IF THIS was a glimpse into life under Michael Voss, Blues fans will be queuing to sign up.

Just a fortnight out from round one, Voss' new-look and vastly improved Carlton side outshone reigning premiers Melbourne in a satisfying five-point AAMI Community Series victory at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

Led by a reinvigorated midfield group bolstered by an injection of talent in the form of George Hewett (32 disposals, seven clearances) and Adam Cerra (30 disposals, four tackles), the Blues withstood a nervous finish to secure a 15.8 (98) to 14.9 (93) win.

Patrick Cripps was sensational, kicking four goals to go with 31 disposals, 10 clearances and eight tackles, while Matthew Kennedy (37 disposals, nine clearances, two goals) was also impressive to help the Blues overcome a Demons team packed with premiership stars.

Melbourne had experimented with some minor positional changes, as Kysaiah Pickett and Alex Neal-Bullen spent periods in the midfield and with Angus Brayshaw shifted into a more defensive role across half-back.

But it was still the ever-reliable stars who did the bulk of the damage. Clayton Oliver (28 disposals, seven clearances) and Christian Petracca (27 disposals) were the standouts, while Bayley Fritsch kicked five goals in attack.

Carlton stole most of the headlines, though, piling on seven straight goals in the game's early stages to march into a commanding 41-point lead by half-time, before tiring late after playing the entire second half a man down due a calf injury to Corey Durdin.

By that stage the Blues had already withdrawn Harry McKay (returning from a foot injury) and Ed Curnow (returning from a calf problem), while Jack Silvagni had also left the game at the main break.

Carlton had Mitch McGovern (19 disposals, six marks) to thank for hanging on to its advantage in the dying stages, with the swingman producing a commanding second-half performance in his new defensive role to help keep the Blues' lead intact.

New faces
Carlton's defensive recruit Lewis Young (15 disposals) was solid in his first competitive match in Carlton colours, while Adam Cerra and George Hewett dominated through the midfield. Jordan Boyd (nine disposals) has emerged as a round one bolter and looked comfortable across half-back. Melbourne's team didn't feature any players chasing their first AFL appearance for the Demons.

Round one chances
Former top-10 pick Lochie O'Brien (22 disposals, one goal) continues to put his hand up for a spot in Carlton's round one team, while second-year youngster Corey Durdin (two goals) looked assured of the small forward spot before sustaining a worrying calf injury early in the third term. Oscar McDonald (21 disposals, four marks) was again impressive and will likely partner Jacob Weitering in the backline for the season-opener. Melbourne has a spot across half-back open following a knee injury to Trent Rivers, with Oskar Baker doing a couple of nice things playing a similar position in the first half. Jayden Hunt (13 disposals) would have to be ahead in the race to regain that spot, though.

Medical room
Carlton lost small forward Corey Durdin to a calf complaint early in the third quarter, leading to Lachie Plowman – who had already played a full VFL practice match earlier in the day – being called up as a last-minute replacement. By that stage, the Blues had already withdrawn Harry McKay, Jack Silvagni and Ed Curnow at half-time. The club expects key duo Charlie Curnow (knee) and Jacob Weitering (rested) to be fit for round one, but the blockbuster season-opener will come too soon for Sam Walsh (syndesmosis). Sam Docherty played a full VFL practice match earlier on Thursday as he continues his recovery from a secondary reoccurrence of testicular cancer, but remains unlikely to play round one. Five premiership players from Melbourne missed on Thursday night, with Trent Rivers (knee) and Harrison Petty (calf) set to miss round one. But trio Steven May, Michael Hibberd and Christian Salem will be fine, having been rested 13 days out from the side's Grand Final rematch with the Western Bulldogs.

Fantasy watch
We heard Patrick Cripps (MID, $686,000) was looking sharp last week, but he was in full flight collecting 31 disposals, three marks, eight tackles and 143 Fantasy points. He's priced as cheap as he's been since 2015, making the Carlton skipper super value in Fantasy Classic. Stocks have been rising for George Hewett (DEF/MID, $537,000) based on his full-time midfield role. The new Blue finished with 32 disposals for 80 points, but coaches will want to see him hit other stat lines and be less handball happy. Hewett laid one tackle and had 21 handballs to go with his 11 kicks. Oh, and if you thought Max Gawn (RUC, $911,000) would regress, think again. His Fantasy game was as strong as ever, top-scoring for the Dees with 124. Set and forget!

CARLTON           5.1    10.3    14.3     15.8 (98)
MELBOURNE     2.3     4.6      9.7      14.9 (93)

GOALS
Carlton: Cripps 4, Durdin 2, Kennedy 2, Fisher 2, O'Brien, McKay, Owies, E.Curnow, Parks
Melbourne: Fritsch 5, Sparrow 2, McDonald 2, Brown, Gawn, Harmes, Langdon, Neal-Bullen

BEST
Carlton: Cripps, Kennedy, Hewett, Cerra, McGovern, Fisher, O'Brien
Melbourne: Gawn, Fritsch, Oliver, Petracca, Neal-Bullen

INJURIES
Carlton: Durdin (calf)
Melbourne: Nil

Crowd: TBC at Marvel Stadium