3 minute read
Carlton veteran Eddie Betts kicked three goals and almost took mark of the year against his old side as the Blues overpowered Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.
Carlton have given under-fire coach David Teague some relief ahead of the looming review of the AFL club's football department, producing a much-needed 10-point win over Adelaide.
The Blues got off to a slow start at Marvel Stadium on Sunday before flicking a mental switch and taking the game on during a dominant second term to set the platform for a 12.11 (83) to 10.13 (73) victory.
There were some nervous moments in the final quarter when the Crows closed the gap to 10 points, but Carlton hung on in a tense finish to the entertaining contest.
Adelaide's Lachlan Sholl missed a simple shot at goal that would have cut the margin to six points with one minute left.
It was a timely result for the Blues, with the widely-publicised external review led by Geoff Walsh, Matthew Pavlich and Graham Lowe set to begin on Monday.
A delayed flight just hours before the match didn't seem to have a huge effect on Adelaide as they registered the first eight scoring shots.
Six of them were behinds before Darcy Fogarty's two goals set off early alarm bells for the Blues.
But Adam Saad sliced through the middle to give the home side a lift with a superb running goal and Harry McKay cut the margin to six points by quarter-time.
McKay (two goals) helped drag the Blues back into it by throwing his weight around and Sam Walsh (38 disposals) racked up touches at will on a wing.
High-profile recruits Zac Williams and Adam Saad were influential and Eddie Betts kicked three goals, including one where he stepped around Jake Kelly and slotted a checkside kick near the boundary line.
The veteran pocket rocket almost pulled down a mark-of-the-year contender when he took a ride on Patrick Cripps' shoulders at the top of the goal square.
It came as the Blues piled on eight goals to three in the second term to burst 34 points clear.
Cripps celebrated his mid-week inking of a contract extension and Blues fans showed their appreciation when they chanted the co-captain's name after his team-lifting goal before half-time.
It was a contentious one, with Cripps running well beyond the allowed 15m without taking a bounce.
Tension spilled over in the third term when Fogarty charged into Jacob Weitering's back, sparking a huge melee.
The win came at a cost for Carlton, who lost former captain Marc Murphy to a leg injury in his 296th game.
Adelaide wingman Paul Seedsman kicked two goals from 24 disposals and Taylor Walker could have been a match-winner, kicking 3.4 in an entertaining battle with Weitering.
The Crows dominated the clearances 38-22, with Rory Laird and Ben Keays busy, but lost the inside-50 count (51-54).
