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CARLTON has stormed into the second round of the NAB Cup with a convincing 53-point win over North Melbourne at Telstra Dome on Friday night.
Inspired by a six-goal performance from forward Brendan Fevola and a strong effort from captain Chris Judd, the Blues increased their lead at every change to cruise past the Kangaroos for 1.17.12 (123) to 0.11.4 (70) win.
Fevola was simply unstoppable as he presented, marked, goaled and caused Roos defender Josh Gibson a massive headache to slot 6.2, including one nine-point super goal.
So dominant was Fevola's performance that Gibson touched the ball once in the first half and five times for the game. Fevola now needs just six goals to reach 100 pre-season competition majors.
Judd was electric early on and showed the pace that eluded him in 2008 has returned. He finished with 19 touches, with Bryce Gibbs the Blues' biggest ball-winner with 27.
Debutant Mitch Robinson also showed promise with 17 possessions, but it was Gibbs who was the most influential youngster with five clearances and four tackles.
For the Kangaroos, Daniel Wells impressed and debutant Jack Ziebell (two goals) was composed, while David Hale (three goals) was hard to stop as the side's focal forward.
The only blight on Carlton's evening was an ankle injury sustained by debutant Chris Yarran, with the youngster lasting only the first quarter before being substituted for Dennis Armfield.
The Roos also suffered a casualty with defender Daniel Pratt accidentally kneed in the back in a marking contest. He was helped off late in the third term and taken to hospital with suspected rib damage.
It was all Carlton in the first quarter with the Blues racking up 16 more possessions and venturing inside 50 on five more occasions.
Fevola kicked the first goal at the two-minute mark, but Hale was able to nullify it three minutes later when he escaped Bret Thornton.
The Blues got away to a gap soon after when Marc Murphy dished off a handpass to Fevola just outside 50m, which the spearhead then slotted for a super goal.
Judd gave his side the biggest lead of the term at the 16-minute mark when he beautifully recaptured his own fumble to slot a goal over his shoulder, but a late major to Kangaroo Lindsay Thomas had the quarter-time margin at 11 points.
The Blues nailed three straight majors before the Roos went near their own goal in the second.
New recruit Chris Johnson started the run before Murphy chipped in and Fevola slotted his third after outrunning Gibson again.
Hale reduced the deficit to 24 points at the 12-minute mark but that was short-lived, with Cameron Cloke replying for the Blues.
The Roos improved late in the term with Hale and Ed Lower goaling, but Fevola's fourth and Simon Wiggins’s goal from an acute angle meant the Blues led by 30 points at the main break.
The floodgates opened in the third with Carlton kicking six goals to North Melbourne's two. Fevola booted two, Ryan Houlihan, Greg Bentley, Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett one apiece, and Kade Simpson had eight touches.
Wells joined Hale as a multiple goal-kicker for the Roos, but his two-goal contribution didn't spark his side into action and it trailed by 58 points at the final change.
Carlton slowed in the fourth but the Kangaroos enjoyed a highlight with Ziebell kicking his first two goals on the AFL stage.
Carlton will now play the winner from Saturday's Hawthorn-Melbourne clash next Sunday at Telstra Dome, while North Melbourne will face Fremantle at Manuka Oval.
Carlton 1.2.3 1.8.6 1.14.10 1.17.12 (123)
North Melbourne 0.2.1 0.5.3 0.7.3 0.11.4 (70)
GOALS
Carlton: Nine-point goals: Fevola Goals: Fevola 5, Cloke 2, Garlett 2, Judd, Johnson, Murphy, Wiggins, Houlihan, Bentley, Betts, Simpson
North Melbourne: Nine-point goals: Nil Goals: Hale 3, Wells 2, Ziebell 2, Thomas, Lower, Gibson, Harvey
BEST
Carlton: Fevola, Gibbs, Simpson, Judd, Simpson, Stevens, Houlihan, Grigg
North Melbourne: Wells, Power, Hale, Swallow, Harding, Ziebell, Harvey
INJURIES
Carlton: Yarran (ankle)
North Melbourne: Pratt (ribs)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Jeffery, Kennedy, Findlay
Crowd: 24,711 at Telstra Dome
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
