Carlton holds off Hawthorn by 12 points in sodden Round 8 clash
Carlton beat Hawthorn 5.6 (36) to 3.6 (24) by 12 points in Round 8 of the NAB AFLW Season at IKON Park on Thursday 1 October 2026. The win lifted the Blues to third on the ladder at 6-2, while the Hawks slipped to 4-4, according to ABC.
It rained from siren to siren. The ball was slippery. Hands were cold. Carlton handled it better early.
The Blues led 19-0 at quarter-time and were never headed. They moved the ball cleanly when there was little clean to be had. Hawthorn chased all night.
Abbie McKay drove Carlton with 33 disposals — kicks plus handballs — and six clearances, first wins from a stoppage. Erone Fitzpatrick added 26 disposals and two goals. Both stood up when the game tightened.
Hawthorn had its chances. The Hawks finished with 52 inside 50s, entries into the attacking zone, but managed only 3.6. Lucy Wales fought hard with 20 disposals and nine hitouts, taps from the ruck contest, while Eliza West gathered 22 disposals.
Poppy Stockwell and Kaitlyn Ashmore kicked back-to-back goals in the third quarter to level the scores. For a moment, the momentum had swung. Carlton steadied and found the next scores when they mattered.
The venue is listed as IKON Park in Melbourne, the redeveloped ground at Princes Park, Carlton's home. Thursday's game was also billed as a Carlton Respects game, marking 10 years of the club's program championing gender equality, according to Carlton FC.
Even Hawthorn's banner did not survive the night, destroyed in the torrential conditions, according to The Age. It was that kind of night. Wet boots. Heavy ball. Low scoring.
What makes this stand out is the gap between territory and reward. Hawthorn kept coming inside. Carlton kept repelling it. In the wet, one clean exit beats three hopeful entries.
For fans, this means Carlton stays firmly in the finals race at 6-2. Hawthorn at 4-4 must find a steadier forward connection. September is getting closer.
