Carlton 2.1 13 5.4 34 7.7 49 9.8 62 Adelaide Crows 8.3 51 10.5 65 13.7 85 18.10 118
Venue:	Adelaide Oval, South Australia.
Date:	Thursday April 13, 2023 (7.40 pm).
Result:	Lost by 56 points.
Crowd:	47,435
Goalkickers:	C. Curnow 2.1, H. McKay 2.1, C. Durdin 2.0, S. Walsh 1.0, J. Motlop 1.0, B. Acres 1.0, J. Honey 0.1, P. Cripps 0.1, Rushed 0.4.
Reports:	Jack Silvagni was charged with tripping Wayne Milera (Crows) during the 4th quarter, he was given a $1500 fine.
Umpires:	2 - Nick Foot, 5 - Leigh Haussen, 19 - Alex Whetton, 26 - Craig Fleer.
Injuries:	M. Pittonet (eye).
Ladder:	4th

Game Review

Crows put on a show to brilliantly blitz Blues

An electric first quarter helped set up the Crows' win over the Blues. - By Riley Beveridge.

As the footy world converged on South Australia for the inaugural Gather Round, it was only right that the Adelaide Football Club put on a show. Its ruthless 56-point hammering of Carlton was the type of home team performance worthy of kickstarting a special weekend of action. While the general public might be hoping for four days of footy heaven during Gather Round, it took the Crows barely 30 minutes to bury the Blues. They kicked eight of the first nine goals on Thursday night, creating a 42-point buffer midway through the opening quarter, before easing to an 18.10 (118) to 9.8 (62) victory. They found goals from eight different players during their first-quarter massacre, belting their woeful opponents out of the centre, smashing them in contested ball and then clinically picking them apart with the footy. It set up a third straight win and rubberstamped their claim as a genuine finals contender in 2023.

Adelaide's one-two punch in the midfield was as influential as ever. Rory Laird had 37 disposals, nine clearances, 15 score involvements and a goal in a trademark tough display, while captain Jordan Dawson was the classiest player on the field to finish with 32 disposals, seven clearances, nine tackles, three goal assists and 11 score involvements. Ben Keays not only tagged All-Australian defender Adam Saad out of the game, but also kicked three goals himself, while the Crows found just as handy contributions from a returning Darcy Fogarty (five goals, two goal assists) and veteran Taylor Walker (three goals, nine marks) throughout the night. With captain and reigning Brownlow Medal winner Patrick Cripps held to just 19 disposals, Carlton found ball-winners hard to come by. Adam Cerra (23 disposals, five clearances) was impressive, while Ed Curnow (23 disposals, eight tackles) also worked hard, but the Blues simply didn't have enough going for them. Superstar midfielder Sam Walsh had 25 disposals and a goal in his long-awaited return from a back injury, but not even his tireless comeback could inspire Carlton. Instead, the Blues delivered an insipid first quarter effort where they were outworked, outrun and outsmarted in every facet of the game.

The seventh of Adelaide's eight opening term goals painted a neat picture of the match itself, as Brodie Smith delivered a clever pass to an unmarked Laird – the Crows' fifth grab inside 50 for the quarter – then waltzed unchecked through the corridor to gather the handball receive in return and kick truly for goal. Carlton kicked three unanswered majors in the second term as it sought to make amends, at one stage even reducing the deficit to just 18 points, but late steadiers from Fogarty and then Chayce Jones restored a 31-point buffer by half-time and ensured Adelaide's dominant start was honoured by the main break. The game broke into a holding pattern throughout the second half, with the Crows in control and the Blues unable to make a dent in an already significant margin. Keays added two more in the third, relishing his task on Saad, as the hosts succeeded in inflicting maximum damage with minimum fuss. Even a bright Blues start couldn't restrict their deficit to anything under four goals in the final term, with one more pinpoint Fogarty set shot from deep inside the boundary eventually and a snap from the square settling a satisfying night for the Crows and ensuring the perfect way for a host of South Australians to start a landmark weekend.

Crows cause early Gather Round carnage
This was a contest that had virtually been won by quarter-time. Adelaide took complete control of the game after booting eight of its opening nine goals, including two in the first two minutes. The stats sheet told the story of the Crows' domination. As well as being 38 points up by the first break, Matthew Nicks' side had won 67 more disposals, eight more clearances, 21 more contested possessions and had taken 18 more marks. They scored from 11 of their 20 entries, finding goalkickers from eight individual sources. It was as dominant as any side has been all year and laid the foundations for the club's comfortable victory.

Nicks plays the right Keays again
Late last season, in an upset Adelaide win that shook Carlton's finals ambitions to the core, Crows coach Matthew Nicks elected to tag All-Australian half-back Adam Saad with tough midfielder Ben Keays. It proved a masterstroke. On Thursday night, he played the same tune again. Keays went to Saad and not only nullified the speedster's impact and run from the backline, but also surged forward to hurt the Blues on the scoreboard himself. Keays kicked three goals in that contest last year, and finished with three majors from 16 disposals and nine score involvements to begin Gather Round. Meanwhile, Saad had just 17 touches and couldn't work himself into the game.

