Carlton ran away with a stunning 32-point win over second-placed Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was a hotly-contested match for the opening half, but the Blues banked their 10th win of the season with the 12.9 (81) to 7.7 (49) win.
Carlton sat in fifth place before the match, but now finds itself in the top-four, while Fremantle has slipped to third place after being equal-top at the beginning of the round.
After Fremantle kicked the opening three goals of the game to race out to a 16-point lead, Harry McKay finally got the Blues going with a goal just before the quarter-time siren.
It started a run of five unanswered goals for the Blues – and seven of the next eight – which wrestled the game back into the home side's favour.
Fremantle’s nine-point quarter time lead was soon reined in as the Blues wrestled back control to take a 15-point lead into the main break.
Carlton continued to dominate the contest thereafter, leading by 20 points at the final change, before holding off Freo in the last quarter.
CARLTON 1.3 6.5 8.5 12.9 (81)
FREMANTLE 3.0 4.2 7.6 7.8 (50)
GOALS
Carlton: Curnow 4, Cottrell 2, McKay 2, O’Brien 2, Newnes, Silvagni
Fremantle: Taberner 2, Banfield, Colyer, Lobb, Schulz, Henry
BEST
Carlton: Walsh, Curnow, Hewett, Fisher, Saad, Docherty, Newnes
Fremantle: Brodie, Young, Aish, Brayshaw, Darcy
INJURIES
Carlton: Jordan Boyd (ankle)
Fremantle: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Will Setterfield (replaced Boyd in fourth quarter)
Fremantle: Mitchell Crowden (unused)
