Round 4 – Roos v Blues
Disco Monagle
The Easter Bunny’s Super Clash
Apparently, this is a ‘Super Clash’?
The loss of Tristan (the Vampire) Xerri is a huge out for North.
Zac Williams is a huge out for the Baggers (yes, you read that correctly).
However, the loss of Xerri hurt North more than Zac out for the Baggers. This is not because one is a better player than the other, but rather North have started the season with some real positive momentum, with Xerri being central to that success (it just doesn’t seem natural to use ‘success’ and ‘North’ in the same sentence – it feels good).
Momentum is hard to find and even harder to maintain for any bottom team on the rise up the ladder. In the case of the lads from Arden Street, Xerri’s presence and input have been central to their positive start to the season, and it will be a watch as to how Clarkson and his players adapt without the big man.
Carlton’s momentum this season has fluctuated with from some excellent first halves of footy to three monumental failures after the main break thus far.
No matter how hard the AFL and/or Fox dresses this game up as being anything other than a good matchup of two teams of similar ability, they are kidding themselves. This game promises to be a good clash, but it is no Super Clash.
So, who wins?
Oops, We Did it Again!
There was look on Michael Voss’ face midway through the last quarter (when Carlton were still leading) when he knew the shelves were empty and there was nothing left in the old Mother Hubbard – the cupboard was bare.
For the fourth straight week, the Blues fell apart in the second half of a game, this time saving their worse for the last quarter with North Melbourne being the villain to steal another victory from the jaws of defeat against the Baggers.
With ten minutes left on the clock, and with the Blues still over three goals in front, I noted Carlton were trying so hard not to lose the game it seemed inevitable their performance anxiety fears, coupled with their severe PTSD, would take over and render them totally impotent.
Yes, Jacob Weitering was off under concussion protocols during the last quarter, but this does not wash as a reason nor a valid excuse for the Blues defeat. Carlton were 22-points up when Weitering left the field, and with his departure the entirety of Carlton’s fanbase, coaching staff and players just dropped their collective heads and all seemed to just accept it was ‘happening again’.
And it did.
Sorry Roos supporters, it has taken me this long to write about your super comeback, but rest assured, you have a group of players who are now learning to win, and this win may be well by the Roos most important win since the mid 2010’s. Chapeau!
So, let’s break this game down.
The First Half
Carlton held sway at the main break by a slender margin of three points in a messy, error-riddled half of football, as both teams tried to establish a game plan that would open the game up.
The usual suspects for the Blues, Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh (he always gets plenty of the ball, but his disposal lets him down sometimes) were well held by Luke Parker and Finn O’Sullivan up to the main break. Parker nullified Cripps at stoppages, with George Wardlaw picking up the slack when he wasn’t around, while O’Sullivan made Walsh earn every possession.
With Cripps and Walsh being held, Jordan Boyd gathered many possessions to hit up his teammates, with George Hewett being his usual, reliable self. Meanwhile, Lachie Cowan was being dominant up back in concert with the ever-reliable Jacob Weitering, basically suffocating the Roos captain Nick Larkey’s influence on the game.
Up forward Brodie Kemp made himself a viable target up forward kicking a couple of goals, alongside Mitch McGovern (who has flourished up forward this year) who also kicked a couple of goals, while Marc Pittonet snagged a couple went he went forward.
Carlton should have been further in front, but….
Well, Colby McKercher, Dylan Stephens and Luke McDonald took advantage of the Blues playing bruise free football, gathering possessions at will, with Cooper Trembath, Paul Curtis and Zane Duursma all being very dangerous in front of goal.
Carlton should have been further in front at the main break, however, they nobbled their chances by playing bruise free football.
13 tackles in a half of footy is unacceptable. There have been players who have gone close to that number all by themselves, but Carlton couldn’t do it collectively?