'Gov' blow causes late Blues drama
Carlton suffered a late, late setback when defender Mitch McGovern was withdrawn just minutes before the game's opening bounce having dealt with calf tightness in the warm-up. McGovern was sore all week after copping a knock to his thigh on Good Friday, but had been deemed fit to play on Tuesday. However, his withdrawal forced Lachie Plowman into the team for his first appearance of the season and meant a shake-up down back for the Blues. Their structure was further impacted early in the second term when ruckman Marc Pittonet was subbed out of the match with an eye injury, replaced by Josh Honey.

Best: A. Cerra, S. Walsh, E. Curnow, J. Weitering, C. Curnow.

Blues fall for first time in 2023

Carlton has fallen to Adelaide in the Gather Round opener.

Carlton has suffered its first blemish of the 2023 season, falling to Adelaide by 56 points in the Gather Round opener. Conceding eight of the first nine goals of the game inside the first 25 minutes, the Blues had some moments of promise throughout the night, but ultimately proved no match for the physical heat of the Crows. Sam Walsh had the most disposals of any Blue (25) in his return to go with a second-quarter goal, but there were too few contributors on the night for Carlton.

Quarter one:
The Blues were dealt a blow in the warm-up, with Mitch McGovern experiencing calf tightness and replaced in the selected side by Lachie Plowman. After two opportune goals inside the opening 90 seconds to the home side, it was returning South Australian Corey Durdin who got the Blues on the board via a running goal from just inside 50. However, it was one of few bright spots for Carlton in the opening term, who simply could not get its hands on the football as Adelaide dominated around the contest. Recording 66 fewer disposals for the term, it was left to Harry McKay from 55 metres to break a run of six consecutive Crows goals. It still left the Blues with a 38-point deficit to make up at the opening change.

Quarter two:
The second term has statistically been Carlton’s strongest in 2023, and that trend continued as it looked to force its way back into the contest. In the first half of the quarter, the Blues did exactly that, thanks in no small part to Adam Cerra. Moved into the middle after starting across half-back, Cerra recorded 11 disposals at 91 per cent efficiency along with three clearances to get the Blues rolling. The Blues dialled up their pressure around the ball, with Ed Curnow and George Hewett both recording five tackles for the term. Sam Walsh marked his return with a quick snap and goal, kickstarting a run which saw his team draw within 18 points after key talls Curnow and McKay kicked truly with left-footed snaps. A late flurry from the Crows wasn’t what the Blues were after, however, kicking the final two goals of the term to push their lead back out to 31 points. Josh Honey replaced Marc Pittonet (eye) midway through the second term.

Quarter three:
The Blues needed things to go their way in the third term, but the best they could do was just about break even on the scoreboard. The margin remained between five and six goals as the Blues and Crows went goal for goal throughout the premiership quarter, with Ed Curnow (nine disposals) and Blake Acres (seven disposals) doing their utmost to drive their team forward. Jesse Motlop produced a classy finish which has been a consistent feature of his game throughout season 2023, with shades of his dad Daniel in his celebration. However, it was one of only two goals for the Blues in the third term. Lachie Cowan produced an individual highlight against Taylor Walker, bringing the dangerous Crows veteran down in the dying stages of the quarter to give the Blues some life.

Quarter four:
After another solid night after returning from suspension, Acres had a feel-good moment to kickstart the final term, recording his first Carlton goal. Less than a minute later, Durdin snapped truly to bring the Blues within 24 points: however, in a similar vein to the second term, the Blues held sway in terms of forward territory but couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard when they had the ascendancy. A Darcy Fogarty goal extended the margin back beyond five goals to effectively ice the game as a contest. With four consecutive majors, the Crows kicked out to a 50-point lead come the final siren.

Team

B:	33 Lewis Young	23 Jacob Weitering	42 Adam Saad
HB:	24 Nic Newman	20 Lachie Plowman	26 Lachlan Cowan
C:	5 Adam Cerra	9 Patrick Cripps (c)	14 Oliver Hollands
HF:	25 Zac Fisher	10 Harry McKay	1 Jack Silvagni
F:	35 Ed Curnow	30 Charlie Curnow	3 Jesse Motlop
Ruck:	12 Tom De Koning	29 George Hewett	18 Sam Walsh
Interchange:	13 Blake Acres	19 Corey Durdin	7 Matthew Kennedy
	27 Marc Pittonet
Substitute:	36 Josh Honey
Coach:	Michael Voss
Emergencies:	39 Alex Cincotta	16 Jack Carroll	4 Lochie O'Brien

In; Blake Acres, Matthew Kennedy, Lachie Plowman, Sam Walsh.
Out: Mitch McGovern (calf), Sam Docherty (knee), Lochie O'Brien (omitted), Jack Carroll (omitted).

Late Change: Mitch McGovern (calf) was replaced by Lachie Plowman

Substitute; Josh Honey (replaced Marc Pittonet in the second quarter).

Milestones

100 Games: Zac Fisher
First Goal (Carlton): Blake Acres
Last Game: Lachie Plowman

AFLCA Votes

9 - Rory Laird (ADEL)
9 - Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
6 - Darcy Fogarty (ADEL)
2 - Taylor Walker (ADEL)
2 - Chayce Jones (ADEL)
2 - Tom Doedee (ADEL)

Brownlow Votes

3 - Rory Laird (ADEL)
2 - Darcy Fogarty ADEL)
1 - Reilly O’Brien ADEL)

Best and Fairest Votes

Video

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Round 4 | Round 6