It was a case of new Good Friday opponent, same result for North Melbourne in their annual charity match as Carlton claimed a 23-point win.

After being blown off the park in their past three Good Friday encounters, the decision was made to hand the Blues the marquee game in 2023.

But in front of a record Marvel Stadium crowd, it was Carlton who showed no signs of the “rooster problem” pegged during the week in regards to tall duo Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, as they finished with 10 goals between them.

The victory ensures Carlton is off to their best start to a season since their 1995 premiership glory.

And the margin could have been worse if not for some McKay shockers in front of goal in Carlton’s 16.11 (107) to 11.18 (84) victory.

The result ensures the Blues remain unbeaten in 2023, while it’s back-to-back losses for Alastair Clarkson’s Kangaroos.

The loss has been compounded by the fact Nick Larkey bravely played out the match struggling with a hip complaint.

QUARTER BY QUARTER MATCH REPORT

After running through the banner side-by-side in a touching gesture, the two teams continued to mirror the other as they wasted opportunities in attack.

Corey Durdin missed his shot on the run, while Curtis Taylor couldn’t cash in on “cool head” Liam Shiels’ brilliance when he sent his set shot just wide.

Carlton continued to pepper the North defence but couldn’t get the goal they sought until Charlie Curnow flew high to take advantage of the undersized Roos defence.

“He just continues this run – now 25 consecutive games in which he has kicked a goal,” commentator Alister Nicholson said.

North Melbourne responded, first through Cam Zurhaar off a sloppy Blues’ defensive turnover, and then Jaidyn Stephenson.

Despite taking the lead, North had issues on the bench with star forward Nick Larkey hobbling from the field.

Larkey clashed with Carlton’s Jacob Weitering and despite attempting to stay out on the ground, he sought medical treatment on his hip on the bench moments later.

“He pulled up really sore,” commentator Abbey Holmes said.

“He looks uncomfortable.”

Harry McKay almost made a meal of Carlton’s overlap in attack when he dropped the footy attempting to get it over the top to Tom de Koning streaking towards goal.

But even under pressure, McKay’s snap sailed through as scores were levelled.

The Roos reclaimed the lead when Taylor set sail from right on 50. A score review determined Taylor did clear the goal line with less than three minutes remaining in the first.

By quarter time, it was North Melbourne leading 22-16.

Fox Footy’s Garry Lyon called for the Blues to move the ball quicker in the second term, after Carlton failed to take advantage of the height mismatch with Curnow v Aidan Corr and McKay v Jack Ziebell.

“They’ve got two Coleman Medallists playing inside 50, they’ve been inside 14 times; they’ve had one one-on-one contest inside 50,” he lamented.

“I just think this Carlton footy club, if I’m Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow I’m sitting there going, ‘right move. Let’s get this in and get it in quick’.”

And that’s exactly what the Blues did to start the second term after Adam Cerra won himself a free kick when he copped a high fend from ‘Roo Cam Zurhaar.

With the ball kicked forward quickly, McKay got on the end of it to kick his second and level scores once again.

The match was played in Carlton’s forward half in the second quarter as Curnow gave his side the lead.

Despite bravely returning to the contest, it was clear Larkey was hampered by the hip issue that sent him to the bench in the first term in worrying signs for the Roos.

“Maybe that Larkey injury is nagging his movement a bit,” Watson said.

But despite Carlton’s second quarter dominance, it took a quick snap from Jaidyn Stephenson for the Roos to reclaim the lead by a single point.

“It’s these stoppages where North Melbourne has looked most dangerous,” Watson said.

“North feel like they can put some pressure on and create some opportunities when it’s a stop-play like that.”

Will Phillips put North Melbourne back in front after Charlie Curnow converted from his high contact free kick in the square, making it the fifth lead change in the contest before half time.

“The composure was there and a great finish (from Phillips) before half time,” Watson said.

By the main break, it was North Melbourne with the two-point advantage 38-36.

Zurhaar got the Roos off to the perfect start in the second half as he nailed a brilliant snap on the run less than two minutes into the third quarter.

But the rest of the term belonged to Carlton as they kicked six straight goals – three of those from free kicks.

Jack Silvagni was lucky to get away with a push on Aidan Corr, and even luckier when his sprayed set shot fell into Harry McKay’s lap for his third goal.

But it was Jesse Motlop who brought Blues fans to their feet with his superb set shot penned in on the boundary.

“What a fantastic finish!” Watson said.

“Just took a little bit of the angle there, ran out and almost post high!”

Corey Durdin then capitalised when Ben Cunnington was pinged for holding the ball.

McKay had the chance to kick Carlton’s fourth straight goal, but his attempted banana went well awry as he sent it out on the full.

But he made up for it moments later with his set shot snap from 35m sailing through to open up a 15-point lead.

Despite copping criticism for a “rooster problem” in attack with McKay and Curnow accused of getting in each other’s way, the tall timber reigned supreme for Carlton.

Zurhaar couldn’t break the Blues’ run of goals down one end, and it was Curnow at the other who joined McKay with a fourth goal for the match.

“Ziebell just grabbed on and the umpire saw it immediately,” Watson said of Curnow’s free kicks.

“Eight of the 10 goals from Carlton’s two big key forward who have stood up and delivered.”

Ziebell’s day didn’t improve when he was marched 50m for his push during Tom de Koning’s mark.

De Koning made no mistake with his set shot with just seconds to play out in the third term.

“I thought (the push) was in the same motion. I didn’t feel it was after the fact,” Watson said.

“I wouldn’t have given the 50.”

