![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
It was a Harry Sheezel goal with less than four minutes to play that gave North Melbourne back the lead for the first time since the second stanza, before Jy Simpkin dribbled the sealer through an open goal in the final minute.<\/p>\n
Small forward Francis Evans had a chance to swing the lead back the Blues\u2019 way after Sheezel\u2019s major, but failed to convert a free kick given for high contact.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s their worst nightmare,\u201d Melbourne great Garry Lyon said of Carlton during the final quarter.<\/p>\n
The win for Alastair Clarkson\u2019s Roos put to bed their record of five losses from their last six games against Carlton, and slowly improves their recently grim record at Marvel Stadium.<\/p>\n
North Melbourne goalkickers: Duursma, Trembath 3, Larkey, Curtis 2, Darling, Zurhaar, Sheezel, Simpkin<\/p>\n
Carlton goalkickers: Kemp 3, Pittonet, McKay, McGovern 2, Newman, E.Hollands, Walsh, Smith<\/p>\n
THE 3-2-1… (with Jack Jovanovski)<\/p>\n
3. BLUES LIVE THEIR \u2018WORST NIGHTMARE\u2019 \u2026 AGAIN<\/p>\n
Footy is bloody cruel sometimes. <\/p>\n
Even the biggest Blues haters would have to feel for Michael Voss after what went down in the last quarter at Marvel Stadium \u2014 described by Garry Lyon as Carlton\u2019s \u201cworst nightmare\u201d. <\/p>\n
AFL Legend Jason Dunstall said at half-time: \u201cAt some stage, you have to shake these monkeys off your back. It can\u2019t go on forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, it mightn\u2019t go on forever, but it\u2019ll go on for at least another week after North Melbourne overturned a 22-point three-quarter-time deficit to win by 10 points on Good Friday. <\/p>\n
And Voss would again be wondering to himself: \u2018Why be a coach?\u2019<\/p>\n
The Blues entered Friday a combined -153 in second halves this year, so all eyes were on Carlton\u2019s second stanza. <\/p>\n
And once again, Carlton went into the main break with the lead over the Roos, albeit a slender three-point advantage. <\/p>\n
But while the Blues kicked four of six goals in the third quarter to lead by a game-high 22 points, they found a way to squander it again. <\/p>\n
After Brodie Kemp kicked his third goal of the day to put Carlton up 21 points at the 12-minute mark, the Kangaroos kicked the last five goals of the game \u2014 including a Harry Sheezel go-ahead crowd-lifter, and a Jy Simpkin sealer.<\/p>\n
But while they lifted their second-half pressure considerably, concerns for the Blues began at half-time, despite leading by three points. <\/p>\n
At the main change, there were worries over a couple of parts of their game, starting with poor tackling pressure. <\/p>\n
\u201cDepends if they can lift the pressure rating, the Blues,\u201d Dunstall said on Fox Footy of Carlton\u2019s chances of closing out the four points. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something that I think is one of the weaknesses of their game, their ability to create turnovers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caller Anthony Hudson added: \u201cAmazingly low tackle number for Carlton; just 13 in the first half. For the majority of that second quarter, they\u2019d only laid one tackle, and they ended up laying four or five at the end to get to 13. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt one stage, it was going to be their least amount of tackles since 1999 in a half.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blues\u2019 pressure rating lingered around a lowly 150 in the first half.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be better than that,\u201d Dunstall added. \u201cYou can\u2019t give North what they want, and that\u2019s uncontested possession.\u201d<\/p>\n
The other concerning aspect of Carlton\u2019s performance was its at-times substandard disposal, particularly by foot. <\/p>\n
It meant that Voss\u2019 side wasn\u2019t able to forge quality looks going forward. At half-time, their score-per-inside-50 rate sat at just 37 per cent, with the AFL average at 45 per cent. <\/p>\n
\u201cTheir kicking hasn\u2019t been great historically, and it\u2019s hurt them again today,\u201d Garry Lyon said. <\/p>\n
Lewis added: \u201cTheir kicks inside 50 have been a little bit too predictable \u2026 the forwards haven\u2019t been able to get separation. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they can involve a little bit more handball into their game to get into positions where you really challenge the defence. <\/p>\n
\u201cSome of these kicks; they just force pressure on themselves when they don\u2019t need to, which means that their kicks going inside 50 aren\u2019t with the clarity that they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlton responded in a big way to questioning over its tacking pressure, laying 16 in the first 12 minutes of the third quarter after 13 in totality in the first half. <\/p>\n
But Voss\u2019 men sorely missed defensive lieutenant Jacob Weitering in the closing moments, with the key stopper out of the game early in the final term due to a concussion.<\/p>\n
Powerful pre-game moment on Good Friday | 03:11<\/p>\n
2. \u2018NOT USED TO WINNING\u2019: STAR\u2019S RAW WORDS AFTER MIRACLE \u2026 DESPITE BIG VOID<\/p>\n