I’ll mention this now, as when a team starts playing fearful football and the coaches head is on the block, such performances are often a deciding factor as to whether the coach keeps his job (at least for another week). There are many other factors as to why a coach is sacked, however, when the time cometh and the team stops doing the non-negotiables, such as tackling, then the coach is in real trouble.
Carlton’s Best is very Good – The Dutch Connection
In the third quarter the best of Carlton was on display. It was the same brand of football I saw live at the SCG in first half of Round Zero. Carlton’s game plan at its best is mesmerising as they dance around their opponents with fluency, no fear and freedom.
It was great to see Elijah and Oliver Hollands being the main catalysts dragging some of their more experienced mates along for the ride in the third quarter as the Carlton machine kicked into action.
Patrick Cripps slipped away from his tag, while Adam Cerra, Francis Evans, George Hewett and many others Carlton players lifted their output.
Harry McKay kicked a couple, Elijah Hollands snapped a ripper, while the young gun Jagga Smith followed the bouncing ball to kick another as the Baggers stamped their imprimatur on the game, sneaking out to a healthy 22-point lead with a mere quarter of football to play.
Carlton played with a ferocity and finesse in third quarter, demonstrating the Blues game plan can work. Therein lays the problem, Carlton can demonstrate how good they are and what their game plan looks like, but they can only maintain it for short spurts. No wonder Carlton fans are so angry, as they can see what their team is capable of.
It was refreshing to see the Hollands boys leading the charge instead of the usual Cripps, Walsh and co.
(In a game the Blues players, Board Members, coaching staff and fans would like to forget, some real solace and hope can be taken from the second half performances of Elijah and Oliver.)
At three quarter time North were all but beaten,
Oops, we did it Again – the Break Down
As bad as the Shinboners were in the third quarter, and as good as Carlton were, the Baggers didn’t really take full advantage of their third quarter dominance, and they should have led by more going into the last quarter.
Alas, setting aside the second half performances of Elijah and Oliver Hollands, what happened in the last quarter of the so-called Super Clash on Good Friday went to the same script for the Baggers as last week, and the week before and the week before that. Carlton has looked the goods in every match this season, but then they just pooed their pants.
The last thing the Blues wanted to do was to give the Roos a sniff, however that is easier said than done with this Blues’ team being mentally shot from their fade aways in their first three games.
How North Melbourne won and how Carlton lost – a goal-by-goal analysis.
Like a bolt from the past, old school Alastair Clarkson re-emerged at the three-quarter time huddle as he stared down his players, and he gave it to Colby McKercher Full Metal Jacket style to fire him up for the last quarter.
Alastair’s might have breached a few employment laws, but it was good to see nasty Alastair back.
The moment that changing the game
From the first bounce to start the last quarter, LDU won the centre break over Cripps, and he tried to set Zane Duursma up for a specky over Jacob Weitering – unfortunately Duursma’s knee connected with the back of Jacob’s head, thus forcing him off for the rest of the match with concussion. The loose ball get from that encounter was snapped up by Nick Larkey who passed the ball lace out to Cooper Trembath. He marked before play was stopped due to injury protocols.
Trembath goaled when play resumed – 16-points the difference.
Pittonet gifted the ball to Walsh at the next centre chuck up, who looked for Mitch McGovern up forward. Whilst McGovern failed to mark the mark he was awarded a free kick for being interfered with in the marking competition.
Mitch McGovern goals – back to 22-points the difference.
Ollie Hollands and Lachie Cowan put up brave resistance down back as they repelled forward charges by the Roos, however, the ball was coming back at them at such a rate it was only a matter of time before the Shinboners kicked another goal. Eventually the ball spilled from a contested marking contest to Zane Duursma who was goal side.
Duursma jumps on the loose ball and goals – back to 16-points the difference.
Carlton steadied with a lovely crumbing goal from Brodie Kemp, and it seemed the Blues had the answers to match the best North could deliver. North were asking questions, and for once, the Blues had the answers.
Brodie Kemp goals – back to 21-points the difference.
Then North started asking harder questions.
