In the previous meeting between the sides to finish 2003, the Roos defeated the Blues by a whopping 124-points.
Over the off-season Carlton revamped its list and its prize recruit in Nick Stevens made his club debut. 36,273 made their way to the MCG expecting a quality game and were rewarded right from the first siren.
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North played a three-tall forward setup including Corey McKernan, Drew Petrie and Leigh Brown.
Seven straight majors in the first term meant the setup worked perfectly. Accuracy was the order of the day for North – at half time it led by 21 points despite having just one more scoring shot than Carlton.
With an abundance of tagging roles it was inevitable that tempers would flare at stages throughout the game. Carlton star Scott Camporeale was held to just 11 disposals by Brady Rawlings while Anthony Stevens had only 12 possessions.
Early in the third quarter it appeared North was running away with the game and a third consecutive win. A 28 point lead and dominance through the centre of the ground looked like a winning formula.
However the game turned just as quickly towards the end of the term. Carlton kicked the last four goals of the quarter behind a double from Lance Whitnall. He had started the game in defence but was swung to the forward half by Denis Pagan and it proved a masterstroke.
At the final break the margin was just four points. It took a miraculous goal from Corey Jones to start the last term and get North back on track. Tackled and spinning out of control, Jones threw the ball on his boot and it went straight over the goal umpire’s head.
Behind the momentum from the major, North surged out to a lead but was once again reeled in. With just a few minutes to go, the Roos trailed by three points and what was once in their hands looked out of reach.
A sustained period of pressure by North pushed the game exclusively into its forward half as time wound down. After a rushed behind and a Petrie miss, the deficit was just one point with less than a minute to go.
Then, a controversial out of bounds on the full call changed the game. Despite the vision being inconclusive, the boundary umpire adjudicated the last touch came off Ryan Houlihan’s boot.
Daniel Wells received the ensuing short pass from the free kick, 50 metres out on the boundary.
At just 19 years old, in his 21st game, the youngster who could have been Carlton’s went back and nailed the match winning goal with just seconds left on the clock.
North Melbourne 7.0.42, 12.3.75, 14.5.89, 17.9.111
Carlton 4.4.28, 8.6.54, 13.7.85, 16.10.106
Goals
North Melbourne: Motlop 4, Petrie 3, Harvey 2, Jones 2, McKernan 2, Brown 1, Grant 1, Rawlings 1, Wells 1
Carlton: Fevola 4, Fisher 2, Lappin 2, Whitnall 2, De Luca 1, Houlihan 1, Johnson 1, Kenna 1, Scotland 1, Stevens 1
Brownlow Medal
3 – Heath Scotland (Carl), 2 – Adam Simpson (NM), 1 – Shannon Grant (NM)
