The Wrap Up | Round 15 V Adelaide Crows
Written by Ari Stamatakos
Match Summary
It was a do or die clash for the Blues at Marvel stadium on a cold Sunday night. Not for the season of course, but for the coach. A loss against a gettable Adelaide outfit could quite easily spell doom for David Teague as Carlton coach. The Crows have surprised nearly everyone in season 2021, being competitive in nearly every game and getting some scalps on the way. The graveyard shift could prove to be the final nail in coffin for the Blues season, or the time where Carlton revive their campaign.
As always, the Blues faithful would have a clear indication of how the game would be within the first period of the game. And with no goal for either side until the 21-minute mark of the first quarter where the Crows got there first, this gave a clear indication of a scrappy affair to come. However, when they got their second in a matter of minutes, Blues fans began to worry. The Blues needed a moment of inspiration, and Adam Saad delivered from 50 to get the Blues back on track. After a 50-metre penalty got the Blues another inside 50 moments later, the ball fell to Harry McKay who’s high up and under floated through to give the Blues 2 in a minute.
The second quarter was one of the best quarters Carlton have played this season. 8 goals to 3 put the Blues in the driver's seat heading into half time and the slick ball movement and forward half pressure was on full display as the Blues put their authority on this game. With all of this saying, it didn't start the best as the Crows immediately got the first centre clearance, a long kick from 50 gave them the first of the second term. The Blues then got on a roll, trademark H special to kick his second. Courageous Eddie Betts mark in the goal square got his first. A bit of Eddie magic set up Matt Owies for his first, and Jack Martin got his first not long after with a clever snap from the pocket. The first run of 4 goals for the Blues in the second term was broken with a pure Taylor Walker strike as a steadier for the Crows. But you can't keep a good team down for long, and the next flurry came very soon. Vintage Eddie Betts, drops the shoulder, sells the candy, right foot banana; like shelling peas. Then right out of the centre, Paddy Dow is hit up right on 50, goes back and launches a huge goal to put a cherry on top of a brilliant break out game. Then, Essendon at the MCG revisited as Patrick Cripps took in out of the middle, ran a marathon before launching a massive bomb from 50 and Marvel stadium was rocking. It started rumbling not long after as the ball found Zac Williams just inside 50, and his high snap went through and the place was electric. A Crows goal after the siren but a slight damper on this electrifying 2nd term.
The Blues came out of the half time break with a clear rationale to kill the game and control it. This started well as Eddie Betts got a free in the goals square and kicked his 3rd, which was responded to by the Crows not long after. The Crows then kicked the next 2 to put the Blues on the back foot before a late Jack Martin goal steadied the ship and gave the Blues a 21-point lead at the last change.
The horrible memories came back for the Blues as when Walker marked on a slight angle and slotted a beautiful goal to put the margin back to 15. And they came back even harder when he hit a ball purely as it sailed home from outside 50 to put the margin to 10. However, luck seemed to be on Carlton side tonight as when Lachie Sholl ran into an open goal and missed to the near side, that had the game all but won for the Blues. A late Liam Jones intercept mark gave way to the reliving sound of the siren as the Blues got over the lien by 10 points/
Key Match Insights
Youthful Exuberance
For so long, Carlton fans have been screaming about the development of the youngsters. Being played in the wrong position and not been given a constant senior chance have been the two rhetoric which have been flown around in recent times. However, on Sunday night, two kids who have had the pressure put on them since day one, delivered in spades. Paddy Dow and Sam Petrevski-Seton both had games which made Carlton fans say “Where has that been the last 2 years” Dow had arguably the better game, having a breakout 20 Disposals, 1 Goal, 2 Clearances, 9 score Involvements (1st), 4 Inside 50s, 3 Tackles (2 Inside F50), 21 Pressure Acts (1st). Dow's instinct driven way of playing football has shown its class and effectiveness more and more as the weeks have gone on and he is finally proving to develop into the player we all thought he would be.
“Samo” finally played the position in which all Carlton fans have been dying to see him play. Being deployed off the half-forward line, with burst in the midfield, Samo elite kicking was on show time and time again as he added a different dimension to the Blues attack. His stat line included 14 Disposals, 3 Marks, 3 score Involvements, 5 Tackles (1st), 2 Tackles Inside 50, 18 Pressure Acts (3rd Most). His cleanliness with ball in hand was constantly displayed as his innate ability to find a needle in a haystack is something the Blues need to constantly deploy higher up on the ground.
FINAL SCORES
Carlton: 2.0 (12), 10.4 (64), 12.6 (78), 12.11 (83)
Adelaide: 2.6 (18), 6.5 (36), 8.9 (57), 10.13 (73)
Carlton Goals: Betts (3), McKay (2), Martin (2), Owies, Cripps, Dow, Saad, Williams
Carlton Best: Walsh, Weitering, Newman, Williams, Kennedy, Cripps, Dow, Saad
