Dockers skipper Alex Pearce saves the day in thrilling win over Crows at Adelaide Oval

A diving smother from Fremantle captain Alex Pearce in the frantic final seconds ensured the Dockers to a two-point win over the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

Matthew Nicks’ men kicked seven straight goals in the late-third and early-fourth quarters to snatch the lead back from the Dockers before Shai Bolton and a bouncing effort from Josh Treacy put the visitors back in front.

The Crows peppered Freo’s goals in the final minutes, with James Borlase hitting the post with a desperation shot before Pearce dived full-length to smother a snap for goal from Adelaide’s James Peatling with 17 seconds remaining.

“It was a super smother,” Dockers coach Justin Longmuir told Fox Footy in the aftermath.

Carlton coach Michael Voss faces another week under the blowtorch as he desperately searches for solutions to the horror run of second-half meltdowns that continue to haunt his side.

In an extension of their torturous start to the season, the Blues coughed up another significant lead as they surrendered the last five goals in a stunning 14.12 (96) to 13.8 (86) loss to North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

Carlton kicked five goals to two in the third term and were up by 21 points at the 14-minute mark of the final quarter, but lacked the composure required to complete the job.

Making matters worse, vice captain Jacob Weitering was forced off with concussion after an accidental knee to his head early in the final term and will be sidelined for at least a match.

Roos coach Alastair Clarkson refused to get carried away with his side’s comeback win over Carlton on Good Friday as he knows they have much more growth to come.

North showed the kind of desperation and poise in the final term that hasn’t been a trademark of the club for many years, turning a 22-point deficit at the final change into a 10-point win.

Clarkson praised the pressure level of his side but also pointed to their struggles earlier in the game as proof they have much more work to come.

“Both sides were tremendous in the last quarter with the pressure they applied,” Clarkson said.

Blues coach Michael Voss has shrugged off questions about his coaching future, despite his team suffering yet another final-term fadeout.

Voss said his side had work to do, and they knew it, but he wouldn’t entertain conjecture about his future. Instead he wanted the focus to remain on the Good Friday Appeal, the money raised for the Royal Children’s Hospital, and the differences AFL players can make in the lives of families struggling with sick children.

But he did acknowledge he would face even more pressure following the loss that came after a 32-point turnaround in the final term.

“I think it is important to show some humility for this day and who it is for,” Voss said.

The Blues will be without star defender Jacob Weitering for at least Gather Round after he was forced out in the final term with concussion today.

Weitering took a knee to the back of the head by North opponent Zane Duursma in a marking contest and didn’t return.

This concussion follows a scary moment in the State of Origin match in February when Weitering took a shot to the head and was stretchered from the field.