Carlton are emerging the hard way, suffering their second nailbiting AFL loss in three games.
A fortnight after the Blues were panned for their two-point loss to Gold Coast, they went down to Hawthorn by five points on Sunday in Launceston.
In Sunday’s late game, Geelong are a game clear at the top of the ladder after thumping West Coast by 58 points at GMHBA Stadium.
The 15.14 (104) to 7.4 (46) belting leaves the Eagles 3-3 in their premiership defence
The Hawks trailed by 36 points in the second term before they rallied and hit the lead in the last quarter.
Carlton’s Zac Fisher could have levelled the scores inside the final minute, but he hit the post.
The Blues appeared to have one last shot at victory when Harry McKay marked just inside 50, but he was beaten by the final siren and Hawthorn held on to win 13.15 (93) to 13.10 (88).
“I didn’t think we adjusted well enough in the third quarter after a really good first half,” said Blues coach Brendon Bolton.
“in the last five-seven minutes we came home really strong and it just showed it is a game of seconds – you never know (with) a few more seconds, what would have happened.”
Carlton lost veteran Kade Simpson and Nic Newman to injury during the match, but Bolton said there were no excuses.
“Our guys left nothing in the tank, but I don’t want the conversation … (to be) it was an honourable loss,” he said
It leaves the Blues among four teams at the foot of the ladder with only one win from six games.
But Carlton’s biggest losing margin has been 33 points and in between the Gold Coast and Hawthorn games they easily beat the Western Bulldogs.
Fremantle honoured David Mundy’s 300th game with a 19-point home win over the Bulldogs on Saturday night, taking the Dockers to second.
GWS belted Sydney by 41 points and it is the first time in 25 years that the slumping Swans have lost five straight at the SCG.
Adelaide improved to 3-3 and ninth with Saturday’s 29-point win over St Kilda, with all sides from second to eighth on 4-2.
Brisbane smacked Gold Coast by 49 points for a badly-needed win.
Port Adelaide’s 16-point win over North Melbourne and Richmond’s 43-point Anzac Eve win over Melbourne left the Kangaroos and Demons joining Sydney and Carlton at the bottom of the ladder.
Essendon fans were furious about controversial umpiring calls in the last few frenetic minutes of their four-point Anzac Day loss to Collingwood.
Apart from controversy around Bombers boos drowning out Magpies captain Scott Pendlebury when he accepted the Anzac Medal as best afield, the match also sparked debate about whether the AFL needs full-time umpires.