Carlton has shattered North Melbourne’s top-four dream, clinching a brave 23-point upset of the Roos in an entertaining clash at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
The underdog Blues played with dare and dash, setting the tone from the outset with a free-flowing brand of football and holding on for a 16.13 (109) to 13.8 (86) triumph.
Twin towers Lachie Henderson (six goals) – in his 100th game – and the recalled Jarrad Waite (four) led Carlton’s win and dominated in the air.
Waite, whose future at Visy Park has been the subject of much conjecture, showed he is anything but a spent force, covering the ground and leaping high for 10 marks.
Fittingly, the 31-year-old sealed the match running into an open goal to put the Blues ahead by 25 points at the 18-minute mark of the final term.
Carlton (6-11) condemned Brad Scott’s Kangaroos to their seventh loss and all but ends North’s ambitions of earning a finals double-chance.
Instead, the Roos (10-7) could now slip outside the top eight if split round results go against them.
North only trailed by 15 points at half time, but again failed to show sufficient fight to come from behind.
Nine times this season the Roos have gone in behind at the main break, losing seven.
Carlton swarmed all over North in the opening half and arguably should have led by more.
Although North had more inside 50s (31-23), Carlton had 16 scoring shots to 11.
The Blues gained the ascendancy in midfield and played on instinct, clearly enjoying being back under the roof where they have now won five of their past six games.
The Roos had won five of their previous six at the venue, but it was clear from the opening exchanges that the ‘bad’ North Melbourne was on display.
Although Lindsay Thomas drew first blood for the Kangas with a laser-precise set shot from the boundary, Carlton’s greater threat and swift ball movement soon told.
With the inclusion of Waite, granted a late reprieve after two games in the VFL for Brock McLean, the Blues had a potent three-pronged tall attack with Henderson and Levi Casboult prowling the forward 50 arc.
Waite announced he had come to play with a well-judged contested mark for Carlton’s first at the 11-minute mark, sparking a four-goal run.
Henderson kicked truly following Chris Yarran’s clever inboard pass before the livewire hit the scoreboard from 45m out in his 100th game.
Bryce Gibbs then continued his excellent form since re-signing with Carlton, snapping a goal of the year contender over his left shoulder from 35m out to put the Blues ahead by 20 points.
North steadied through Ben Cunnington, who kicked two goals but had just 13 touches, and Brent Harvey (20 possessions, two goals) and the margin was just nine points at the first change.
It wasn’t sufficient reward for the Blues and - after dominating most of the second quarter – they coughed up another significant advantage.
Carlton kicked four of the next six goals – including a team-lifter by former Brisbane Lion and Magpie ruckman Cameron Wood in his first game for the club - to lead by 23 points at the 20-minute mark.
The Blues had all the momentum and when Nick Graham – substituted into the game in the first quarter for Andrejs Everitt (knee) – followed up from half-back to kick truly the Roos were on the brink.
However, late goals from Thomas and Harvey, fresh off signing a one-year contract extension, propelled the Roos back to within striking distance at the long break.
Mick Malthouse’s men kept North in the game in the third term, booting 1.6 to 4.0, but the Blues would not be denied.
Carlton hammered the final nail in North’s coffin with six straight majors to 2.4 in the last quarter.
The win was soured by Mitch Robinson, also in his 100th match, being reported for a heavy bump on North’s Leigh Adams in the first quarter.
CARLTON 4.3 9.7 10.13 16.13 (109)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.0 7.4 11.4 13.8 (86)
GOALS
Carlton: Henderson 6, Waite 4, Gibbs 2, Yarran, Wood, Judd, Graham
North Melbourne: Thomas 4, Harvey 2, Cunnington 2, Greenwood 2, Dal Santo, Petrie, Ziebell
BEST
Carlton: Gibbs, Waite, Henderson, Simpson, Curnow, Docherty, Yarran
North Melbourne: Dal Santo, Greenwood, Thompson, Cunnington, Swallow
INJURIES
Carlton: McLean (stomach virus) replaced in selected side by Waite, Everitt (knee), Menzel (knee)
North Melbourne: Brown (finger) replaced in selection side by Daw
SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Nick Graham replaced Andrejs Everitt in the second quarter
North Melbourne: Jack Ziebell replaced Scott McMahon in the third quarter
Reports: Mitch Robinson (Carlton) for rough conduct on Leigh Adams (North Melbourne) in the first quarter.
Umpires: Schmitt, Pannell, Jeffery
Official crowd: 36,689 at Etihad Stadium
