Blues Face Criticism Following Shocking Collapse to Youth Team in ‘One of Their Darkest Nights’

The Carlton Blues were expected to secure a straightforward victory against their long-standing rivals, the Richmond Tigers, at the MCG on Thursday night.

Coming up against a team that appeared to be a mere shadow of their premiership-winning days—lacking in experience and flush with youthful talent—few anticipated that Carlton would find themselves stuck in first gear.

Yet, what transpired over 80 minutes of intense football, witnessed by a crowd exceeding 80,000, resulted in an iconic upset as Richmond launched a remarkable comeback, scoring 12 of the last 14 goals to clinch a 13-point win.

Despite holding a commanding 41-point lead midway through the second quarter, the young Tigers managed to overcome the Blues, finishing with 13.4 (82) to Carlton’s 9.15 (69).

According to Carlton great Brendan Fevola, this dismal defeat will be remembered as “one of the darkest nights in the history of Carlton Football Club”.

In recent seasons, the Blues have struggled to halt opposing teams’ momentum, and after winning contested possessions by more than 20 and dominating inside 50 entries by 25, alarms would have been ringing at Ikon Park as their lead evaporated.

Unable to manage Richmond’s relentless pressure and goal surges in the second half, Carlton’s loss marked the most significant defeat on record for a team leading in most match statistics.

“What’s in store for the Blues now?,” Fevola questioned on X Thursday night.

“41 points up against an Under-18 team [in] round one, at a packed MCG, and they crumbled under the teenagers’ pressure.

“The Tigers looked impressive after quarter time. [Their] future seems bright.”

Meanwhile, ex-Carlton player Daniel Gorringe, who joked about changing his first name to Richmond if the Tigers won, was quick to retract his remarks on his footy media company’s Instagram page.

“This is officially the bleakest day in Carlton’s history. This is rock bottom. We are a terrible football team,” he lamented in a comedic video.

“We were up by 41 points and got absolutely steamrolled by a bunch of 14-year-olds who’ve never set foot on an AFL field before.

“And now I’m Richmond Gorringe.”

However, not everyone was disheartened by Carlton’s dramatic decline.

Prior to the match, Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett had predicted “one of the great upsets” on his podcast with John Rothfield, relishing his surprisingly accurate forecast afterwards.

“Carlton are simply no good,” he posted on X.

“I don’t have a great love for the blues (sic), but I respect them. They were beaten (sic) by a bunch of kids. It’s Tigertime.”

Carlton will have an opportunity to atone for this loss next Thursday against the Hawthorn Hawks, at the same venue where they faltered in round one.

Conversely, Richmond will take on Port Adelaide next Saturday evening as they look to shake off the predictions of finishing last this season.