RAINING on the celebrations.

On a cold MCG night, Carlton's third consecutive victory over Essendon - the first time it has achieved the feat in over 25 years - was enough to warm the hearts of all Navy Blue fans in attendance.

With the game coinciding with Essendon's 150th anniversary, Sam Docherty was superb, Harry McKay was clean in the air and the Blues defended strongly all over the ground on the way to a 26-point win.

Quarter one

It was a quarter of two halves, as Carlton booted the opening three goals through Jack Martin, Harry McKay and Matt Owies. Tom De Koning did well in the ruck throughout the early going against Sam Draper, while Adam Saad’s pinpoint kicking against his former side helped weave Carlton out of trouble in the backline. As the rain tumbled down halfway through the term, Essendon had the majority of the possession, beating the Blues at the contest whether it was in the air or at the centre bounce. Despite this, the Blues still had their opportunities with 14 inside 50s to eight, giving reunited key forwards Charlie Curnow and McKay opportunities to get involved. It was a Curnow goal which gave the Blues the lead after the Bombers nudged in front. Carlton had to do it without important midfielder Adam Cerra, was subbed out for Matthew Cottrell due to hamstring tightness.

Quarter two 

The Blues had their opportunities in front of goal in the second term, but some inaccurate kicking stopped them from blowing out the margin. Early majors from Harry McKay and Patrick Cripps was what the Blues were after, while some a flying mark from Jack Silvagni provided a key highlight on a dreary MCG night. Winning the clearances for the half, Essendon started executing some accurate entries into its forward half and made the most of its shots on goal when it had them. A clever goal from Cottrell stopped the Bombers’ unanswered run, while McKay’s third goal gave the Blues a bit of a buffer on the scoreboard on the back of a five-goal term. In his first game in three seasons, Caleb Marchbank was a strong defensive presence and used his clean disposal to the Blues' advantage, with goals from defensive-half chains being the Blues' main source of goals.

Quarter three 

Curnow found his groove again after an inaccurate second quarter with a dribbling goal from the boundary on the back of a clever combination with McKay. An opportunistic right-footed goal from Zac Fisher was just the result the Blues needed to start off the quarter strong. Owies added on another goal for the term, responding to a major down the other end. The Blues did well to keep the Bombers from scoring, despite a lot of the term being played in their half, with a slippery ball proving hard to handle for both sides. Nic Newman and Saad set the tone for the Blues, defending strongly and rebounding with class and purpose to hurt the Bombers both ways. Carlton’s transition football tapered off in wet conditions, but it made it work with strong pressure around the contest. De Koning and McKay showed their marking prowess around the ground as the Blues looked to finish on a high in the final term, holding the Bombers out to enter the final term with a 28-point advantage.

Quarter four 

It may not have been a quarter for football purists, but a workmanlike performance from the Blues ini the final term ensured the Bombers wouldn’t run over the top of them on a milestone night for the arch rival. Rain early in the term made for a scrappy contest, with neither side able to make much impact in their respective forward half — this was evidenced by a goalless final term by both sides. Lots of stoppages dominated the game, making for a stilted contest as the Blues’ pressure in all areas of the ground ensuring the Bombers had nothing easy. In the end, it was a 27-point victory for the Blues, returning to winning form with their ninth victory of the season.

Three things from the game 

1. In tough, slippery conditions, it was a real team effort by the Blues, with no one player taking the spotlight. As the rain fell on the Bombers’ 150th birthday celebration, the Blues bound together to get across the line and spoil the party. 

2. Seeing Caleb Marchbank back on the park was a sight for many a sore eyes. Gathering eight disposals, Marchbank didn’t have to do anything spectacular and proved to be a solid contributor across half back for Carlton, slotting seamlessly into the line-up. 

3. Harry McKay had a strong return after being sidelined from knee surgery. Using his aerial ability not only in the forward half but also round the ground to help his teammates, McKay managed to slot three goals (all in the first half) as well as gathering four contested marks and 11 contested possessions. 

Moment of the match

This moment didn’t come from the match, but there was a moment to remember before the Blues ran through the banner. 

Shianne Durdin was waiting for her brother on the sideline, with Corey running out arm-in-arm with his little sister in front of a big MCG crowd. 

Shianne instantly relaxed when she felt Durdin’s hand on her arm, running through the banner with him and the team before the game. 

ESSENDON         3.2     5.4     7.8         7.12 (54)
CARLTON           4.1     9.4     12.6       12.8 (80)

GOALS
Carlton: McKay 3, Curnow 2, Owies 2, Cottrell, Cripps, Fisher, Martin, Silvagni

BEST
Carlton: Docherty, Newman, Cripps, McKay, Young, Saad, Hewett, Walsh