A slight lull in the proceedings was broken when Cooper Trembath presented on a lead which was honoured by his teammates up field.
From a set shot Cooper Trembath kicks his third goal for the match – 15-points the difference.
Caleb Daniel, Luke Parker, and George Wardlaw were huge up back preventing Carlton from breaking through their wall.
When Parker took a good, contested intercept mark in the Blues goal square, that win seemed to sap the energy right out of the Blues.
Jumping about a bit here, but for reasons only known to a select few, when Pittonet was off the ground Patrick Cripps took over his ruck duties.
I mean really, to quote Matt Hill.. wtf?
I need to get this off my chest, but in what universe would anybody allow Patrick Cripps to be the ruck? It defies logic to put a Ferrari in a smash up derby. Cripps was opposed to Jack Darling who is a human wrecking machine.
Carlton still led by 15-points with under a half a quarter left, and it looked like the Baggers could hold on, but they were not capable of kicking the goal which would have sealed the deal.
Before the Blues could take breath, the Roos surged forward with Cameron Zurhaar marking 10 metres out and he goaled to the break the game wide open.
Zurhaar goals – 9-points the difference.
Shortly thereafter, Lachie Cowan heroically touched a ball right on the goal line from the boot of Tom Blamires, stopping a certain goal. Cowan, along with the Hollands Brothers, never gave up, but they never had enough mates – 8 points the difference.
Curtis misses a set shot – 7-points the difference.
In time-on, Luke Parker hit Paul Curtis up with a bullet of a pass. He went back and goaled. Every junior coach should show the video of Parker’s pass to Curtis to their charges – it was pure precision – a dart that gave Curtis only one choice – mark it, or have it puncture a hole in your chest.
Paul Curtis goals – 1 point the difference.
Time On – A Forensic Breakdown of the last couple of minutes of play
- At the next centre throw-up LDU gathers the ball and heads forward with a couple of bounces, before he handballs to Sheezel, who handballs it back and LDU tries to snap a goal. LDU’s shot was offline, however Jack Darling didn’t allow the ball to go through for a point, and instead he forced the ball towards the boundary line keeping the play alive. The ball ends up back near the Roos 50-metre arc where Jy Simpkin intercepts the ball and handballs it to Harry Sheezel who calmly steps around a would-be tackler, and kicks the goal from near on 50 metres out on a 45-degree angle.
- Sheezel goals – North up by 5-points.
- Voss looks totally deflated (censorship forbids me using a more applicable word).
- Carlton has their chance to get back in front when a free is awarded to Francis Evans about 30 metres out on a slight angle. This was a very gettable goal, but you guessed it, he missed.
- North up by 4-points with under two minutes left on the clock.
- Carlton maintains the ball in their forward line as many try the Hail Mary snap, but the Roos’ pressure is so intense the Blues can’t get the ball to their feet. Smothers and desperate lunges are everywhere. Wardlaw is a man possessed and throws his body into the fray like he is a bullet-proof crash test dummy. Francis Evans had the clearest chance to snap the winner, but it was thwarted by the gutsy Wardlaw putting his body on the line to smother his attempt. Wardlaw’s smoother is not quite up there with Leo Barry’s mark, but it is a match winning one percenter. How many desperate acts did he have in the last few minutes? It is the reason his development is the key to this North Melbourne team going from promising group to making good on taking down good teams this season.
- With a minute left, a Will Hayward kick is smothered over the line by Dylan Stephens deep in Carlton’s forward in the Wayne Harmes pocket. Hayward had time to pass the ball and square it up, but he panicked and kicked the ball straight into Stephens. Well played Dylan for doing what you needed to do to ensure North’s success. Pressure footy is not your wheelhouse, but in a game like this, everyone needs to stand up, and you did.
- From an ensuing throw up Patrick Cripps gathers the ball cleanly and as he was running into an open goal George Wardlaw runs him down from behind in another heroic act (ala Heath Shaw style). Maybe the combo of the Evans smother and the tackle on Cripps does put Wardlaw’s efforts in the same category as Leo Barry, especially if you are a Shinboner.
