CARLTON has fallen by 29 points in its Round 20 clash with Adelaide.
It was a disappointing night at Adelaide Oval from a Blues perspective, who failed to get the game on their terms over four quarters.
Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh battled hard in the middle, but the Blues struggled to get a foothold in the game in the five-goal defeat.
Corey Durdin (shoulder), Nic Newman (cut knee) and Matthew Kennedy (head knock) failed to finish the game.
Quarter one
Adelaide started the game on their terms, with Taylor Walker kicking a goal in the first minute, as Carlton couldn’t get the ball into their forward 50 until the 10-minute mark of the quarter. Matt Kennedy battled away in the contest, putting his body on the line and ending the quarter with five contested possessions. Matt Owies got the first goal on the board after some clever play from Harry McKay, while Charlie Curnow managed two crumbing goals from the goal square. Lewis Young held up well as the ball continuously pinged into the defensive 50, while Jacob Weitering recorded four intercepts. In wet conditions, kicking was wayward from both sides, but a Darcy Fogarty goal on the siren meant the Blues took a three-point lead into the first change.
Quarter two
With end-to-end play, no goals were scored until the nine-minute mark of the term, when Adelaide started to put the pressure on Carlton. The Blues were outmarked in the middle of the ground as the Crows started to find some momentum, gaining 660 metres in the first 12 minutes of the second quarter to Carlton’s 82. Cripps had more of an impact in the second term, having 11 contested possessions and eight clearances for the half. The captain set up Jesse Motlop who slotted an opportunistic goal when the Blues needed it most. Jack Silvagni was subbed on for Corey Durdin, who injured his shoulder, while Nic Newman was also out of the game moments later after sustaining a cut to the knee. Adam Saad worked hard across half back to keep the ball away from the defensive 50, while a strong mark from McKay led to a critical goal for the Blues, leaving them just four points behind at the main break.
Quarter three
Adelaide owned the quarter, kicking three goals to Carlton’s one, as well as dominating the possession of the football through its intercept marking. Adelaide led the ground ball gets 84-57 at the final change, with Carlton’s predicament not helped by missing some important shots on goal. Jack Silvagni’s pack mark and goal in the goal square was the highlight of the term, but their kicking around the ground was their downfall, resulting in easy turnovers in the Crows’ favour. The Blues went into the final term 15 points down.
Quarter four
Matthew Cottrell looked to spark the Blues into life in the final term, kicking two goals to continue a strong recent goal kicking return. However, his two majors were all the Blues could muster, with the Crows slotting four of their own to kick out to a 29-point lead. Carlton’s lack of composure led to turnovers in the middle of the ground, before a head knock to Matthew Kennedy left the Blues to just two on the bench. Despite the best efforts of Cripps (41 disposals) and Sam Walsh (40 disposals), the Blues were no match for the Crows on the night, falling by 29 points.
