The Bulldogs had the better of the second quarter and looked the winners when leading by 15 points at half time.
But the Blues kicked seven goals in the third term and then managed to do what they haven’t been able to for most of the season – go on with the job and post a victory.
Having weathered the Bulldogs’ inevitable last-quarter surge, Carlton ran out 10-point winners, with Akermanis’ day reflecting the fortunes of his side.
The ex-Lion had some early touches and snapped a goal before going missing in the game’s middle stages while opposed to impressive youngster Bryce Gibbs.
Akermanis came again late but his final act was to be run down from behind by another young Blue - Marc Murphy - ending the Bulldogs’ chances of snatching victory.
It was a weekend for upsets, with Melbourne pulling off a surprise first win of the season, accounting for Adelaide by 17 points at the MCG.
West Coast re-established its dominance by kicking eight goals to nil in the last quarter on its way to thumping the Kangaroos by 66 points at Subiaco, Essendon’s James Hird farewelled the SCG with a one-point win for the Bombers over Sydney and Hawthorn inflicted a third straight loss on Port Adelaide.
Friday night’s match between Collingwood and Fremantle was a cracker, with the Magpies eventually getting home by nine points, while Geelong kept second spot on the ladder with a 60-point thrashing of St Kilda.
Carlton’s Andrew Carrazzo produced arguably the round's best performance, compiling 37 well-used disposals and 10 tackles. The round’s other big ball-winners - West Coast’s Matt Priddis (39 disposals), Fremantle’s Paul Hasleby (35), Collingwood’s Dane Swan (33) and Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell (35) - also put forward strong cases.
The round finished with a somewhat unlikely top eight – if the season stopped now, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Essendon, Port Adelaide and the Kangaroos would be playing finals football. Pre-season fancies Sydney, the Bulldogs, Fremantle, St Kilda and Melbourne would be in mothballs.
Collingwood 15.13 (103) d Fremantle 13.16 (94)
It was a tale of two forward lines at the MCG on Friday night – Leon Davis and Anthony Rocca combined for 9.0 for Collingwood, while Matthew Pavlich and Chris Tarrant managed only 4.9 for Freo. The Dockers had the better of the early going but the Magpies’ better efficiency proved decisive.
Melbourne 13.11 (79) d Adelaide 10.12 (72)
A week after confessing that football sometimes “sucks”, Melbourne coach Neale Daniher got to savour his first win for the season. Unlucky all season, the Demons got the good fortune they deserved on Saturday. Cameron Bruce and Brad Green were influential in setting up victory over a fast-finishing Adelaide.
West Coast 18.13 (121) d Kangaroos 7.13 (55)
The Kangaroos went into the match on a six-game winning streak but got a harsh lesson about the AFL’s pecking order from the reigning premiers. Trailing by 31 points at half-time, the Roos had the margin back to three goals at three-quarter-time, before the Eagles went into overdrive, kicking eight goals to none in a turbo-charged last term.
Essendon 11.8 (74) d Sydney 11.7 (73)
Sydney’s usually placid fans gave the umpires a collective post-match “bake” out of frustration – but it made no difference to the result with James Hird, the player who could have been a Swan, and Essendon running out winners by a solitary point. Amon Buchanan had a chance to be Sydney’s last-minute hero but his snap struck the padding around the goal post.
Hawthorn 17.7 (109) d Port Adelaide 10.15 (75)
Hawthorn is well-placed for a tilt at the finals, having punished a wasteful and turnover-prone Port to post its seventh win of the season. The Power started brilliantly and at one stage led by 22 points. But they were gradually reeled in and skipper Warren Tredrea’s untimely last-quarter miss allowed Hawthorn to put the result beyond doubt.
Carlton 21.12 (138) d Western Bulldogs 19.14 (128)
In perhaps the most entertaining game of the round, Carlton fought back from a 15-point half-time deficit to snap a six-game losing streak and account for the Bulldogs. The Blues grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the third term, with Matthew Lappin kicking four goals, including three in four minutes, and Andrew Walker and Anthony Koutoufides influential.
Geelong 19.11 (125) d St Kilda 9.11 (65)
Injury-plagued St Kilda kept up with the Cats in the first-half but fell to 4-6 on the season after Geelong kicked nine goals to two over the third and fourth quarters. The result kept the Cats second and was notable for the victors’ 12 goalkickers, led by the two Camerons – Mooney and Ling – who kicked three apiece.
