A seven-goal haul to Lindsay Thomas has helped North Melbourne claim their biggest scalp of the AFL season, downing Carlton by 29 points at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

The Kangaroos won 14.13 (97) to 10.8 (68), bursting out to a 38-point lead midway through the second term, then withstanding several Blues' charges.

The victory took North to a 6-6 record and was just the second time this season they have notched consecutive wins, after downing Brisbane last round.

The match, in front of a healthy crowd of 43,732, was preceded by fireworks, as the Kangaroos celebrated 25 years of Friday night football, a concept they instigated.

It was their only game on that night this season and they rose to the occasion, outscoring Carlton 4.5 to 1.2 in the first term, then kicking the first three majors of the second to lead by 38.

Small forward Thomas kicked the first two goals of the match, and two more in the second term, as well as setting up two others in the first half, in a stunning display.

But Carlton rallied late in the first half, with a burst of five goals in 13 minutes - three of those to Eddie Betts - to narrow the gap to 10 points, before Thomas kicked the final major of the half.

The Kangaroos again dominated the early stages of the third term, but missed a chance to bury the Blues, kicking 2.3 to nothing in the first 15 minutes of the quarter, but wasting three gettable set shots.

Carlton crept back into the match when ruckman Matthew Kreuzer scored with the help of a 50m penalty, then Jarrad Waite goaled from a relayed free kick.

Waite added another from a goalsquare mark, and then small forward Betts (five goals) from a nice roving effort, to cut the gap to eight points.

But it proved the Blues' last goal for the match, Thomas kicking his fifth shortly after to set up a 13-point lead at the last change.

Carlton pumped the ball into attack numerous times early in the final term, but never seriously threatened to come back, Thomas snapping truly six minutes into the quarter to make it a 19-point game.

Captain Brent Harvey kicked a sealer after a long run early in time-on, before Thomas added the icing with his seventh close to full-time, finishing with a remarkable 7.5.

Aside from standout Thomas, defenders Scott Thompson, Daniel Pratt and Nathan Grima were all good for the winners, while Ryan Bastinac, Andrew Swallow, Harvey and Daniel Wells contributed well in the midfield.

For the Blues, midfielders Bryce Gibbs, Marc Murphy, Chris Judd and Kade Simpson were good, Betts was a shining light in attack, with Waite (three goals) also handy.

Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said it was wonderful that the team could produce such a good performance given the Friday night stage and the quality of their opponents.

"It was a really big occasion for the North Melbourne footy club, to get a win like that is just fantastic for our supporters and they really turned out tonight," Scott said.

"We were really rapt with the support we had and I was just really happy that the players were able to go out and perform like that."

He said it was particularly heartening that the club had produced back-to-back wins full of character, having survived a late Brisbane charge to win by a point last round.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten said the Blues' intensity and skill level had been down and they had missed a chance to push for a top four berth.

"It was one that got away, full credit to North Melbourne, they had a big night, their Friday night game and they delivered, they outplayed us," he Ratten said.

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