By three quarter time, it was Carlton leading 73-48.

Carlton’s tall duo just continued to dominate in the fourth term as McKay and Curnow “were just having fun”, according to Alister Nicholson.

“They are such difficult match ups one-on-one,” Watson said.

“How good do they look when they kick to each other?

“Because they’ve got that space. They’re such a difficult match up when they’re one-on-one.

“When they are not running into each other’s area and they are delivering the ball to each other, that’s when they are at their most effective.”

“They look so dangerous when they separate themselves.”

Curnow racked up his ninth five-goal haul when he got on the end of another free kick.

Jack Silvagni just added the icing on top when he snapped on the run as the margin started to blow out to a whopping 46 points.

It was a disappointing finish for a Kangaroos defence that performed admirably in the first half, despite being undersized without suspended Griffin Logue and injured Ben McKay.

Late goals added some respectability to the scoreboard for North Melbourne, but it came too little too late.

THE 3-2-1... (With David Zita)

3. BLUES’ ROOSTERS FIND FORM

Heading into Friday‘s match, the Blues had what Garry Lyon termed a “rooster problem”.

Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay are two of the most imposing forwards in the competition, but Lyon said they were getting in each other’s way.

“They kicked 100 goals together last year, but it’s an issue now because Harry doesn’t appear to know what his role is,” Lyon said pre-game.

“Charlie has become the number one man, Harry did his best work in the first three rounds up around the centre wing when he was taking those big contested marks.

“I’ve got no doubt as the rooster story tells you that they can co-exist, but they’ve just got to work together better.”

The stats bore out Lyon’s assessment; compared to last year, McKay’s goal average was down 71 per cent, his shot at goal accuracy down 52 per cent and his score involvements down 40 per cent.

“They’re starting too close together at times,” Lions great Jonathan Brown said in the lead-up.

“Harry has done his best work when he gets up the ground and takes some big contested marks, but it is challenging because in the back of your mind as a big key forward who’s won a Coleman Medal, you gravitate back towards goal.

“It’s counterproductive but when you are struggling sometimes you can catch yourself dragging yourself back to goal wanting to hit the scoreboard.

“For me, we look a Carlton, we look at these two big forwards, these big roosters and think automatically Carlton is going to get to 100 points.

“Since the bye last year, their scoring has dropped off. It beggars belief when you’ve got those two potent weapons down there.”

On Friday, the pair took their first steps towards become that potent, feared one-two combination once more.

All five of the Blues’ goals in the opening half were kicked by either Curnow or McKay, with both significant factors that grew as the Blues took the game on more in the second half.

2. TALE OF TWO HALVES

After watching the first half, you could be forgiven for thinking it was North Melbourne with the two hulking forwards up against an undersized back six.

Coming out of defensive 50, the Roos took on the corridor 45 per cent of the time. The Blues, by comparison? Zero.

“You look at the outs and Griffin Logue was the big one and you go this is a big opportunity for us to get the ball inside our forward 50 and be really aggressive with the way that we move the ball. This is what North Melbourne has done,” Jordan Lewis said at the main break.

“Carlton haven’t used the corridor, so there’s no one in there, so when North Melbourne get the opportunity to transition by foot or by hand, they’re prepared to change the angles, use the open side of the ground and really make Carlton defend big open spaces.

“Then you go inside your forward 50 and you can be a bit more dynamic.

“They’re (Carlton) protecting something, which I find a little bit bizarre because you look down in the forward line and there’s two big key forwards and Jack Silvagni and Tom De Koning, big marking forwards.

“It’s Marvel Stadium too, it lends itself more than any other ground in the league to use the corridor and get towards your forward 50 as quick as you can.”

Perhaps Michael Voss uttered those very words to the Blues at half-time, because the side that emerged from the rooms was virtually entirely different to the one that entered them.

A six goal to one third quarter flipped the match on its head, with the Blues picking apart North Melbourne with ferocity.

“It was through a variety of things, one being contest and two being the ball movement as well,” Lewis said at the close of the third quarter.

“Something was said at half-time, I don’t know what Michael Voss said but he certainly gave them an injection of confidence to go on the hunt and go from there.

“The first quarter was chip, mark, we didn’t necessarily see this overlap run into the forward line where you get genuine one-on-one contests. This was the pattern throughout the third term.

“They had 22 inside 50s for the first half and then 18 in the third quarter. It was off the back of proactive movement at stoppages and taking the ball forward.”

1. STAR ROOS LEAD THE WAY

The Kangaroos may’ve lost to Hawthorn last week, but Luke Davies-Uniacke and Jy Simpkin proved just what the Roos were missing in Tasmania.

Both came back into the side in Round 4 and made an instant impact, leading the way with aplomb.

“What you can see, you can see the balance,” Jordan Lewis said of the more experienced midfield.

“With experience, you know when to come in, when to hunt the ball and when to explode from stoppages ... they don’t get caught in traffic like a younger midfielder would.”

For his part, Davies-Uniacke continued his extraordinary breakthrough form-wise since the backend of last year.

Comparing his first 53 AFL matches to his last 20 heading into Friday, his player rating has jumped 47%, disposals +25%, contested possessions +34% and clearances +69%.

“It’s not only his workrate, it’s his running patterns as well where he’s using the corridor well, he’s following what his teammates are doing in a more effective way, which brings him into the game,” Brad Johnson observed from the ground.

“He’s setting the tone and Simpkin is setting the tone.”

The Blues took the ascendancy comfortably after half-time, but it doesn’t make the form of the Roos’ two midfield stars any less impressive (or important) so far in 2023.