AFL Round 8 Adelaide v Carlton: All the news and fallout from the Crows’ big win over Blues

Adelaide bounced back from last week’s dissappointment with a stunning performance against the Blues – and it was skipper Jordan Dawson who hit back the hardest.

Jordan Dawson-inspired Adelaide put Carlton to the sword on Saturday, the star skipper booting three goals as the red-hot Crows romped to a commanding 60-point win.

The Blues went into the clash on a three-game winning run, but conceded their highest score of the season, with Dawson one of six multiple goalkickers in an impressive display.

The result means Carlton is still yet to defeat the Crows at Adelaide Oval, the Blues slipping to a 3-5 record, while Adelaide improved to 5-3.

Coach Matthew Nicks hailed Dawson’s impact after he was one of many Crows who had their colours lowered against the Dockers last week.

“I’m hard on him, my expectations on Daws are increasing every time we play, but he had a huge impact in a couple of areas on ball then deep forward,” Nicks said.

“I think he’s done that off an area that we worked on this week, which was tackling, intensity and clean hands.

“He was part of that through the middle of the ground early and it set the scene for the game, then he was able to go and impact in different ways ahead of the ball later.

“It was a real leader’s game for us.”

Crows skipper Jordan Dawson was the start of the show on Saturday. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Dawson has been criticised by some for his disposal by foot at times this season, but Nicks said such talk was off the mark.

“We’ve been really pleased with Jordan’s form,” he said.

“If you look at purely last week our whole team struggled.

“I know there’s talk around about his execution by foot, but this is a guy who sits right up near the top of the coaches votes (award).

“There’s a reason for that – he’s a very good player and he’s had a solid year.

“It hasn’t been perfect, we’re all trying to get to that, but there’s a lot of stuff that Jordan does even when the perception is that he hasn’t played well.

“There’s a lot of things he does well away from the tv screen, off the ball, and with his work rate.

“I can’t ask any more than for him to continue to improve.”

Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine combine

Dawson was the standout, but Nicks’ side had winners all over the ground.

With Nick Murray out injured, Adelaide’s defence was rock solid.

Josh Worrell had a game-high 16 possessions at halftime and expertly marshalled the back six, while Mark Keane and Jordon Butts blanketed Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay respectively.

Izak Rankine had a game-high 29 possessions and booted two goals, for the Crows who wrenched the game from Carlton’s grasp with five unanswered goals in a withering burst either side of three-quarter time.

The margin was 52 points heading into the final term and it was party time with seven seconds remaining when much-loved veteran Brodie Smith was mobbed after his long goal on the run in his first game of the season.

It wasn’t a great afternoon for Patrick Cripps and the Blues. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

FOG LIFTS

After missing last week’s loss to Fremantle with a bruised shoulder, Darcy Fogarty marked his return with a superb speccy in the first quarter.

The burly forward leapt up onto the shoulders of Nick Haynes and pulled down his side’s 20th mark to Carlton’s four at the same stage as the Crows got off to a flyer.

The home side led the possession count 23-10 early in the match and had the first four inside 50s, with Dawson and Wayne Milera prominent as Adelaide repeatedly opened up the Blues with slick ball movement.

Marks inside 50 were also a major problem for the Blues, who conceded their highest first quarter score of the season.

With aerial threats Curnow and McKay well held, Adelaide had 11 marks inside its attacking 50 in the first half to the Blues’ one.

That solitary grab was taken by Sam Walsh, who sprayed his set shot, Alex Neal-Bullen with two first-quarter goals as the Crows shot out to a 19-point lead the first break.

Adam Saad and Izak Rankine go at it. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

DOWNTOWN CHARLIE

Curnow helped spark the Blues in the first minute of the second term with a monster goal from 55m out.

With no teammates ahead of him, the star forward threw the ball on his boot and bounced through a team lifter from downtown.

Carlton’s improved pressure slowed down the Crows early in the second quarter, but Adelaide kicked the last three goals of the first half.

Dawson made it a 33-point game in a stunning fashion from the boundary line.

Carlton trailed for the first time at the main break this season after the skipper marked brilliantly at full stretch with a defender on his tail, his set shot sailing through the middle as the halftime siren sounded.

GONE IN 38 SECONDS

The Blues were still some hope with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but Adelaide put the game out of reach with three goals in a breathtaking blitz.

Dawson kicked his third after another strong contested grab then Rankine’s slick handball set up a superb Josh Rachele snap from the restart.

Following another Adelaide centre clearance, Rankine curved a shot off the side of his boot through the middle to make it three unanswered goals in just 38 seconds of game time.

Josh Rachele a goal during the win over Carlton. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Scoreboard

CROWS 5.3 8.7 13.10 16.14 (110)

BLUES 2.2 3.4 5.6 7.8 (50)

PHELAN’S BEST CROWS: Dawson, Rankine, Worrell, Laird, Milera, Rachele, Michalanney, Keane, Butts. BLUES: Cripps, Hewett, Cerra, O Hollands, Saad, Haynes.

GOALS CROWS: Dawson 3, Rankine 2, Rachele 2, Neal-Bullen 2, Keays 2, Fogarty 2, Thilthorpe, Walker. BLUES: Durdin 2, Curnow 2, Cripps 2, Motlop.

INJURIES CROWS: Nil. BLUES: Nil.

UMPIRES Fleer, Johanson, Dalgleish, Rebeschini

ADELAIDE OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 Dawson (Adel)

2 Rankine (Adel)

1 Worrell (Adel)

Originally published as AFL Round 8 Adelaide v Carlton: All the news and fallout from the Crows’ big win over Blues