Deja Blue averted by second term
North Melbourne dominated the opening term of Saturday night's game in a manner that suggested Blues fans could be subjected to another rout just eight days after the club's record 138-point loss to Hawthorn. The Roos only led by 24 points at quarter-time but the ease with which they had accumulated that break suggested they were in for a big percentage booster. The Kangaroos found targets inside 50 almost at will in that term and too often were able to improve the angle of their shots on goal by chipping short to unmanned men. However, Carlton was a different team from the moment it came out for the start of the second quarter and kicked five goals for the term to get right back into the game. The Blues faded badly in the second half but were far more competitive in the 64-point loss than they had been against the Hawks.

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Jack leads from the middle
Jack Ziebell was a wrecking ball in the midfield most of the night and a dangerous pinch-hitter when resting in attack. The North Melbourne vice-captain finished with 26 possessions, two goals and a team-high six clearances and six inside 50s. It was no coincidence that when North was reasserting its dominance in the third term that Ziebell was particularly imposing. After Andrew Swallow had goaled late in the quarter to extend North's lead back out to 24 points, Ziebell streamed out of the centre square at the next bounce and goaled from outside 50. The goal seemed to snuff out any last flickers of Carlton resistance. 

Waite's Blue boo
If Jarrad Waite thought the fact he was playing his 200th game would make Carlton supporters go easy on him in his first match against his former club, he was mistaken. The 32-year-old had played 184 of those games with the Blues before crossing to North Melbourne in last year's free agency period, but when he marked across the Roos' half-back line in the opening minute of Saturday night's game he was roundly booed by the Carlton faithful. There was a sense of theatre about the crowd's 'welcome', however, and Blues fans thereafter generally let Waite go about his work in respectful silence. After spearheading Carlton's upset win over North in round 18 last year with 11 marks (six contested) and four goals, Waite finished with seven marks (two contested) and two goals to be a handy contributor in the Roos' win. 

Henderson shows glimpses in notching club ton
Carlton swingman Lachie Henderson has had a tough 2015, struggling for form on the field and with constant speculation off it that he will move clubs when his contract expires at the end of the season. But the former Lion was a solid performer for the Blues in his 100th game for the club. Like most of his teammates, his night began slowly in attack but he helped stem the flow in the second half of the term when he was played as a loose man in defence. He was one of the key drivers in the Blues' five-goal second term, taking several strong marks and setting up shots on goal from Andrejs Everitt and Levi Casboult. Henderson faded in the second half but finished with a serviceable 11 possessions, five marks and four tackles. 

Is it a bird? Is it a Blaine?
Carlton's first pick in the 2014 national draft, Blaine Boekhorst, has had a relatively slow start to his career at Ikon Park. But last year's No.19 pick gave a glimpse of what prompted the Blues to pluck him as a mature-age recruit from Swan Districts late in the second quarter. As the ball was pumped long into Carlton's half-forward line, Boekhorst sprung onto Nick Dal Santo's shoulders and clunked a speccy. A minute earlier Zach Tuohy had kicked the Blues' third straight goal to cut the Roos' lead to four points, but Boekhorst's hanger got Carlton fans even more excited. Perhaps it's a sign that better things are to come from the midfielder.