Round Three of the Australian Football League carried the theme of 'rivalry round', with matches featuring traditional and other rivalry battles that have added colour and excitement to the game of Australian Rules.

But for all the marketing hype, this round will long be remembered for Carlton's stunning comeback against bitter foes Essendon at the MCG.

The Blues pulled off their most memorable and stunning victory since the 1999 Preliminary Final, also against the Bombers, fighting back from a 48-point deficit to over-run the opposition in the third quarter and hold on in the final quarter to win 18.17.125 to 17.20.122.

Carlton were a rabble in the first quarter-and-a-half with the Bombers in complete control of the contest, Essendon winning the ball with ease in the midfield and their forward line overwhelming the ragged Blues defence.

Blues coach Denis Pagan's decision to have the chronically out of form Lance Whitnall play against the competition’s in-form forward in Scott Lucas backfired badly, Lucas tearing the Blues captain, forcing Whitnall to be benched by quarter time. Lucas and his fellow Bombers should have buried Carlton in the first term; wasteful kicking meant the Bombers lead by 38-points at quarter time, a margin that flattered the Blues.

Carlton were marginally more competitive in the second quarter but the Bombers still managed to extend their lead as high as 48 points late in the quarter. Three late goals, including two to full forward Brendan Fevola helped to keep the Blues in touch at half time. Whatever Pagan said to his side during the break worked, the Blues were a completely different side in the third quarter, running hard, swarming in packs, fighting for every contested ball and playing direct football.

The real star for the Blues was Fevola who kicked four goals in third term, a term that saw the Blues not only close the gap on the Bombers but claim a seven-point lead by quarter's end. After a shaky start, Fevola was instrumental in the Blues revival and was at his brilliant best with eight goals in little over a half of football against Mal Michael and Dustin Fletcher, two of the finest backmen of their generation. It was a gutsy win by the Blues and for the non-partisan spectator, the match as a whole was a great exhibition of the sport of Australian Rules Football.

Carlton's wasn't the only come-from-behind win of the weekend, with Collingwood opening the round by overrunning Richmond in the second half. Despite a number of skill errors, the Magpies managed to keep in touch of a red-hot Tigers. Like Essendon a day later, Richmond should have kicked the Magpies out of the first half with inaccuracy at goal proving costly.

As they had in the first two rounds, Richmond fell away badly in the second half as Magpies kicked away with 13-goals to six in the final half. Tarkyn Lockyer, Dane Swan and Paul Licuria dominated in the middle of the ground and in the contests. Anthony Rocca started to exert his influence in the second half with three goals and recruit Paul Medhurst, practically unsighted in the first half, bobbed up with four goals.

Magpie fans would have also been heartened by the promising debuts of Alan Toovey and Brad Dick, Toovey overcoming a nervous start to kick three goals and Dick kicked two before leaving the ground with an ankle injury. Collingwood showed great persistence to wear down the Tigers resistance to eventually run out 25-point winners 17.13.115 to 13.12.90.