1. These Blues fight and fight and fight
Four wins in a row was almost incomprehensible for Carlton to achieve at the start of the season, but it just happened. The largest winning margin has been 15 points, and it shows how good the Blues are in the dying stages. The best part of supporting the Blues must be their determination. Three goals down at one stage in the last term with Levi Casboult injured and Patrick Cripps struggling, they could have been forgiven for not being able to fire a shot, however, they played with grit and pulled through in a heart-stopper.
2. Levi Casboult goes down, and that's going to hurt the Blues
When the person leading contested marks this year goes down, it's a terrible result, whatever concerns there are about Casboult's kicking. Brendon Bolton already had a barebones forward line, so the injury does him no favours. Sam Rowe went forward after Casboult was hurt in the first term and tried hard, while Andrejs Everitt was a decent lead-up option and finished with three goals. The Northern Blues, Carlton's VFL affiliate, lost by 143 points on Saturday to Williamstown, so it's not as if there are replacement options aplenty. Kristian Jaksch was named in the best and might be the one to come in.
3. Where was Travis Boak?
A huge game for Port to keep in touch with the top eight and Travis Boak had only 12 disposals. A lot is expected of the skipper but he has not met expectations in 2016. It's not a one-off either – only once has he exceeded 30 disposals, last week against the Brisbane Lions. He barely had an impact on the match all day, until a great snapped goal gave his side the lead early in the last quarter. Ken Hinkley needs more from him if the team is going to be competitive against some of the stronger midfields.
4. Milestone men at different stages in their respective careers
Kade Simpson celebrated his 250th game against the Power while it was No. 150 for Jamison. The match was reflective of where each is at in their footballing journey. Simpson played the role he has for so long, cleaning up in the backline and showing courage far exceeding his 76kg frame. It's a different story for Jamison, who was playing his second game in a row after a stint in the VFL. Charlie Dixon was able to beat the defender, and at one stage in the second term marked on the lead despite starting metres behind Jamison. It may have been a lack of either concentration or pace from the defender, or maybe both, but it wasn't good enough from an experienced member of the team. A dropped mark under no pressure late in the third term could have been costly, but Jake Neade wasn't able to convert from a tough angle.
5. Port Adelaide needs Robbie Gray back, and soon
Gray hasn't been seen since round five after going down with a hamstring strain. The Power needs his class back, and badly. His brilliant start to the season reaffirmed his status as one of the best players in the competition. His excellence at the contest and ability to kick goals is crucial if the Power is to be as successful as the club thinks it can be. His skill with ball in hand is also necessary in a team that too often fumbled or turned the ball over. He is expected to be fit next week against the West Coast, and Hinkley will be desperate to bring him back in.
