Crows Beat Carlton to Head into Season 2024 on a High
It was a tale of two halves for the Crows against Carlton in Unley on Sunday.
After a great first half for Adelaide which saw a 27-point lead at the main break, the Blues fought back in the third, scoring three goals to one. After an arm-wrestle in the last, the Crows ran out winners by three goals, 7.8.50 to 5.2.32.
The Crows were led by the experience of Ebony Marinoff and Danielle Ponter, while Carlton’s emerging midfielder Abbie McKay was able to turn the game in the Blues’ favour in the second half.
Adelaide jumped out off the blocks early as Chelsea Biddell was able to put two goals on the board inside the first three minutes.
Leaders Ebony Marinoff and Anne Hatchard were busy out of the middle. Meanwhile, the Crows’ delivery inside forward 50 was scintillating, often hitting leading forwards lace out.
Ponter snapped the Crows’ third five minutes into the contest and looked like it was the home team by how much.
However, Carlton fought back for the rest of the quarter. Its midfielders began to win the footy, with Lily Goss getting busy in the clearance column.
The Blues eventually got reward for effort, and goaled through Keeley Sherar with the last kick of the quarter.
Danielle Ponter’s second started the second term in fine style, as Adelaide’s class started to separate the teams. Adelaide were able to transition from their defensive 50 to create multiple scoring shots, as they gave Carlton the second quarter blues.
Unlike the first quarter, it wasn’t just the Crows leaders who stood up. New draftee Brooke Boileau got busy throughout the second. Playing inside forward 50, Bolieau was able to apply plenty of pressure to the Carlton defence and was even able to get on the end of a couple of scoring chances.
Elsewhere, Eloise Jones added some excitement to the Crows’ forward unit, and Hannah Maynard was able to break lines with her pace, while Maddy Newman added her name to the score sheet for the Blues.
Adelaide controlled the footy and left Carlton under siege for the entire quarter. In a positive for the Blues, Carlton’s back six held up well, conceding only two goals. Adelaide extended a 13-point quarter-time lead to 27 points at half-time.
It was different game in the third quarter. Carlton kicked three goals to Adelaide’s one to cut the margin to just 14 points when the teams turned for home.
Keeley Skepper was able to get Carlton’s first after some quick thinking from Vescio. Skepper recieved the footy at the top of the goalsquare from the Carlton legend and snapped over her shoulder to score quickly.
Carlton’s transition play set up two of their goals, when Breean Moody was able to get out the back and run into an open goal. Six minutes later, Mia Austin was able to soccer through a goal after a chaos ball inside 50. Both of those attacking movements started in the defensive 50.
Around the ground, Abbie McKay was able to grab a lot of the footy to get it moving forward for Carlton.
Adelaide’s only goal for the quarter came from Jess Waterhouse, who received a free kick on the siren and converted to give Adelaide its breathing room back.
Adelaide’s start to the fourth quarter was much the same as its start to the first and second quarter. Again, the Carlton defence found itself dealing with repeat forward entries.
It was McKay’s ball inside forward 50 that saw Carlton score against the run of play. Dayna Finn was waiting as the ball feel off hands and burst through the stoppage to convert for the Blues.
The Crows were able to rally in the 13th minute, and after Waterhouse put the footy to the goal square, it was Brooke Tonin’s toe poke that would see Adelaide head into season 2024 with an undefeated pre-season.
Adelaide Crows: 3.2 5.4 6.4 7.8.50
Carlton Blues: 1.1 1.1 4.2 5.2.32
Goalkickers:
Adelaide:
D. Ponter (2), C. Biddell (2), M. Newman, B. Tonin, J. Waterhouse
Carlton:
M. Austin, D. Finn, B. Moody, K. Sherar, K. Skepper
Best:
Adelaide:
C. Biddell, E. Marinoff, D. Ponter
Carlton:
D. Finn, A. McKay, D. Vescio