CARLTON captain Marc Murphy has hailed Sunday's sodden AFL win over Essendon as a blueprint for their young team.

The Blues laid a club-record 111 tackles and were relentless against their fierce rivals in atrocious conditions at the MCG. 

Carlton is rebuilding, but Murphy says the club's first win of the season against the Bombers shows it is on the right track.

While Saturday's game against Gold Coast under the Etihad Stadium roof will be a vastly different setting, Murphy said the principles will stay the same. 

"It's something you can draw back upon, no doubt, going into every game," Murphy said. 

"With pressure and effort, that's all you can look at with younger guys, making sure that's always there. 

"There's no talent in tackling and pressure, so it's a good blueprint for us. 

"You don't get those conditions too often, but it's a good way to come out of a game." 

It was a big win for Carlton and a memorable success against its old enemy. 

Blues great Stephen Kernahan presented a guernsey to debutant Tom Williamson before the game and he spoke passionately about the club. 

Former Carlton star Greg Williams, now working at Essendon, also fired up the Blues' faithful when he said last week that he hoped the Bombers kicked Carlton's arse. 

"To do it against Essendon, at the 'G in pretty tough conditions, it will be something those guys will remember for a really long time," Murphy said. 

"You just hear the way 'Sticks' (Kernahan) speaks, his passion.

"I still remember him always coming into the rooms when he was president, he was pretty fired up against Essendon.

"It was a good one to win." 

Murphy provided the highlight of the match, a stunning Goal of the Year contender from deep in a pocket at a crucial moment in the third term. 

"I flushed it pretty well - I didn't actually see it go through," he said.

"It felt pretty good ... I looked up at the scoreboard and saw it went through. 

"The funny thing is about 30 seconds before, I thought 'I'm going to kick a goal here from the boundary' - I don't know why I was thinking that.

"Luckily it went through, otherwise I would have been in a bit of strife probably for not centering it."