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North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL Round 4 Tips - Kangaroos to surge past fading Blues

Adam Cusworth

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Last updated: Thu 02 Apr 2026 10:14

Adam Cusworth 02 Apr 2026

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The game will be played at Marvel Stadium on Friday, April 3, with the bounce at 3:15 PM (AEST)
Can the Blues avoid another fadeout?
Preview, expert analysis, stats, team news & best bet

North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL Round 4 Tips

North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues, Round 4 2026 - Expert Prediction

North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues, Round 4 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
North Melbourne Kangaroos Form Analysis & Team News
North Melbourne Kangaroos Team News
North Melbourne Kangaroos Team List
Carlton Blues Form Analysis & Team News
Carlton Blues Team News
Carlton Blues Team List

North Melbourne will push Carlton to the brink of disaster in the Good Friday match-up at Marvel Stadium in AFL Round 3.

The Kangaroos come in with a 2-1 win-loss record after holding on for a 12-point win over Essendon last weekend and a win here will make it their best start to a season since 2016.

Carlton come in with a 1-2 win-loss record and gave up a 43-point lead to go down by 23 to Melbourne last weekend. The Blues will be out for redemption and should come out firing but it is hard to trust the Blues to close out games, with the fade-out trends continuing to be a big concern.

While North Melbourne lose their ruckman, Tristan Xerri, they have improved this season in restricting opposition ball movement and uncontested marking chains, forcing turnovers and capitalising.

With a host of young guns in solid touch, including Colby McKercher, Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw and a stack of scoring options up forward, they will push Carlton all the way in the Round 4 clash.

Take the Kangas with the 8.5 point start or for better value, the head to head is the play. With Jacob Weitering looming as a strong match-up for Nick Larkey, expect Paul Curtis to sneak under the guard for 2+ goals.

North Melbourne won by 11 points the last time the two sides met
The Kangaroos are averaging 94 points per game in 2026, while the Blues are averaging 74.
Harry Sheezel has had 30+ disposals in each of the five matches he has played against Carlton
Paul Curtis has kicked 11 goals in his past four against the Blues, hitting the 2+ in each of those.

Head to Head Stats

North Melbourne claimed the most recent meeting between the sides, winning by 11 points in Round 15 last season at the MCG. The Kangaroos led by 46 points at three-quarter time and, despite failing to score in the final term, held on for the win. Harry Sheezel, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Tom Powell all recorded 30+ disposals, while Cam Zurhaar kicked three goals.

Carlton had won the five matches prior to that, including an 82-point victory in the Good Friday clash last season. Sheezel has been consistently prolific against the Blues, recording 30+ disposals in all five of his games against them at an average of 33. George Hewett has posted 30+ in his past two against North, while Paul Curtis has kicked two or more goals in his last four matches versus Carlton.

North Melbourne Kangaroos Form Analysis & Team News

North Melbourne impressed with a 46-point win over Port Adelaide in Round 1 then were disappointing when surrendering a 30-point lead in their 17-point loss to West Coast. That looks a bit better now with the Eagles proving that win was no fluke. In Round 3, they controlled the game against Essendon, conceding late goals to win by 12.

Colby McKercher picked up a game-high 35 disposals, while Luke Davies-Uniacke, Luke Parker and Harry Sheezel all had 30+. The win was built on clearance dominance. The Roos rank third for clearances in the early parts of the season and have improved their defence, conceding 82 points per game, an improvement on 2025 (103 points per game)

In attack, they are averaging 94 per game. Nick Larkey has booted 12 goals from his three matches, while Cooper Trembath, Cam Zurhaar and Paul Curtis have been an excellent support cast, combining for 14.

North Melbourne Kangaroos Team News

North Melbourne will be without their gun ruckman, Triston Xerri, after the big man had a bit of a brainfade when wiping blood on an opponent. He has been suspended for the indiscretion. Jack Darling had a solid match in the VFL and is a chance to be recalled, while Matt Whitlock and Zac Fisher are among a number of others that will be considered.

Carlton Blues Form Analysis & Team News

Carlton were blown off the park by Sydney in Round 1, conceding 18 goals in the seconf half to lose by 63. Against Richmond, another fadeout nearly cost them when kicking just one goal to four in the second half, holding on by four. This trend continued in the loss to Melbourne last weekend.

The Blues seem to have no answer when the momentum swings against them and their lack of midfield pace, as well as their defensive structure, has been a concern.

Jagga Smith has provided Carlton fans with some hope. In his first three career matches he has averaged 28 disposals, while Sam Walsh has hit the 30+ in each game this season.

The Blues are struggling to find a focal point up forward with Mitch McGovern leading the goalkicking tally with just five goals, while Harry McKay has four. As a team, Carlton are averaging just 74 points per game this season.

Carlton Blues Team News

Harry Dean (hip) and Zac Williams (ribs) pulled up with issues out of the Melbourne match and will be assessed during the week. Nic Newman shows some promise in the VFL after missing last year with injury but may need more conditioning. Adam Cerra should be ready to make his return.

North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues Team List

North Melbourne	POS	Carlton
L. McDonald, T. Pink, C. Comben	B	L. Cowan, J. Weitering, N. Newman
F. O’Sullivan, C. Daniel, T. Blamires	HB	O. Florent, W. Derksen, J. Boyd
J. Simpkin, T. Powell, D. Stephens	C	E. Hollands, P. Cripps, M. Carroll
P. Curtis, C. Trembath, C. McKercher	HF	W. Hayward, H. McKay, B. Ainsworth
C. Zurhaar, N. Larkey, J. Darling	F	T. Byrne, B. Kemp, J. Smith
C. Coleman-Jones, L. Davies-Uniacke, H. Sheezel	FOLL	M. Pittonet, G. Hewett, S. Walsh
A. Corr, G. Wardlaw, Z. Duursma, L. Parker, Z. Banch	I/C	L. Young, O. Hollands, A. Cerra, F. Evans, M. McGovern

North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL 2026 Round 4 FAQ’s

How to watch North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL 2026 Round 4?

You can watch the North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL 2026 Round 4 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL 2026 Round 4?

To buy tickets to the North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Carlton Blues AFL 2026 Round 4 game check the AFL website or the official North Melbourne Kangaroos site.

Verdict

North Melbourne Kangaroos v Carlton Blues

Kangas the value play here with Sheezel and Curtis the major contributers

Match Winner

North Melbourne Kangaroos

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