Adelaide spearhead Taylor Walker is expected to miss 6-10 weeks after straining the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first quarter against Carlton.
Adelaide Crows forward Taylor Walker being helped off the MCG by trainers. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun
ADELAIDE'S tilt at a premiership has been dealt a grievous blow after Tex Walker left the MCG with a blown knee first quarter of the Crows' 32-point loss against Carlton.
Of the players the club could least afford to lose to long-term injury, Walker would be near the top of the list and you could see the hearts of the players and coaching staff sink as he hyperextended his right knee on the half forward flank in the 17th minute of the first quarter.
It took more than a minute for Walker to shuffle off the ground with the help of two officials. Play continued; rarely anybody at the ground was watching the ball.
The worst was feared: an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture that would end his season.
Club doctor Andrew Potter had a forlorn look about him as he came back to the bench after having spent time checking Walker's knee, shaking his head, but club officials later said the best prediction was that he had injured a posterior cruciate ligament, which means he could miss anywhere from six to 12 weeks.
The early prediction is that he has sustained a posterior cruciate ligament rupture, which would keep him out for as long as 10 to 12 weeks, but club doctor Andrew Potter will not know with any certainty until the swelling has subsided and Walker has had scans to confirm the damage.
It collapsed from there: at least for long enough for the match to be lost. Carlton ran circles around them, having uncontested possessions outside of the packs and cashing in from their rich list of midfielders and small forwards.
They moved better, spread from contests better and it was not just about talent. Players such as Carlton's Brock McLean, who is not blessed with lightning speed, was effective because he reacted quickly and read the play.
Other Blues were added value to the admission price: Heath Scotland played with composure, Mitch Robinson was busy as always and Andrew Carrazzo was as effective minding types like Scott Thompson as he was finding his own ball.
The Crows improved, much through the trademark efforts of Patrick Dangerfield, some grit from Rory Sloane and a bit of dash and imagination from Bernie Vince.
This much they will take away: the last quarter challenge proved Adelaide will not roll over even when everything is stacked against them, including having lost its key forward and having a reduced bench on a warm night.
But Walker's coming off changed both the mood and the melody of the match, and themes formed that could never quite be reversed.
Carlton had speed in Jeff Garlett and Chris Yarran, who added some moments for the scrap book, momentum from the early lead, Adelaide had too many moments when there wasn't anybody protecting the goals by being goal side and they were running out of steam.
Then there was the forward line, which now is in crisis mode after losing Kurt Tippett last season and now facing a lengthy period without Walker.
Andy Otten spent time in attack and handled himself well, but there was still the sense that the odds were with Carlton in the one-one-one contests.
Josh Jenkins, who first carried the expectation of being a Tippett replacement and now had to fill in for Walker, still has his best football ahead of him.
The worst part for Adelaide was the Walker had looked menacing, providing multiple leads and appearing to have the better of Michael Jamison.
It looked like he was about to have a day out, feathers out and a swagger in his walk.
There had been some concerning trends for the coaching panel before Walker came off, and the first-half deficit of 35 points will be scrutinised closely by the coaching panel as it prepares for a stint without Walker.
Carlton is awkward to match up on, because they have a fleet of small players oozing of class both in the midfield and the forward line.
Chris Judd had moments when he looked as lively as he did during his days with West Coast, even though Sam Kerridge minded him closely, but the attention on him and Marc Murphy left Andrew Walker to chalk up a match-high 16 uncontested possessions at half-time.
In the forward line, Adelaide allowed Carlton to turn it into a footrace, which is deadly when they have players with the turn of foot of Yarran and Garlett.
It didn't look better in the midfield. Early on, the Crows had one tackle to the Blues' eight - and they were behind on the scoreboard.
But give them this: they kept coming and just when everybody at the 'G thought it was game over Adelaide looked fit and angry again. But the match had been lost long before that.
CARLTON 6.3 9.5 13.8 17.13 (115)
ADELAIDE 1.5 3.6 6.9 12.11 (83)
Best: Carlton: Simpson, Scotland, McLean, Garlett, Walker, Henderson, Judd, Murphy. Adelaide: Douglas, Thompson, Dangerfield, Rutten, Sloane.
Goals: Carlton: Garlett 4, Yarran 3, McLean 2, Carrazzo, Gibbs, Judd, Armfield, Betts, Scotland, Simpson, Murphy. Adelaide: Otten, Jaensch 3, Vince, Petrenko, Douglas, Jacobs, Lynch, Walker.
Injuries: Carlton: Gibbs (hamstring tightness). Adelaide: Brown (concussion), Walker (knee).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Ben Ryan, Shane Stewart, Dean Margetts.
Official crowd: 44,711 at MCG.
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