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Darcy Fogarty (five goals) made a triumphant return from a knee injury and was ably supported by Taylor Walker and Ben Keays (three each).

Tom Doedee imposed himself on Carlton in defence and Chayce Jones enjoyed, arguably, his best game in Adelaide colours.

The Blues, unbeaten across the season’s opening month but yet to ever taste victory at Adelaide Oval, were in danger of being absolutely humiliated and needed to mount some sort of response.

Led by Adam Cerra, Sam Walsh and Jack Silvagni, the visitors spun it around at the contest after their opening-quarter shellacking, gained some territorial ascendancy but couldn’t capitalise and went some way towards pruning some of that early damage with four unanswered majors.

Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay always looked a threat in attack, and they combined to trim the deficit to 18 points.

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For large stretches, the middle two stanzas were played on Carlton’s terms, but their inability to lower their eyes by bombing indiscriminately to Curnow and McKay in attack undid their toils.

At the other end, Adelaide’s efficiency in attack was a feature.

Walker started the third period with a bang, converting truly after soaring for a spectacular pack mark against Jacob Weitering and Adam Saad.

Keays twice got under Saad’s guard to further extend the Crows’ third-quarter advantage before Fogarty iced the drubbing by matching his career-best fistful.

WELCOME BACK WALSH

Making his first appearance for 2023 following back surgery, superstar Sam Walsh blew off some early cobwebs to be among Carlton’s best in his comeback.

Walsh, one of three key inclusions along with Matthew Kennedy and Blake Acres, busted open a 13-minute, second-quarter stalemate when he fashioned some space from Jake Soligo during a forward stoppage and bounced through a superb snap.

With Walsh leading the charge, the Blues held a glimmer of hope.

RANKINE’S RESPONSE

Gun recruit Izak Rankine backed up his Showdown heroics with another fine performance in Adelaide’s win against Fremantle last Saturday, but his exciting fortnight finished on a crushing note when he was racially abused on social media following the Dockers match.

The Crows rallied around Rankine during the week and they gathered right around him in the opening minute of the Carlton clash when he kick started Adelaide’s goal avalanche.

With the handball from Chayce Jones, Rankine goaled with a wonderful snap over Saad from the scoreboard pocket, which he is fast making his own.

If the great Eddie Betts is indeed still the landlord of that patch of real estate, then Rankine is surely turning into the perfect, long-term tenant for the next decade.

Best: Adelaide - Dawson, Laird, Fogarty, Jones, Doedee, Walker, Keays, Rachele. Carlton - E. Curnow, Walsh, Newman, Acres, Cerra.