\u201cUnbelievable. I can\u2019t explain the feeling \u2014 we\u2019re not used to winning, and to come back and win like that, it\u2019s probably the best one so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those were Harry Sheezel\u2019s first words to Fox Footy after the events of the final quarter at Docklands. <\/p>\n
The Kangaroos looked down for the count, trailing by a game-high 22 points at the final change. <\/p>\n
But Sheezel said his side never lost belief in their ability to come back and win. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe three-quarter-time chat, we had so much belief in that huddle. I genuinely believed we were going to win that game. We were saying it,\u201d he told Fox Footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew we weren\u2019t playing a great brand of footy. We knew we were matching it in the contest, which was the focus, but our offence was pretty poor, as you would have seen. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut we had so much belief going out there that if we kept going, kept grinding away, more focussed on what we could control, that it would turn \u2014 and fortunately it did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheezel finished with 24 disposals – seven of which were score involvements – and his ice-cold, go-ahead goal at the 28-minute mark. <\/p>\n
The Roos didn\u2019t look back from there, but it was far from a straightforward task on Good Friday. <\/p>\n
They had eight more inside-50s than Carlton by the end despite tallying four fewer clearances, with their stoppage work a rare question mark through the afternoon. <\/p>\n
The absence of Tristan Xerri on Friday was a point of contention going into the game, and it was felt by Alastair Clarkson\u2019s side. <\/p>\n
And up against the little-used Callum Coleman-Jones, Marc Pittonet \u201csensed an opportunity\u201d \u2014 and he was central to the Blues\u2019 clearance dominance throughout the afternoon. <\/p>\n
The veteran tall frequently got his hand to the footy first, creating several first-use opportunities for his midfielders. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been influential around the ground. I\u2019ve just loved the presence that he brings,\u201d Tom Hawkins said on Fox Footy at half-time. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a player that, to be fair, doesn\u2019t bring much other than his bash-and-crash and get forward and compete \u2014 and really, that\u2019s all you want your ruckman to do. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a solid player without being a star, and he\u2019s got forward and hit the scoreboard, which has been really important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Lewis added: \u201cI think he\u2019s sensed an opportunity. A ruckman that\u2019s not as experienced as him (Coleman-Jones), he would have relished the opportunity not to play against Tristan Xerri. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think his energy has been great; the physicality has certainly been a big part of his game. He\u2019s been able to go forward and score.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Kangaroos, stoppage experts, started slow in the clearance department. But not only that, their corridor kicks weren\u2019t coming off, leaving them vulnerable in transition. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey are possessing the footy \u2014 they\u2019re winning uncontested possession +18, but they\u2019re just struggling to connect when they\u2019re going to the forward half of the ground out the back half,\u201d Ruby Schleicher said on Fox Footy at quarter-time. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re looking for the middle kick through the corridor, but almost biting off more than they can chew and trying to force it at times, which is allowing the Blues to intercept and create forward opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colby McKercher owned the footy with 19 first-half disposals as the Roos\u2019 preferred distributor coming out of the back half.<\/p>\n
1. SUPER BLUE STRUCK IN LATEST FOOTY ACCIDENT<\/p>\n
After discussion was had last week about the future of the high mark, Carlton star Jacob Weitering became the latest victim of the knee to the back of the head. <\/p>\n
Saint Alix Tauru\u2019s high-flying mark last Saturday came at the expense of Noah Answerth, and on Good Friday, it was Weitering who paid the price for Cooper Trembath\u2019s big grab in the fourth quarter. <\/p>\n
Leaping high for the footy, Trembath\u2019s right knee collected the back of Weitering\u2019s head, with the defensive stalwart needing immediate medical assistance. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw it happen last week, didn\u2019t we? Now we\u2019ve got the same thing here,\u201d Dunstall said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a spectacular leap, knee straight to the back of the head. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was nothing malicious, no intent about it, it\u2019s just one of those things that happens in the contact game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weitering wound up failing his subsequent concussion test, meaning he\u2019ll miss Carlton\u2019s Gather Round matchup against Adelaide.<\/p>\n