“IT’S THE best team footy I’ve been a part of since I've been here, in nine years of footy.”

Jacob Weitering’s comment only enhances what Michael Voss said in his post-match press conference on Sunday night, that this iteration of Carlton is one which “gives roles status within the team”.

Patrick Cripps confirmed it. On a night where his and Sam Walsh’s impact - so often referred to as the Blues’ Batman and Robin - was down by their usual standards, the team still managed to come away with a win against the arch rival.

“We always talk about how it takes a team, it takes a squad and everyone plays their role . . . we rely on all the guys doing their role, and guys stepped up.”

For years, conversations have centred around if Carlton is going to be successful, the big guns need to fire. Just last week, talk raged about how the Blues might have the best ‘top five’ in the competition.

But rest assured that all the talk coming out of those who call IKON Park home this week was about how it was once again the so-called lesser lights who made sure the team adding another win to the column in season 2024.

Sure, Charlie Curnow was a focal point on Sunday night. He kicked another two goals, he directly assisted three more, and was dangerous all night. Just like Weitering stood up on the last line, conceding just one mark to an opposition player in over 90 minutes of football while recording seven intercepts himself.

However, as Carlton’s leaders were at pains to stress immediately post-match, there were contributors everywhere — and they were all singing from the same hymn sheet.

After a breakthrough campaign in defence last year, Alex Cincotta has enhanced his reputation in recent weeks running with the opposition’s most dangerous midfielder on the spread. He kept Essendon captain Zach Merrett to his equal-lowest disposal tally of the year (21), before kicking two telling goals in the final term.

He wasn’t alone.

It was clear that Lachie Cowan was told at three-quarter time to go with Bombers danger man Nic Martin everywhere he went. After 10 disposals and two goals in the third term to bring the Dons back in the game, Martin was held to just one disposal in the first 28 minutes of the final term — and that came at the centre bounce, when 19-year-old Cowan’s starting position was stationed inside the back six.

Brodie Kemp took a team-high four intercept marks and spent the night largely on Kyle Langford, who was kept goalless. If he doesn’t get his job done, there’s little chance Weitering could have the impact he did.

One of Carlton’s most improved in 2024, Jordan Boyd had another 16 disposals and operated at 87.5 per cent efficiency. He turned the ball over only once, had three score launches - including a crucial smother that turned an Essendon attack into a Lachie Fogarty goal - and found himself halving aerial contests opposed to Peter Wright and Jake Stringer.

With another two goals in the game (plus two assists), Zac Williams - who now has 10 in four weeks - still returned to the backline in the dying minutes of the game, with Mitch McGovern off the ground and Essendon refusing to lay down without a fight.

Even Corey Durdin, who was sub and only played for a quarter, was a bundle of energy when he came into the contest. All three of his disposals turned into scores, including a one-handed contested mark and snap from the pocket which gave the Blues a game-high lead.

That's just to name a few.

In the lead-up to the Essendon clash, 2007 John Nicholls Medallist Andrew Carrazzo - highly respected for his willingness to play a role each and every week for nearly 200 games - said whatever success that comes the Blues’ way was solely in their hands.

Clearly, it’s going to take everyone.

Stronger Together, some might say.