AFL MRO News: Why Carlton Blues’ duo have been hit with sanctions following narrow Melbourne victory

During Round 9 of the 2024 AFL season, the Carlton Blues faced Melbourne, where two of their star players, Nic Newman and Lachlan Cowan, received fines following incidents with Melbourne players.

Cowan's incident occurred during the match on Thursday, May 9, in the second quarter involving Alex Neal-Bullen. The Match Review Officer graded the incident as careless conduct, low impact, and body contact. Despite this, Cowan avoided suspension but was fined $3,125, with the option to reduce it to $1,875 with an early plea.

Similarly, Newman was fined $3,750, or $2,500 with an early plea, for his involvement in an incident with Alex Neal-Bullen during the third quarter. Newman was graded as low impact, careless conduct, and high contact.

Notably, it was his first offense, leading to a fine rather than a suspension. While both players evaded suspension, they received significant fines.

In the match between Melbourne and Carlton, the latter emerged victorious in the game by one point. Carlton settled for a score of 77, while Melbourne could only score 76.

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Highlights from the match between Melbourne and Carlton

Both Carlton and Melbourne displayed incredible performances, providing tough competition throughout.

The game started with Carlton taking an early lead in the first quarter. Melbourne struggled significantly in the quarter, failing to score a single goal, while Carlton managed to score six.

As the second quarter began, Carlton continued their momentum by scoring another goal, further extending their lead. However, Melbourne staged a comeback in the second quarter, putting up a tough fight. They managed to score three goals, totaling 19 points, yet Carlton maintained their lead.

Despite their struggles in the initial two quarters, Melbourne showcased impressive gameplay in the third and fourth quarters. By the end of the third quarter, Melbourne had a total of 48 points compared to Carlton's 70.

In the final quarter, Melbourne scored four goals but fell short by one point, resulting in Carlton Blues emerging victorious in the game.

Carlton last played against Collingwood in Round 8 but lost the match by six points. Meanwhile, Melbourne won their last match against Geelong by 74-66.