A FLYING Tom De Koning, a five-goal turn from Kysaiah Pickett, and the emergence of a young Blue.

It might have been a game between the 12th and 13th seeds, but it had it all.

Charlie Curnow, who had been goalless since round 14, returned to form with a bullet, kicking three goals in the 12.6 (78) to 10.10 (70) victory on a wintery MCG deck on Saturday evening.

A slow, messy start to the match was in the rearview mirror as De Koning flew for the footy late in the final quarter to maintain possession and create an attacking foray while just two points up.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Carlton.

Steven May could come under MRO scrutiny after a bump on Carlton forward Francis Evans saw the Blue substituted with concussion.

There was a sense of imprecision in Melbourne's game. Switch kicks hung in the air to allow Carlton defensive efforts to impact, missed tackles, and floating handballs creating turnover opportunities.

The connection issues were also evident in close around the contest, where the Demons were regularly caught running into one another's space and creating unnecessary congestion. This disorganisation also led to the visitors giving up three 50m penalties in the first half.

Jacob Weitering (eight marks, nine intercept possessions) caused endless issues for Melbourne and, specifically, Jake Melksham. Quick decision-making and aerial prowess meant the Blue largely dictated the Demons' forward entries.

Following a remarkable run of form from Melksham, who had kicked 14 goals in the three matches prior, Weitering wreaked havoc on the Demon's access to the footy, leaving Melksham with just one goal from six disposals for the match.

After the main break the Demons found more efficient ball movement, opting for speed in space. They were certainly helped by the supreme talents of Pickett (23 disposals, five goals), who started at centre bounce and spat forward, losing his direct opponent in the process, and kicking goals from everywhere.

Max Gawn's (19 disposals, 38 hitouts) impact steadily grew as the game wore on, able to make the most of his supreme fitness to compete at the contest and then drag his opponent across the ground. And in attack, Bayley Fritsch (20 disposals, two goals) continued his return to form, leading well at the ball carrier and converting well.

Carlton, meanwhile, had sixth-gamer Ashton Moir spearheading its attack. The result of repeat opportunity at the top level this year, Moir finished with a team-high four goals, thanks to his combination of aerial skill and cleanliness on the deck.

The Demons were keen to flick the ball around by hand, allowing Carlton's defensive efforts to come into play. Jesse Motlop and Evans worked hard to close down space inside the forward arc, putting pressure on Melbourne's defensive unit.

Adding to the joy, both Flynn Young and Matt Carroll kicked their first career goals, bringing the crowd to life in the process.

A wait for May
Steven May will be nervously awaiting the Match Review Officer's findings, following a clash with Carlton forward Francis Evans in the third quarter. Evans was dashing toward goal, working to gather a handball from Ashton Moir, when the Demons defender came full force in the opposite direction to impede the Blue's run. Given the height disparity between the pair, May's shoulder collected Evans' face, and the Blue was helped from the ground with blood streaming from his face, and was immediately subbed from the game with concussion.

Kozzy can do it all
Where others were missing kicks or dropping marks, Kysaiah Pickett was kicking goals from the boundary for fun. Following the main break, Pickett first nabbed a free kick tight up on the left boundary line 40m from the goal line. No worries for the star Demon, as he shaped for the snap around the body, placing it beautifully through the big sticks. Five minutes later, the mirror image played out, with Pickett kicking an almost identical snap, just from the opposing side of the arc.

Curnow back in action
Coming into the match, Carlton spearhead Charlie Curnow had not kicked a goal since the club's round 14 win over West Coast. In his month without a major, the Blues failed to register a win. But it took all of 36 seconds for Curnow to break through for his first goal of the game. The roar of the crowd was just as telling as the number of Blues who got around Curnow to celebrate the opening goal of the game. Six minutes later, he kicked a second, to really establish his return to goalkicking form.

CARLTON               4.2     6.4     9.5      12.6 (78)
MELBOURNE          3.0     3.3     7.7     10.10 (70)

GOALS
Carlton: Moir 4, Curnow 3, Cerra, Evans, Young, Docherty, Carroll
Melbourne: Pickett 5, Fritsch 2, Melksham, Van Rooyen, Jefferson

BEST
Carlton: Weitering, Cripps, Carroll, Moir, Cerra, Curnow
Melbourne: Pickett, Gawn, McVee, Oliver, Fritsch

INJURIES
Carlton: Evans (concussion)
Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Corey Durdin (replaced Francis Evans in the third quarter)
Melbourne: Xavier Lindsay (replaced Koltyn Tholstrup in the third quarter)

Crowd: 40,869 at the MCG