IT’S one of the games on the football calendar that all Bluebaggers look forward to.

This week would’ve been no different. Carlton. Essendon. Thursday night.

Of course, unfortunately that won’t be happening. But it presents the perfect opportunity to go through the archives and look through the very best.

Here’s the first edition of Tuesday Tops, presented by CUB. The topic?

The top five wins over Essendon between 1999–2019. Let’s get into it.

5. 2011 elimination final

The sentimental one kicks us off — for obvious reasons.

Coming into the game, Carlton had gone 10 years without winning a final, having fallen agonisingly close on its previous two attempts. In its first home final since 2001, over 90,000 packed into the home of football to see the traditional rivals face off.

After Essendon burst out of the blocks with the first three goals, an inaccurate Carlton kicked into gear, producing 10 consecutive goals to end the game as a contest before half time.

With a final margin of 62 points (after some late consolation), it was Carlton’s biggest ever finals win over Essendon. Marc Murphy collected 37 disposals, Eddie Betts kicked four and Chris Judd providing a third-quarter cameo with a classic mark and goal.

This one isn't like the others on this list. This was a drubbing: the others are much, much closer on the scoreboard.

4. Round 18, 2001

For this to be fourth on the list means there has been to a strong top three.

Carlton did the double over the reigning premier (more on the prequel later), and it just happened to be in a significant milestone game.

As Craig Bradley became just the second Blue to reach 350 VFL/AFL games, the sixth-placed Blues ventured to the MCG to take on the ladder-leading Bombers

Hoping to cement a finals spot, what resulted was a famous win for the Old Dark Navy Blues, on the back of some Matthew Lappin brilliance.

With Adrian Hickmott an outstanding support act, Lappin kicked five goals - including the decisive final two of the game - to seal a famous seven-point win.

3. Round 3, 2007

Yes: this comes in third.

The Blues came back from a half-time deficit of 48 points, the greatest in their history: as Tim Lane said, “they came back from 44 one day at the MCG”.

The revival was spearheaded by one man, and one man alone.

With eight goals in effectively a half of football, Brendan Fevola enjoyed his finest hour and left Essendon reeling, with Carlton three points ahead in an instant classic.

Post-game, veteran coach Denis Pagan described it as the most satisfying home-and-away win in his 15 years of coaching: Bluebaggers at the MCG that day will tend to agree with him.

The decisive factor in this being third was the relative strength of the two sides: Essendon and Carlton finished 12th and 15th respectively in 2007. Which leads us to…

2. Round 3, 2001

It’s remembered fondly by Carlton supporters, but is underrated in its history as one of the all-time great home-and-away wins.

Essendon was coming off a famous flag where it lost just one game. Carlton went into it with its three big guns as late exclusions.

No Bradley. No Koutoufides. No Silvagni. No worries.

An undermanned Blues stunned the Bombers under Thursday night lights, emerging with a 17-point win after kicking the last six goals of the game.

The midfield brigade of Scott Camporeale (three goals), Brett Ratten (26 disposals) and Darren Hulme (two Brownlow votes) got going and the Blues were laughing come the final siren, after Matthew Lloyd put his side three goals up in the last quarter.

It was a famous result in Wayne Brittain’s third game as Senior Coach.

1. 1999 preliminary final

Speaking of famous results…

We’re cheating a bit here: we may have altered the criteria of ‘the last 20 years’ to fit this one in.

After all, what’s a Carlton and Essendon list without this game?

It had the game’s greatest individual quarter, the game’s greatest tackle and it was the game’s greatest upset. Bar none.

There can’t be much more said about this game that hasn’t already been mentioned, or as it was told in last year’s edition of Mercury Moments (link below).

Carlton may have three Grand Final triumphs over Essendon, but this was as sweet as it gets.