CARLTON has recorded its second consecutive win downing Melbourne 15.11 (101) to 9.14 (68) in front of 44,159 fans at the MCG.
In perfect footballing conditions, the Blues set up the 33-point win with seven unanswered goals to end the first half.
It turned a six-point deficit into a 37-point lead at the main change and from that point the result was never in doubt.
In-form full forward Brendan Fevola kicked seven goals to lead the charge, skipper Chris Judd added three of his own while others, including Heath Scotland, Andrew Carrazzo, Kade Simpson, Bret Thornton and Shaun Grigg gathered possessions at will to keep the pressure on their Melbourne counterparts.
It was yet another sign that old dark navy Blues, under the tutelage of first-year coach Brett Ratten, are maturing.
Leading by 18 points inside 10 minutes of the first bounce it looked how far Carlton until Melbourne, despite some horrible skill errors and a dysfunctional forward set up, applied the clamps to Carlton to keep the quarter-time margin to a respectable 12 points.
This was some feat given the Blues, led by Scotland, Judd and Murphy, had 18 more possessions and five more inside 50s in the opening term.
No one could have predicted what the second term would throw up.
Two quick goals to Brad Green and another to Russell Robertson surged the Demons to a six-point lead at the nine-minute mark.
Set back on their heels the Blues were suddenly under pressure, making skill errors of their own and frustrated by Dean Bailey’s ploy of dropping loose players in defence.
Needing a lift, Carlton got it from an unlikely source in Demon onballer Brent Moloney.
After a free kick was paid to Darren Pfeifer 70-metres from goal Moloney’s undiscipline afforded Pfeiffer a 50-metre penalty and gimme goal to put the game back on level pegging.
That goal also sparked a Blue avalanche.
In the remaining 20 minutes to half-time the Blues kicked six unanswered goals, including a brilliant running effort out of the centre from Judd and a miraculous banana goal from Murphy that kicked them 37 points clear at the main break.
After a 15-minute arm wrestle to start the second half the Blues set about adding the finishing touches to their second win of the year.
Judd added his third courtesy of a contested mark inside 50 and without the ball returning to the centre Fevola was awarded a free kick against Matthew Whelan and calmly slotted his fourth. Whelan was reported in the incident to add insult to injury for the beaten brigade.
They were to be the only two goals of the term as the Blues defence, led by Jarrad Waite, Michael Jamison and Thornton, kept the Demons goalless for the term.
With the sting out of the game the Blues were happy to slow the tempo of the game, retain possession and suck the life out of the contest.
With an unassailable lead it was just the tonic to cruise to the easiest of victories despite Melbourne booting five goals to two in the final term.
The only highlights both came late off the boot of Fevola kicked his sixth courtesy of a brilliant soccer goal from 35 metres and added his seventh with a 55-metre set shot bomb from tight on the boundary after the final siren.
Scotland ended with 23 possessions, Judd had a lazy 26, Murphy 21, Simpson 19 and Carrazzo 23 to head the stats sheet while Jamison’s emergence continued.
The 21-year-old kept Demon star Russell Robertson to two goals and showed poise every time the ball entered his area.
MATCH DETAILS
Melbourne 1.3 4.5 4.9 9.14 (68)
GOALS:
Melbourne
INJURIES:
Carlton
Melbourne
Umpires: Stevic, Stewart, Schmitt
Crowd: 44,159 at the MCG
