GEELONG has increased the pressure on besieged Carlton coach Mick Malthouse, the Cats winning their seventh straight match over the Blues by 77 points at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
The loss, which sees the one-win Blues slump to their worst start to a season since 2002 – the year they won three games and the wooden spoon – is their seventh for the year, and Carlton dropped to 0-14 all-time in games between the sides at Etihad Stadium.
The Cats won 22.8 (140) to 9.9 (63) despite a heated battle between Joel Selwood and Ed Curnow that saw their captain kept to just 16 disposals.
Pre-match radio was dominated by talk about Malthouse's seemingly at-odds position with the club, after he said on Thursday the public rebuilding status was why the players were struggling.
In response, CEO Steven Trigg said there was "potentially a point" where Malthouse's tenure could end this season despite the Blues' earlier stance he would at least coach out the year.
Friday night's loss won't help the veteran coach's cause, although the players' effort was better than it has been in recent weeks.
Losing Bryce Gibbs to a back injury in the third quarter compounded the late withdrawal of Andrew Carrazzo, who was replaced by ruckman Robbie Warnock.
It was a tall structure the Blues went in with but Levi Casboult, Cameron Wood and Warnock took just five marks between them, and Liam Jones took seven but went goalless.
They had few winners. Kade Simpson was best in a brave performance across half back where he consistently put his body on the line and took 10 marks – four contested.
For the Cats (4-4), it was their younger players who stood up most.
Jordan Murdoch was the most prolific goal-scorer with a career-high bag of four, while Josh Caddy had 23 disposals and joined Cameron Guthrie and Mark Blicavs as the prime ball-winners at the stoppages.
James Kelly was also solid in his first game back after surgery to repair a ruptured testicle in round five.
After coughing up six goals to two in the first quarter, the Blues burned some chances early in the second.
Troy Menzel and Jones both took marks within range and missed set shots, although Dale Thomas was able to orchestrate a goal from a clever snap after some early inaccuracy.
Thomas – who ended with 14 touches and two goals - had four shots in the first term but managed just one major and two behinds, while Menzel finished with four goals.
The Cats were also wasteful with chances at times, with Tom Hawkins burning two set shots in the second despite getting the better of opponent Simon White.
But 13 goals to four after half time, despite Dennis Armfield keeping Steven Motlop quiet and Hawkins kicking just one, saw the Cats fire up the blowtorch.
GEELONG 6.1 11.5 18.6 22.8 (140)
CARLTON 2.4 5.7 8.8 9.9 (63)
GOALS
Geelong: Murdoch 4, Caddy 3, Clark 3, Selwood 2, Kersten 2, Hawkins, Guthrie, Johnson, Gregson, Lang, Kelly, Lonergan, Stanley
Carlton: Menzel 4, Thomas 2, Yarran, Tutt, Armfield
BEST
Geelong: Murdoch, Caddy, Guthrie, Thurlow, Blicavs, Stokes, Kelly
Carlton: Simpson, Curnow, Armfield, Menzel
INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Carlton: Andrew Carrazzo (calf) replaced in selected side by Robbie Warnock, Gibbs (back)
SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Andrew Mackie replaced Darcy Lang in the third quarter
Carlton: Dylan Buckley replaced Bryce Gibbs in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dalgleish, Stevic, Mollison
Official crowd: 32,032 at Etihad Stadium
