quality opening 15 minutes it’s been all the way of the Blues.

The Blues have come to life and are firing on all cylinders as they turned the screws on their highly-favoured opponents.

After conceding the opening three goals of the match the Blues responded with the next five goals to pinch the lead.

Just as the contest looked to be slipping away from them the Demons responded with the next goal before a review took away their second.

8.35pm – Dees star slammed over inexcusable brainfade

Kysaiah Pickett could be facing a week on the sidelines if the Demons are to advance into the third week of finals.

The Melbourne forward was suspended earlier in the season after electing to bump and on Friday night he decided to go again.

In the middle of a contest Pickett flew in and bumped Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, collecting the Blues skipper in the head.

Cripps made his way off the field with a towel over his nose.

“There’s contact and he’s opted to bump. I know it was his head, but Cripps has gone off with a blood rule,” four-time premiership Hawk Luke Hodge told Channel 7.

“They’ll look at that and say: ‘As soon as you opt to bump and you get a player high, they’re definitely going to look at it.’”

Tigers legend Matthew Richardson added: “It’s just fraught with danger, you’re better off tackling, that should be your first thought now.

“If you can legally do it, OK, but you’re taking a big risk.”

8.20pm – First quarter in the books

Melbourne head into the first break with a seven point advantage in what was a genuine arm wrestle of a contest.

The Demons made all of the running in the early going before the Blues found their groove and came roaring back late in the quarter.

8.10pm – Demons on fire early, punishing the Blues

The intensity of the contest is through the roof early with the Demons holding the upper hand on their opponents.

Carlton have made simple mistakes and been punished going the other way with the Demons continually driving the ball forward at speed.

In defense Melbourne’s Jake Lever is doing as he pleases with three intercepts marks already in the opening quarter.

The Blues nailed their first goal through ruckman Tom de Koning with a tick over four minutes to play.

He nailed his second less than a minute later after being shoved out of a contest by Melbourne’s Adam Tomlinson.

8pm – Unforgivable error from Pickett

Melbourne had a shot for the second goal after Joel Smith took a contested mark inside 50, but before he was even able to line up the ball was given back to the Blues.

Livewire forward Kysaiah Pickett got into a tussle with Blues defender Mitch McGovern and grabbed a handful of his jersey and clipped him in the chin.

The Age’s Damien Ratcliffe wrote: “If Kozzie Pickett stopped acting for free kicks and getting involved in rubbish off the ball scuffles, reckon he’d be a decent player.”

7.50pm – We’re underway at the G

Charlie Curnow sprung over the top of Jake Lever and pulled down a big contested mark on the 50m arc before wheeling around and heading for home.

His kick was touched just on the line to register the opening score of the contest.

Melbourne went the other way and unlike last week, lowered their eyes going inside 50. On their third attempt they scored the opening goal through an opportunistic Ed Langdon.

7.10pm – Dees take chance with tactical sub

Josh Schache will take part is only his third game of the season after being named as Melbourne’s starting sub.

For the Blues they’ve stuck with Oliver Hollands as their starting sub for the match.

7pm – Cornes puts Charlie Curnow on the hot seat

Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes has grilled Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow over his failure to deliver last week.

The Blues star forward failed to fire and now faces an even tougher defensive unit when he goes up against the Demons.

He has gone goalless in five of his past seven quarters – with only two goals outside of that.

“Charlie Curnow is in the gun for me,” Cornes said on SEN.

“He is the best player there and for them to win, he’s going to have to get a hold (of Melbourne).

“I think he was well beaten last week. I thought Tom McCartin was outstanding.

“I just didn’t think he worked hard enough. Didn’t think he got to enough contests. I thought he was out-marked too often.

“He’s going to have to compete like he hasn’t competed before in a long time. It’s going to be against two, it’s going to be against three opponents.

“Can he get up the ground? Can he kick the ball inside forward 50?

“He’s three and one goals in his last two (games). Well beaten by (GWS’ Sam) Taylor and well beaten on the weekend by McCartin.

“He’s going to get a good player in May, but athletically he’s got May covered everywhere.

“But it’s not just going to be May, it’s going to be the other opponents.

“It’s not about winning Colemans, it’s about winning finals. When you’re the best player on the ground, you’ve got to produce a performance worthy of that.”