Rejuvenated Port Adelaide continued their recent form surge with a comprehensive 54-point thrashing of a disappointing Carlton at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
The home team's one-sided 14.15 (99) to 6.9 (45) victory was their third straight win - their best unbeaten streak since Matthew Primus' early caretaker period in late-2010 - and their fourth triumph for the year, giving them more wins already than the whole of last season.
It was also Port's first win over the Blues since 2007.
Carlton were dealt a pre-match blow with the late withdrawal of Matthew Kreuzer (hamstring tightness), but aside from Robbie Warnock's tireless tap work, it wasn't a night tailor-made for the big men and it is doubtful Kreuzer would have made any great difference.
The Blues were sloppy, indirect, had seemingly no forward structure and were thoroughly outworked by a desperate side that clearly wanted it more, stomped 4.2 to 1.1 in the second term and 4.6 to 1.3 in the fourth.
Port made an ideal start when Jay Schulz dribbled through a clever, skidding goal before Carlton even registered their first touch.
With much-improved Matthew Broadbent leading the way with his long, penetrative kicking and Schulz looking dangerous in attack, the Power made the most of their opportunities to hold a 13-point lead at quarter-time.
The Blues seemed to settle first in the second term when Jeff Garlett kicked a goal on the run, but it proved a false dawn.
Port smashed their error-riddled opponents for much of the term, increasing their buffer to 32 points at half-time in slippery, drizzling conditions.
The home side's dominance in contested footy (83-65 in the first half) and a growing ascendancy in inside 50s (16-6 in the second stanza) ensured their most impressive first half of the season.
Carlton were rattled, outscored 4.2 to 0.1 from Garlett's goal to the half-time siren.
The third term was a scrap, which favoured Port given their sizable lead and the wintry conditions.
Hamish Hartlett - who kicked a 60m bomb from inside the centre square late in the first quarter - broke the shackles and booted his second entering time-on in the third with a wonderful long goal, hugging the right-hand boundary side after receiving a hurried handball from Matt Thomas.
Bryce Gibbs, thrown up forward, responded immediately with the Blues' first major in almost an hour, but the deficit remained 33 points at three-quarter-time.
Carlton needed to conjure something special if they were any chance of pulling off a win and they started the final term perfectly when Shaun Hampson slotted a goal inside the first 30 seconds following a costly Darren Pfeiffer fumble.
But that was their last hurrah as the Power proceeded to grind the visitors into the turf.
The Power's first reply came when Broadbent - who had a blinder, collecting a career-best 31 disposals to go with two goals and eight clearances - nailed a superb goal from a stoppage at the five-minute mark.
Port kept their foot down and maintained the rage, extending their lead further when silky-skilled Hartlett bombed his third goal - all from outside 50 - to rub salt into the wounds of a Carlton outfit who will have renewed questions asked of them.
PORT ADELAIDE: 5.2, 9.4, 10.9, 14.15 (99)
CARLTON: 3.1, 4.2, 5.6, 6.9 (45)
GOALS: PORT ADELAIDE: Schulz 3, Hartlett 3, Broadbent 2, Thomas, Pearce, Brett Ebert, P Stewart, Wingard, Westhoff
CARLTON: McLean, Betts, Walker, Garlett, Gibbs, Hampson
BEST: PORT ADELAIDE: Broadbent, Hartlett, Brad Ebert, Cornes, Chaplin, Thomas
CARLTON: Ellard, Judd, Scotland, McLean, Warnock
INJURIES: PORT ADELAIDE: Schulz (rib)
CARLTON: nil
REPORTS: nil
CHANGES: John McCarthy (corked calf) replaced in Port Adelaide's selected side by Aaron Moore. Matthew Kreuzer (hamstring tightness) replaced in Carlton's selected side by Matthew Watson.
UMPIRES: Ritchie, Jeffery, Bannister
CROWD: 24,746 at AAMI Stadium