IT’S BEEN a minute... or 11 years, in fact.

When Carlton goes head to head with Geelong tomorrow evening, it will be the first time since 2010 since the two sides have met at the MCG.

After the Round 5, 2010 clash at the ‘G, the next nine games were at Marvel Stadium, while since 2018 the Blues have played the Cats on their home deck down the highway.

Under blue skies at the home of football 11 years ago, it certainly was a Navy Blue Easter Monday for all of those involved.

Coming up against the reigning premiers and the best team of the previous three seasons, the Blues stunned the Cats on the back of some emphatic attacking football.

Breaking the game open in the second quarter with six goals, it will go down in history as the first day the ‘Three Amigos’ - Eddie Betts, Jeff Garlett and Chris Yarran - ripped the game away from the opposition.

It was the first time all members of the trio kicked multiple goals, with Garlett the pick of the bunch — producing three goals, to complement Betts and Yarran’s two apiece (including the No.13’s sealer).

Garlett was the recipient of the two votes in the Brownlow Medal, with only Chris Judd better on the day.

It was the second match in a five-game consecutive stretch where Judd polled the maximum three votes, on his way to becoming the fifth Carlton player to take home the Brownlow in September.

While 71,399 packed into the MCG that afternoon, it would be the last time the Blues featured on Easter Monday, with the following season marking the first time that Geelong and Hawthorn took hold of the now traditional clash.

It’s been 11 years since drinks, but it means the Blues have a three-game winning streak against the Cats at the venue leading into tomorrow. Carlton prevailed over Geelong in Round 19 of the previous year, as well as recording a 40-point victory in 2001.

Carlton v Geelong – MCG, Round 5, Monday 26 April, 2010

Carlton         4.3 (27)      10.8 (68)       12.13 (85)        15.14 (104)
Geelong        3.4 (22)      5.7 (37)         7.10 (52)          9.14 (68)

Best players: Judd, Garlett, Gibbs, Russell, Simpson, Scotland, Jamison, Houlihan
Goalkickers: Garlett 3, Betts 2, Houlihan 2, Yarran 2, Judd, Kreuzer, O’hAilpin, Scotland

The Carlton team

B:   4 Bryce Gibbs              40 Michael Jamison           43 Simon White

HB: 27 Dennis Armfield      2 Jordan Russell                 1 Andrew Walker

C:   33 Ryan Houlihan        5 Chris Judd (c)                  29 Heath Scotland

HF: 6 Kade Simpson          19 Eddie Betts                     3 Marc Murphy

F:   17 Setanta O’hAilpin    23 Lachie Henderson         13 Chris Yarran

R:   8 Matthew Kreuzer      44 Andrew Carrazzo          45 Aaron Joseph

I/c: 7 Brock McLean      11 Robert Warnock       24 Kane Lucas       38 Jeffery Garlett

Coach: Brett Ratten