- North run the ball forward from deep in the Blues defence to their forward line where Jy Simpkin gathers the ball and runs into an open goal with 27 seconds left on the clock.
- Simpkin goals – North win by 10-points.
As amazing as North’s comeback was, the inevitability of Carlton snatching another defeat from the jaws victory played out like a Shakesperean Comedy.
Cream Rises to the Top
In the dying minutes of this match the cream of Arden Street rose to the occasion. For years, players like Nick Larkey, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Harry Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Jy Simpkin, Luke McDonald and others have been patient, as they have absorbed and suffered a lot of pain in their quest to make their club respected again.
On Good Friday 2026 the reputation of North’s senior stalwarts, as well as their young guns, was finally validated and franked after years of suffering. How North won this match is a moment the club can be looked as the day the Roos turned the corner.
In a game where there was no clear best player on the field, the aforementioned players led by example in the dying minutes and played like their lives were dependent on the result. It was an overall team victory with player led by the senior players who all put in the hard yards when it was their turn go, and young players taking the next step to become the cohort that will carry North forward.
Luke Parker, Jack Darling and Caleb Daniel v Ollie Florent and Will Hayward
Compare the Pair (plus Caleb)
North Melbourne recruited Luke Parker, Jack Darling and Caleb Daniel especially for games like this. The trio all came from successful clubs where failure was not an option, and they have brought that mentality to Arden Street.
North Melbourne won this game primarily because of the steadying influences of this trio, especially with their game smart acts when the heat was on. Luke Parker’s last quarter was one his best in his career as he outwitted the Blues time after time playing a kick behind the play.
Jack Darling crashed packs when the game was on the line, and he also used his guile to read the play, like keeping the ball alive in the Roos forward arc which led to Harry Sheezel’s match winning goal. He has lost a yard of pace, but his influence demonstrates that there is a big place in the league for old heads that simply know more than their opponents.
Caleb Daniel was brilliant in the last quarter being basically Caleb Daniel, taking on and beating opponents twice his size, while controlling the flow of the game from halfback.
It might be considered unfair to pinpoint Ollie Florent and Will Hayward out, but they were recruited to the Blues (albeit as a trade deal for Curnow) to be the high-pressure players to help steady the Blues in tight situations.
In the final quarter when the Holland boys were looking for some of their teammates to come with them, both Florent and Hayward were conspicuous by their absence.
In the case of Hayward, he needs to learn playing tough does not mean ‘jumper punches’ (a little habit he had at the Swans) and arriving late to knock a bloke over after he kicks it. It does mean putting your body on the line.
There was one play in the last quarter when Hayward had the ball on the Wayne Harmes boundary, and instead of sizing up the state of play and threading the ball to a teammate, he kicked it straight into the man in front of him who smothered the ball.
Hayward has played enough tight games to know that poise, polish, and control are essential with a few minutes left on the clock and not impatiently getting boot to ball.
There have been huge wraps on Ollie Florent since he first ran out for his debut at the Swans, but move forward a few years, he was in and out of the Swans team throughout 2025 as his currency slid and then Carlton picked him up for season 2026.
In essence Florent has performed to the level he did at Sydney, which is a player who is always one bad game from being dropped.
In chats I’ve had with Blues fans, they did not read the fine print – Ollie is a bit player, and he certainly isn’t a player to help resurrect the club.
Well played Luke, Jack and Caleb, great leadership when the heat was on.
Pittonet v Coleman-Jones and others
Marc Pittonet clearly won the hit out battle in the absence of Xerri, and if the Roos had lost, I was going to be scathing about why he wasn’t playing. Winning covers up a lot of sins.
Jack Dyer would describe Pittonet as ‘a good ordinary footballer’, which best sums up his career. Pittonet won the ruck against Callum Coleman-Jones (as he should) and he did a couple of good things around the ground, including kicking a couple of goals, but he doesn’t take enough marks, nor is he the fiercest at ball.
