That one was for Dick!
That was the message from the Carlton rooms on Sunday night as Blues' coach Brett Ratten dedicated his team's shock win over the Western Bulldogs to the club's ailing former president Richard Pratt.
The 75-year-old, who helped save the Blues' from financial ruin earlier this decade, watched the Blues' 43 point win over last year's preliminary finalists at home and Ratten says he was delighted his players were able to lift to give Pratt one more win to savour as he battles the final stages of prostate cancer.
"We had a lot of motivation," Ratten said of Sunday's match as the Blues put aside two recent losses and some poor kicking for goal to kick 21.7 (133) against the Dogs on Sunday.
"We knew Dick was home and he was watching the game and to give him a performance like that - that he could sit back and watch was very pleasing."
Ratten said it was a sign of his team's growing maturity that they were able to put aside an emotional week - in which Pratt has been visited by numerous people in his dying days from the Prime Minister down - to play as they did against the Dogs.
"We didn't go over the top about it but we spoke about it," he said of the need to win for Pratt on Sunday.
"We thought it would it would very nice for Dick to have an enjoyable two or three hours while he was watching the telecast and give him some enjoyment, given he has done so much for our club."
"He has just been a wonderful person and we thought we could repay him with a really good, tough, hard performance."
On a big day for Carlton, not only did full-forward Brendan Fevola become only the third Blues' player to kick 500 career goals but controversial Irishman Setanta O'hAilpin made a superb comeback from the pre-season discretion that almost cost him his career.
It was the big Irishman's first match for the club since he was suspended for punching and kicking teammate Cameron Cloke during an intra-club match in February but he responded with 15 possessions and a goal - which he fittingly celebrated with Cloke.
Ratten said he was proud of the way O'hAilpin had responded since his suspension, which also forced the club to send him on an anger management program.
"I thought his impact back into AFL footy was fantastic," Ratten said of O'hAilpin.
"He was bouncy, vibrant and some of the things he did showed he was on top of his game."
"I think it’s a good story for anyone who has a few hiccups along the way."
"He copped his whack, moved on in the old tradition of head down and bum up and he has really bounced back and responded great."