Undefeated Carlton and winless Adelaide do battle in an intriguing fixture between two sides at opposite ends of the AFL spectrum at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues (4-0, 123.2%), in reality, are fortunate to remain without a loss in 2024, but they aren’t complaining about their good fortune and have played terrific football for the most part over their first four games.
The Crows (0-4, 75.2%), while they’re without a single victory and have played poorly to start the year, don’t seem on the same lowly level as fellow 0-4 sides Hawthorn, North Melbourne and West Coast.
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The match gets underway at 4:35pm AEST from Marvel Stadium.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504), streaming on Kayo or using Hubbl from 4:30pm AEST.
ROLLING MATCH UPDATES
“I’m looking forward to seeing what Matthew Nicks does with his midfield that’s lost its damage over the last four to five weeks,” Fox Footy analyst David King told the broadcast pre-game.
“Last year they were unbelievable ball in hand, particularly coming out of centre bounce clearances — but it’s gone, it’s dissipated.
“Now, they’re the least likely team to score winning a clearance, and the least likely team to score post-intercept.
“Matthew Nicks has to pull some levers here, he either has to change the attitude of this group and make them play with more dare, or he has to go to personnel.”
Carlton was dealt a significant pre-game injury blow, with star midfielder Adam Cerra (hamstring) ruled out of the game, replaced by ruckman Marc Pittonet.
Today’s substitutes are Jack Carroll (Carlton) and Sam Berry (Adelaide).
Izak Rankine and Jake Soligo joined skipper Jordan Dawson as Adelaide’s initial midfield mix, adding a needed element of dynamism. Rory Laird started the match at full forward, but later moved back into the middle.
Adelaide’s opening goal by Ben Keays was matched by a Ben McKay mark and goal deep in the Crows’ defence.
McKay snapped his second goal just minutes later after another contested mark. He’s showing ominous signs early in this contest.
However, the Crows are pressing their case early for a potential upset. Their three first-quarter goals thus far have come from Carlton turnovers, as they hold a five-point lead.
After King’s pre-game claim that the Crows had “lost its damage”, Izak Rankine started all of Adelaide’s centre bounces in the first quarter. The livewire has been around the ball early.
The Blues answered Adelaide’s early surge, with goals to Marc Pittonet, Matt Cottrell and Charlie Curnow installing a seven-point quarter-time lead.
“When you’ve got Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow in your forward 50, why wouldn’t you want to go long and deep as quick as possible?” asked King at quarter-time.
“All five goals have come from either repeat opportunities from stoppage, or marks and free kicks close to goals — that’s the gap in the game.”
Goals to Rankine, Rachele and Keays opened the Crows’ second quarter account as they jumped back in front. It was short-lived, though, as another Curnow major levelled the scores at 43 halfway through the stanza.
Star Carlton half-back-flanker Adam Saad went down to the rooms and was assessed for a hamstring injury. He was later subbed out of the contest.
“This is bad news for the Blues, this is Saad, who’s done a hamstring halfway through the second quarter,”
“That’s almost a compulsory month (out) of footy, these days, depending on how bad it is.”
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