In the dying minutes when the game was on the line, Pittonet wasn’t clunking defensive pack marks like Max Gawn, Tim English, Toby Nankervis and other ruckmen would. I am being very critical here, but good ruckmen want to be the man when the game is up for grabs, and they will themselves into the battle.
Other the other side, Callum Coleman-Jones was all at sea as the number one ruck, a position that just doesn’t suit him.
Hats off to Cooper Trembath who performed well when it was his turn to cover ruck duties. His vertical leap provided some real issues in the middle.
The Kids
Zac Banch is a bloody goer who is snappy and eager for the fight much in the same manner as Tom Papley or Jack Higgins.
Tom Blamires really fought the game out really well, putting himself on the line to help the team. The kid has a future and please tell anyone who is involved with the Apple Footy Live app to change his name from ‘T’ to ‘Tom’. He has a name – use it.
Cooper Trembath plays like a seasoned campaigner who fronted up to be the ‘man’ when the game needed to be won late. I hope North have signed him for the next few years as this kid has value. His contested marking and continued presentation make him the perfect foil for Nick Larkey – he has not had a running mate like Trembath to this point.
Zane Duursma is progressing along nicely in 2026, and he is on the way being a star in the future. He will always be compared to his brothers, but from the way he has started 2026 then possibly the brotherly competition isn’t a bad thing. I like the John McEnroe headband he is wearing, such a 1970’s throwback.
Colby McKercher plays like a seasoned veteran to such an extent his Coach can give him a blast at three quarter time (Colby is on the verge of not being a kid anymore, so yes, he has to shoulder more responsibility). Up until halftime McKercher was the best on ground. For the record, Clarko’s rev up didn’t really work as Colby faded in the last quarter.
Wade Derksen played well in his debut for the Blues, and he tried hard in the dying minutes to be where the ball was. Impressive.
Jagga Smith is an impressive young man, who has lived up to the hype which surrounded him this season. Carlton’s next chance at premiership glory must be built around players like Jagga. By the by, Jagga is still waiting for his Gatorade shower.
If I’ve left any young’uns please let me know.
Carlton’s Fork in the Road Moment
Greg Chappell once famously said, “I can’t really say I’m batting badly. I’m not batting long enough to be batting badly”. To some degree the same sentiment applies to the Blues as they are not playing well enough for long enough for pundits to decide whether they are a good or a bad team.
Having seen the Blues live this year, as well as reviewing a couple of their matches, I can’t categorically say how I rate the Blues, other than to state they are capable of delivering much more than they are at present.
Carlton’s Board, which is renowned for bloodletting, is faced with a serious decision to make.
Sacking Michael Voss seems to be the obvious solution, but the Blues have been down that road so many times before that sacking a coach seems like such a Carlton thing to do.
It might be time for the Blues power brokers to make a stand, by not sacking Voss, in the same manner as Geelong did not sack Bomber Thompson at the end of the 2006 season, and Richmond did not sack Dimma Hardwick at the end of the 2016 season.
The stand Carlton might need to deliver (and stand by) is an endorsement of Michael Voss and the clubs processes.
It goes against everything Carlton not to sack Voss, so I fear Voss might be unemployed before the Gather Round or shortly thereafter.
Leftovers
This was an intense game with many subplots at play, as such there comes a point whereby I know bits and pieces are missing from this review, like the form of Brodie Kemp as a forward, Patrick Cripps’ bad start to the year, and asking questions like who is Harry McKay, how long can Carlton afford to have Weitering side lined for, can either of these teams finish in the top 10, and so on, but it has to end somewhere (like 2am in the morning).
Next Week – Gather Road
North Melbourne play Brisbane in the beautiful Barossa in a game which will test just how far the Roos have improved this year.
Carlton takes on the Crows at Adelaide Oval next Thursday night. If the Blues want to make a statement, then beating the Crows before their faithful is a good start.
