AFL Results: Carlton Blues stun Sydney Swans

Carlton have pulled off a shock 19-point win over Sydney on a day that confirmed a changing of the guard in the AFL.

The Blues’ outstanding 15.7 (97) to 11.12 (78) win on Saturday at the MCG came after St Kilda walloped Hawthorn by 75 points in Launceston.

The Swans remain mired at the bottom of the AFL ladder with a 0-6 record and the Hawks are also a shell of their former selves at 1-5.

Sydney and Hawthorn, two AFL powerhouses for the last decade, will need miraculous turnarounds to make this year’s finals.

Last year, the Swans were grand finalists and Hawthorn made a straight-sets exit from the finals.

Adding to the Swans’ woes, injury-plagued forward Gary Rohan was taken to hospital for tests after he landed heavily on his head and was stretchered from the ground on Saturday.

The Swans reported that Rohan was conscious afterwards and had full range of movement in his limbs.

In his first game for Carlton, former Fremantle defender Alex Silvagni continued his excellent record against Lance Franklin.

If the Swans were to win, they needed a big game from their star forward, but Silvagni restricted Franklin to just one goal.

The Blues kicked the opening three goals of the final term to cement the win.

Carlton also had their injury worries and lost Jack Silvagni to a right shoulder injury in the second term after he collided with Zak Jones.

Key position player Jacob Weitering then needed treatment after half time for a corked thigh.

In their previous two matches, Carlton had managed just one goal in the third term and their opponents had kicked a total of 13.

But the Blues kicked two goals in as many minutes at the start of the second half.

That became a five-goal run that turned an eight-point deficit at the main break to a 23-point lead.

The Swans kicked the last two goals of the term to stay within touch and trailed by nine points at three-quarter time, but the Blues kicked five goals to three in the final term.

Carlton forward Matthew Wright kicked three of his four goals in the third quarter.

Sydney looked the slightly better team in a scrappy opening term, but the Blues had a four-goal run in the second quarter and took the lead for the first time.

Franklin will also come under video scrutiny after he collected Silvagni high in a tussle before the first bounce.

It meant the game started with a Blues free kick from the middle of the ground, rather than a centre bounce.

The Swans lost ruck-forward Kurt Tippett as a late withdrawal because of a hip injury.

Young Sydney onballer Isaac Heeney was best afield up to halftime and finished with 26 possessions, while Jake Lloyd had 32 disposals.

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