Wayne Brittain issued a challenge to Justin Murphy from the outset to match up on Nathan Buckley and try to restrict the prolific Pies skipper.  That the two went possession for possession for most of the match is testimony to the degree of improvement Murphy showed since last week.  A determination to attack the ball and tackle the opposing ball runners may just be the birth of Murphy as a complete player.

The tone of the night for the Blues was established early through the fierce attacking example set by Darren Hulme in his first game in Season 2002.  Lance Whitnall in a rare role stationed in defence and Simon Beaumont provided great drive from the back half while Matthew Lappin heralded a change in the Blues fortunes by scoring the first goal for the Blues and his first score of the season.  The Blues forward line were contesting well against the unheralded Pies defence and working very hard to keep the ball locked into their scoring zone.  Corey McKernan provided the last two goals of the first quarter after fine link play found the much maligned big man charging out on a lead.

In the second quarter the rain and the wind increased to the apparent benefit of the Pies.  However two costly turnovers close to goal and a free kick on the siren to Adrian Hickmott helped increase the Blues lead.

The wet conditions turned the game into a mistake-a-thon and Collingwood slowly started to build some momentum.  Only Lappin's second goal and the Blues first for the quarter stemmed the tide and Carlton went into the final stanza with a three goal lead. Only the continued questionable commentary by Eddie McShocker provided any real high/lowlight by this stage as the two teams put on a classic arm wrestle.

When Hickmott and McKernan booted the first two goals of the last quarter, the latter after a superb contested mark, the Blues looked home and hosed.  The Magpies kicked again however and goals to Burns and Buckley stirred up an uneasy feeling within the Blues camp.  Collingwood had all the running and only inaccuracy and costly errors stopped them from running right over the top of Carlton.  Carlton shut up shop and played the percentages, bottling up play around the boundary line and suffocating the Magpie runners.  Lappin's third goal sealed the result and the final siren has never sounded so sweet.

It brought a lump to the throat to see the Blues sing their song with gusto in the rooms after the game.  Nobody was happier than Corey McKernan who had finally proved something to himself and others and had truly been welcomed to the Navy Blue fold with open arms.