Carlton strengthened their position in the AFL's top eight with an overdue, 76-point belting of Essendon at the MCG on Friday night.

The Blues slammed 10 goals through in the last quarter to romp to a 23.11 (149) to 9.19 (73) pasting, snapping a six-game losing run to their old foe and giving them their biggest win of the season.

Carlton moved from seventh place to sixth with a 10-9 win-loss record after they had lost five of their previous seven games.

Small forward Jeff Garlett booted six goals including three in the first term to spark his side and Jarrad Waite hurt the Bombers with a three-goal cameo in the second quarter before adding a fourth in the last quarter.

The Blues used the ball much better by foot and early in the last quarter, after three quick goals, led by 40 points despite the sides having the same number of scoring shots.

Essendon's inaccurate finishing dashed any chance they had, especially when Kyle Hardingham missed three set shots in the second quarter and Jay Neagle missed running into an open goal.

Neagle thought he had kicked truly and the decision was one of two contentious umpiring calls in the third quarter.

Waite was also denied a goal when the goal umpire deemed he missed the ball, but television replays showed he got the faintest of touches.

Essendon whisked the ball the length of the field for a goal to Hardingham, and Brent Stanton brought the Bombers to within nine points soon after.

But the Blues steadied with the last two goals of the third quarter before launching a last-term blitz.

Carlton's Chris Judd and Kade Simpson were influential in the midfield and Mitch Robinson added spark across half-forward with two goals.

Aside from inaccuracy, Essendon's problems included another report against ruckman David Hille and an arm injury to Alwyn Davey when tackled by Waite.

Hille bumped Robinson high when he could have tackled, and earned his fourth booking of the season, although he was cleared of wrongdoing in previous incidents involving Geelong's Jimmy Bartel, Hawthorn's Clinton Young and St Kilda's Brendon Goddard.

Essendon's loss left them with a 7-12 record and in 12th spot.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten, who with his team was under pressure entering the game, was delighted with the way the Blues responded after last week's bad loss to Collingwood.

"It was first class. Win, lose or draw, if you come with that appetite no one can question your endeavour or your intent," he said.

"That's something as a club we lost a lot of credit for. Our pride was really dented ... it felt like it's been three weeks since we last played.

"So from that point it was great we were on Friday night, first-up and everyone will watch to see how we'd respond.

"To respond like that was really pleasing."

Essendon confirmed Hille was reported for engaging in rough conduct, as was Sam Lonergan against Carlton's Robert Warnock during a melee at half-time.

Bombers coach Matthew Knights said he was disappointed Hille had tempted fate again.

"The reality is he should have tackled ... it was clumsy," he said.

Knights said Essendon's wastefulness was a factor for three quarters, but conceded the Bombers were thrashed in the last term.

"I felt at three-quarter time we were still in the game, I really did, and I felt our players felt we were in the game," he said.

"We just had to straighten up a bit and kick some six-pointers and it might have got us going.

"But Carlton kicked the first two really quickly post three-quarter time and from that point onwards it was just a tidal wave and they just smashed us."

Knights said Davey had broken his arm and his season was over.

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