Sent back to the lower grade to work on some deficiencies in his game, the 20 year-old recently wrote about his experiences in his blog ‘My Game’ which features on the club’s website.

“That’s why it’s good to go back to the seconds and work on all these areas and then take them back into the AFL hopefully as a better player,” Cunnington wrote.

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Cunnington comes in at the expense of medium-forward Ben Warren who was omitted after being subbed out of the match against the Lions just after half-time.

Warren had five marks and a goal to his name in just his third game for the year in the blue and white stripes.

The Queenslander has been named as an emergency alongside Gavin Urquhart and Nathan Grima.

Brad Scott and the club’s match committee resisted the temptation to bring Lindsay Thomas back in despite the small-forward playing well in the VFL and having dominated the corresponding game against Carlton last year.

Hamish McIntosh will also spend another week in the two’s needing more time to improve his fitness and touch.

North Melbourne
Backs R.Tarrant 25 C.Pedersen 39 M.Firrito 11
Half Backs B.Rawlings 3 S.Thompson 16 S.McMahon 42
Centreline D.Wells 8 L.Greenwood 24 J.MacMillan 34
Half Forwards J.Ziebell 7 A.Edwards 27 B.Harvey 29
Forwards M.Campbell 33 D.Petrie 20 L.Hansen 6
Followers T.Goldstein 22 R.Bastinac 28 A.Swallow 9
Interchange B.Cunnington 10 L.Adams 13 C.Richardson 21 K.Harper 23
Emergencies B.Warren 5 G.Urquhart 14 N.Grima 17

In: B.Cunnington
Out: B.Warren (Omitted)

Carlton
Backs C.Yarran 13 L.Henderson 23 J.Laidler 15
Half Backs N.Duigan 34 B.Thornton 32 M.Davies 31
Centreline H.Scotland 29 B.McLean 14 M.Murphy 3
Half Forwards K.Simpson 6 B.Gibbs 4 E.Betts 19
Forwards J.Garlett 38 M.Kreuzer 8 A.Walker 1
Followers R.Warnock 11 M.Robinson 12 C.Judd 5
Interchange D.Armfield 27 D.Ellard 46 Z.Tuohy 42 R.Houlihan 33
Emergencies P.Bower 18 J.Russell 2 E.Curnow 35

In: R.Houlihan , B.McLean
Out: W.Twomey (Omitted) , E.Curnow (Omitted)