CARLTON has recorded an emphatic win over North Melbourne, taking home a 50-point victory at Marvel Stadium. 

After an even first half, the Blues were able to reverse the trend of recent weeks and shine in the second half. With a nine-goal-to-three second half, they ran away with their fifth win of the season.

Quarter one 

It was a perfect start for the Blues, with Jack Carroll kicking the opening goal of the game inside the first few minutes with his maiden kick in football. Sam Docherty and Jacob Weitering were productive down back in their attempts to hold off North Melbourne, which was peppering the goals but couldn’t convert early. Once the Blues found their own rhythm, they were able to produce some quality play in their front half. Matt Owies was busy with his tackle pressure and also hit the scoreboard after some strong work from fellow small forward, Corey Durdin. Sam Walsh was typically prolific through the middle, while efficient work from Lochie O’Brien resulted in a late goal from Jack Martin.

Quarter two 

North Melbourne entered the quarter hungry, kicking three goals in the first four minutes on the back of some centre-square dominance: an area Carlton usually excels in.  The Blues were unable to pin the ball in their forward half, but were able to rely on a leaping mark from Harry McKay to get the team on the board. Patrick Cripps continued to use his body in the contest, as well as providing a clever ruck tap that saw Walsh record his first goal of the season. The Blues were able to steady the ship to an extent, with some accurate kicking in their defensive half as well as an added intensity around the contest. Jack Martin showed off his marking prowess while Charlie Curnow added a much-needed goal to the tally. North Melbourne ramped up their game in the closing minutes, but Carlton still took an eight-point lead into the main change.

Quarter three 

Carlton bounced back into form, kicking two goals from centre-bounce clearances off the boots of Jack Newnes and Curnow. Martin continued his busy work in the forward half, adding a goal himself as contributing to a number of other Carlton scores. Lewis Young was in fine form with his intercept ability, as the floodgates opened for the Blues at the other end. Carlton used their efficiency in rebound 50s to keep the ball moving as the game got incredibly physical, which the Blues relished. Carroll continued his impressive debut performance, gathering seven disposals in the term with a hand in four goals. Then, four years in the making, a 100-metre penalty saw Jacob Weitering kick his first goal since 2018, with the celebration befitting the occasion.

Quarter four 

The Blues had the best of the territory in the final term, but were unable to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal. A goal from Cripps was the icing on the cake of the skipper’s performance, while McKay (four contested marks) continued to dominate in the air on the way to his fourth goal of the game. With the contest all but over on the scoreboard, the last few minutes saw end-to-end action, as Adam Saad once again played a starring role in defence with 12 intercepts.

Three things from the game 

1. When the Blues struggled to get going, Jack Martin was a powerful force in the forward line for his side, particularly in the early going. It wasn’t just the two goals he recorded, but also the eight score involvements he also contributed for his side. He set the tone with his effort, and had his teammates rise to the occasion in the second half.

2. Lewis Young is developing nicely in the backline for the Blues. Taking a number of intercept marks deep in defence, Young continued to build into his role in Carlton's defence, as he has done since his Carlton debut back in Round 3. The clash with North Melbourne provided his best performance so far for the Club.

3. A first goal in 1,491 days was the result for Jacob Weitering, and the typically stoic defender embraced the occasion. After two consecutive 50-metre penalties, the general kicked truly: both he and his teammates relished the moment, with teammates coming from everywhere for the co-vice captain's first major since 2018.

Moment of the match 

It came early in the match, but debutant Jack Carroll sealing his first goal with his first kick in AFL was a sight to see. Capping off his debut with an impressive first-up performance across the midfield and forward line, it all started with Carroll’s first kick of the game. On top of that, Carroll contributed heavily to his team’s performance, involved in eight score involvements and four clearances from his 19 disposals.

CARLTON                             5.2     8.5      15.8         17.12 (114) 
NORTH MELBOURNE          2.3     7.3      9.4           10.4 (64)

GOALS
Carlton: McKay 4, Curnow 3, Martin 2, Owies 2, Carroll, Cerra, Cripps, Newnes, Walsh, Weitering

BEST
Carlton: Cripps, McKay, Saad, Docherty, Walsh, Young, Martin