THE KANGAROOS produced some exhilarating football after half time to register their fifth successive victory against Carlton and celebrate captain Adam Simpson’s 250th game in the best fashion possible.

The Roos kick-started their winning streak at Carrara a month ago and continued their love affair with the big Gold Coast Stadium to run the Blues off their legs, winning 22.15 (147) to 20.10 (130).

It was a high quality game, with the Roos having to overcome a 20-point halftime deficit and fight for every possession, constantly bringing the crowd of 11,649 to its feet. It was a bigger crowd than the Brisbane Lions drew against the Roos in their round four clash.

Fielding nine players with less than 25 games to their credit, the exciting, attacking brand of football continued to pay dividends with their highest score in more than two seasons.

Victory was built around a stellar midfield performance by Brent Harvey, some quality ruckwork by Hamish McIntosh, some outstanding forward work by Corey Jones, Leigh Brown, Lindsay Thomas, Matt Campbell and Aaron Edwards, and some excellent efforts by defender Josh Gibson.

After a quiet first half, Shannon Grant came to life and finished the night with five goals.

Harvey kicked three important goals to go with his 32 possessions, none more than at the 27-minute mark of the final term when the never-say-die Blues had crept to within 11 points after the Roos had led by five goals.

He ran onto a handpass to goal from close range to make the margin 17 minutes with three minutes remaining, and the margin stayed that way to the final siren, when Simpson was chaired from the field by his grinning teammates.

The win was set up in a 21-minute period either side of three-quarter time when the Roos blasted seven out of eight goals.

They ran the ball quickly from half-back and constantly pressured the Blues with the quick ball movement into the forward line. The Roos’ tackling was ferocious through this period.

It was a see-saw last term with the Roos adding seven goals and the Blue six, with the momentum ebbing and flowing. The Roos’ superior fitness, built over an arduous summer, stood out as they ran relentlessly throughout.

The Roos held an 11-point lead at the final break after a pulsating third-quarter fightback.They piled on 7.4 to Carlton’s 2.3 – their best third quarter of the year – and they played a thrilling brand of football to do it.

They ran the ball quickly from half-back and through the middle, their long kicks into the forward giving the Blues little time to adjust.

Leigh Brown took one strong pack mark and booted two goals for the term. He also provided the target for Matt Campbell to feed off, the lightning fast little man pouncing at the back of the pack to boot two goals of his own.

The Roos gradually worked their way back into the contest on the strength of their tackling, which lifted several notches on the first half.

Carlton didn’t get an easy possession and when they did have the ball in space, rarely found a teammate. In contrast the Roos were slick with their delivery

Twice they drew level during the middle stages of the quarter before Campbell’s second put them in front.

The big crowd was being given full value for money and the Roos fans were on their feet when Harvey ran onto a big ruck knock from Hamish McIntosh, took two bounces running down the ground at full speed and kicked truly.

While there were some dazzling passages of play, Josh Gibson won several important one-on-one contests with Brad Fisher to kick-start attacking forays.

The Roos had hit the front for the first time in the match two minutes into the second quarter when the lively Edwards marked in the pocket and snapped brilliantly across his body.

He was set up by some clever work by Jones, who then set up Grant two minutes later to give the Roos a nine-point lead.

That made it four goals in eight minutes either side of quarter-time, with the fleet-footed Harvey setting the team alight in the midfield.

The ball went from end to end at a cracking pace and the teams traded goals until the time-on period, when the game changed complexion.

The heavy dew that had marred the Roos’ first premiership game at Carrara against the Lions started to have an effect, and a couple of skill errors saw the Blues capitalise against the run of play.

They lifted and four goals in the last seven minutes of the term saw them take a surprise 20-point lead into the main break.

They did it without Brendan Fevola, who was sandwiched in a marking contest between Daniel Pratt and opponent Michael Firrito.

The Roos had already shown plenty of heart early to claw their way back into contention in the opening term after twice trailing by three goals.

Lance Whitnall fired the Blues early and with fellow half-forward Brad Fisher providing a strong marking option, the ‘visitors’ booted four of the first five goals.

First-gamer Scott McMahon enjoyed an auspicious opening, getting his share of the ball early and putting his body on the line midway through the term to spoil Fevola, resulting in a goal at the other end to the dangerous Jones.

Jones and Edwards were particularly lively early and posed problems for the Blues defence, despite having limited opportunities in the opening term.

The Roos seized the opportunity late in the term when Whitnall moved into defence as a spare man, kicking two late goals to move within five points at the first break.

It was the first time the Roos had lost a first quarter this year.

The Roos suffered a major blow on the eve of the game when champion utility Glenn Archer withdrew for family reasons.

McMahon, the third emergency, came into the side with Brad Moran suffering a virus.

KANGAROOS 4.5 8.10 15.14 22.15 (147)
CARLTON 5.4 12.6 14.9 20.10 (130)

GOALS

Kangaroos: S Grant 5 L Thomas 3 L Brown 3 B Harvey 3 C Jones 2 M Campbell 2 A Edwards K Green D Harris D Petrie.
Carlton: B Fevola 5 B Fisher 3 K Simpson 3 L Whitnall 3 M Lappin 2 C Ackland A Bentick E Betts A Koutoufides.

BEST

Kangaroos: C Jones S Grant L Thomas B Harvey H McIntosh.
Carlton: B Fisher L Whitnall B Fevola K Simpson A Carrazzo.

INJURIES

Kangaroos: G Archer (personal reasons) replaced in selected side by K Green, B Moran (virus) replaced in selected side by S McMahon.
Carlton: B Fevola (corked leg) J Saddington (ankle) E Betts (hamstring).

Umpires: S McLaren C Kamolins S Meredith.

Official crowd: 11,649 at Gold Coast Stadium.