Mitch McGovern hospitalised as victorious Blues face heavy injury toll

Carlton fans endured a bitter-sweet night at the MCG on Friday, witnessing their beloved Blues capture a thrilling 15-point win over St Kilda as a heavy injury toll mounted.

Victory was sealed by Carlton when Harry McKay nailed a set shot from about 45 metres out just inside the right-hand boundary with less than 90 seconds on the clock, with the spearhead booting his third major of the game to ice an 11.11 (77) to 9.8 (62) win in front of a 65,000-strong crowd.

Carlton's other towering Coleman Medallist, Charlie Curnow, also bagged three goals as the Blues moved to 4-5 for the season.

READ MORE: 'Please do': Flag hero's powerful message in honour of Frawley

READ MORE: Port chief reveals big 'issue' with Rioli 'pile-on'

READ MORE: Mick Doohan's swipe at F1 team after son brutally axed

But Carlton's win was marred by injuries suffered by Mitch McGovern, who was involved in a brutal first-quarter collision and taken to hospital, as well as Blake Acres (dislocated shoulder), Lachie Cowan (hamstring tightness) and Nick Haynes (head knock).

Acres returned to the field and played out the game after having his right shoulder popped back in during the second quarter, while Haynes copped a nasty knock to the head before half-time but was also able to run out the match after a brief period off the field.

On the contrary, Cowan took no part in the second half due to his hamstring tightness.

McGovern was substituted out for Cooper Lord after colliding heavily with St Kilda's Liam O'Connell, with the Saint going for a bump and thumping his opponent in the chest.

Match review officer Michael Christian will assess whether O'Connell also made high contact in bumping McGovern.

"Cowan will have his hamstring assessed. He was a bit tight, [so] we just didn't want to send him back out there," said Carlton coach Michael Voss in his press conference.

"Gov, will wait for the assessment [on the] chest area. I'll just call it [the] chest area, I couldn't give medical terminology right now," he laughed.

"Obviously Blake had the shoulder he was managing, and Nick got a sort of kick to the back of his neck that he had to get assessed.

"There were just a couple of moving pieces there for a while. We were inventing new defenders there for a period of time," Voss laughed.

The injury carnage was obvious to Acres when he was helped into the dressing rooms.

"It was a pretty chaotic moment, to be honest," Acres told Fox Footy post-match.

"I was down in the race and seeing Cowan in there, and McGovern was getting in the back of an ambulance. It was just crazy at the time."

Acres didn't appear particularly fazed with his shoulder dislocation.

"I'll see how it pulls up, to be honest, and go from there," he said.

"I'm sure if you scanned my shoulders before the game they would have said they're pretty banged up already after 12 years of footy. [I] strapped it up, got back out there, and I was glad I was able to help out a little bit with the win."

Carlton and St Kilda are both 4-5 this season, but the Blues are ahead on the ladder because of a higher percentage.