Debate has raged about whether Bryce Gibbs is an A-grade player. The next time the question is asked, Gibbs and his supporters only need to refer to this Friday night's game against Geelong when he nearly dragged the Blues across the line on his own. He kicked four critical goals, won the ball (29 disposals) and led from the front. After much conjecture, the free agent looks likely to re-sign with the Blues – and he will do so with many believing he is now Carlton's best player. 

The best team in the competition for close to a decade is having its supremacy seriously challenged. Leading into Friday night, the Cats had lost three of their past five games, but the size of the dip was difficult to measure as those three defeats had come to Port Adelaide, Fremantle and the Sydney Swans, all three away from home. Most expected Geelong to respond against Carlton, and when it kicked four goals clear of the Blues midway through the third quarter, the Cats looked home. But the turnaround was as swift as it was unexpected. The Blues responded with six straight goals, running harder and faster than Geelong, which was made to look ordinary. But the proud Cats climbed off the canvas, Joel Selwood rescuing them with the game-winner. It was a brilliant finish to a match that unfortunately attracted the lowest crowd (36,952) in matches between the two teams at Etihad Stadium since 2006. 

Talk about the disappearance of key forwards is premature. Tom Hawkins monstered young Carlton defender Sam Rowe in the first half, taking eight marks. In the second quarter, the burly forward kicked four goals to push Geelong ahead by 19 points at half time. Mick Malthouse moved the experienced Michael Jamison onto the Cats' spearhead for the second half, and Hawkins didn't trouble the scorers again. Now undoubtedly the form key forward in the competition, Hawkins pushed one goal ahead of Richmond's Jack Riewoldt in the Coleman Medal race with 32 goals for the season. 

Midway through the second quarter with Geelong pressing after Carlton had jumped the Cats, the umpire bounced the ball in the middle. It went wide of the centre circle, and the ruckmen had to chase the ball to get near it. Geelong tapped it down to Steve Johnson, who kicked it long to the top of the square. The ball tumbled over the pack with most still non-plussed that the bounce had not been recalled. It wasn't, and Josh Walker grabbed the ball and kicked a goal. 

The AFL sent its weekly match day information email with uniform details included to all clubs at 7.42am on Monday. Carlton's instructions were to wear its home guernsey, blue shorts and home socks. But, after a big week at Carlton, the Blues ran out to warm-up wearing white shorts. But they didn't stay on for long. After running through the banner, the players belted back down to the race and did a quick shorts change in the pits. The wardrobe malfunction didn't affect Carlton too much, as it held a nine-point lead at quarter-time.