Blues crew on the rise
Cripps makes Brownlow surge
CARLTON has stormed into the top four and Patrick Cripps continued his Brownlow Medal charge with authority after a crushing win over Adelaide edged the dormant Blues beast closer to eruption.
Rejuvenated Charlie Curnow also put on a clinic, booting six goals, taking 10 marks and had 21 disposals in a dominant display.
Cripps – leading the muchhyped ‘Carlton crew’ midfield – shook off early attention from young Adelaide midfielder Jackson Hately, producing another explosive performance that would likely leave him among the top votegetters in the Brownlow count at this stage of the season.
The Crows were looking to bounce back from a lacklustre loss at the hands of Greater Western Sydney last week.
But they were sluggish again on Sunday, looking lifeless in the third term in particular when they conceded six goals and managed only two behinds.
Adelaide’s season start had been encouraging with surprise wins over Port Adelaide, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs but the past fortnight comes as a rude reminder rebuilds rarely progress linearly.
The Crows were belted around the ball when the game was up for grabs, calling into question the decision to drop experienced midfielder Matt Crouch against a powerful Blues engine room, with Cripps finding ample support from Adam Cerra, Sam Walsh and Matthew Kennedy.
Carlton’s march up the ladder will again pump up demand for tickets on the Blues’ bandwagon, with the club’s massive supporter base finding voice after spending much of the past eight years at the opposite end of the table.
The club comes up against GWS, Sydney at home and Collingwood in three winnable matches before its round 12 bye.
CROW’S CRUDE HIT
ADELAIDE small forward Shane McAdam infuriated Carlton players and fans early in the first term with a late hit on Jordan Boyd, when the fourth-game Blue swept across defensive 50 to take a brave intercept mark.
McAdam, leading with his forearm and without eyes on the ball, struck Boyd from behind after making the contest late.
Boyd, 23, bounced back up to his feet while teammates remonstrated and the incident is likely to come under match review scrutiny.
The crude act wasn’t dissimilar to Darcy Gardiner’s late hit on Josh Daicos in round 5.
However, when the Brisbane defender avoided suspension and instead copped a $2000 fine.
JACK-ATTACK ON HOLD
TALENTED Jack Martin had been winning the praise of coach Michael Voss in recent weeks.
But the crafty forward’s rollercoaster career could face another setback after he was subbed out of the game with a calf complaint.
The former Gold Coast prodigy has been struck down by other calf injuries in recent seasons.
And he likely faces a nervous wait for scans in the latest twist to a sporadic nine-year career.