Collingwood's on-ballers had destroyed Port Adelaide and North Melbourne in the opening two rounds of the season, but if any team can match the Magpies for midfield depth and firepower, it is the Blues.
Therefore the showdown between Chris Judd, Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy and co. against the Magpies' engine room led by Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury was keenly anticipated.
In the end neither midfield group could claim a decisive advantage, and performances by players closer to goal propelled the Magpies to victory.
"I thought the midfield was pretty even," Blues coach Brett Ratten said.
"I thought (Jarryd) Blair was probably the difference up one end and (Heath) Shaw was very good for them at the other end.
"They had two players at either end of the ground who were probably best on ground and second best."
In the middle, Gibbs started on Pendlebury, while Sharrod Wellingham went to Judd.
Wellingham only amassed 15 disposals, but his seven tackles showed how hard he worked defensively.
The Blues skipper was never allowed to dominate, save for a burst early in the third term that briefly threatened to drag Carlton back into the match.
"I think Sharrod did a good job," Wellingham's Magpie teammate Steele Sidebottom said.
"I'm not sure what Judd had in the end, but I don't think he seemed to have that much influence on the night."
Gibbs and Pendlebury gathered a similar possession tally, and while neither split the game open, Pendlebury had more influence.
As with Wellingham, Pendlebury's tackling was a feature - he had eight.
Superstar Dane Swan finished as the leading possession winner on the ground, with 14 of his 34 disposals coming in the last quarter.
Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse couldn't find a real standout among his midfield stars.
"I thought Scott Pendlebury was OK," he said.
"I thought Swanny certainly didn't have a great first half. He might have got better in the second half.
"Wellingham was quite good I thought. Bally is consistent."
A positive for the Blues was the performance of mature-age recruit Ed Curnow, who continues to impress in his first season of AFL football.
Curnow was perhaps the night's most consistent four-quarter performer, amassing 23 disposals in a performance that further cemented him in Carlton's midfield rotation.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
