Five goals from Josh Jenkins has helped Adelaide to a thrilling nine-point win over a plucky Carlton at the MCG on Saturday.
The Crows foiled a brave Carlton comeback in the second half, but the game looks set to be remembered as the last in the storied career of Chris Judd after the modern great appeared to suffer a serious knee injury.
Adelaide looked to have the game in control when they led by 19 points at half-time but the Blues hit back, kicking five of the first seven goals after the main break to hit the front at the three-minute mark of the final term when Levi Casboult converted from 50m.
In a thrilling final term when no more than nine points separated the two teams, the Crows found something late to kick four of the final six goals – two of them to Josh Jenkins – to win by 14.15 (99) to 14.6 (90).
But as thrilling as the finish was, the result is destined to become a footnote to the game's main storyline – the likely end of Judd's career.
It happened just 21 minutes after the opening bounce when Judd outmarked Patrick Dangerfield on the Southern Stand wing.
The two-time Brownlow medallist landed awkwardly on his left leg and lay on the ground in visible pain.
He got up and tried to walk off with the aid of trainers but when he couldn't put any weight through his leg he was taken off the ground on a motorised cart.
As supporters from both teams in the crowd of 33,035 applauded, Judd gave a wave of acknowledgment, seemingly already re-signed to the fact his career was over after 279 games that netted: five club best and fairest awards, six All Australian selections, two AFLPA MVP awards, the 2006 premiership (with West Coast) and the 2005 Norm Smith Medal.
Blues football manager Andrew McKay told Fox Sports the club believed Judd had suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament but were waiting on the results of scans.
The rest of the game looked set to be a sombre affair for Blues fans when a Taylor Walker goal put the Crows up by 21 points at the three-minute mark of the second term.
At that stage the Crows looked set for a comfortable victory, having kicked seven of the previous eight goals after the Blues had jumped them early with the game's opening three goals.
The Crows still led by 19 points at half-time and could have led by more but for a wasteful 2.6 return in the second term.
But with Blues captain Marc Murphy leading from the front and comeback kid Matthew Kreuzer providing a strong presence in attack, the Blues poured on five goals to two in the third term to go into the final break just three points down.
Adelaide coach Phil Walsh was far from impressed with his team's performance.
"I was really disappointed with our skill level and our goalkicking," Walsh said.
"I thought at times they walked through our tackles as well, so we have a lot of work to do.
"We hope to get a few players back in the second half of the season and we need to work hard and train hard and that's what we'll do."
Carlton interim coach John Barker was pleased with his team's second-half fightback but said its effort during that period had to become the norm.
"We fought it out, gave really strong effort (and) pressured (well)," Barker said.
"What we want is that effort to be standard though. We don't want to be praising that and making a massive deal of it because it hasn't been there.
"That effort needs to be the standard going forward and we shouldn't be applauding it too greatly."
Dangerfield was outstanding for the Crows, finishing the game with an equal team-high 26 possessions, nine clearances and seven tackles.
Forward Tom Lynch worked hard up the ground to rack up 22 possessions and kicked two goals, while Jenkins finished the top goalscorer of the day with five majors.
Rory Laird (26 possessions) and Scott Thompson (22) were also strong contributors for the Crows, along with ruckman Sam Jacobs.
Read the 'Five Talking Points' from Adelaide's clutch win
Murphy was best on ground in the absence of long-time midfield partner Judd and the injured Bryce Gibbs.
Running tirelessly all day, the Blues skipper racked up a match-high 36 possessions and a remarkable 21 handball receives.
Patrick Cripps had a team-high eight clearances before suffering a hamstring injury late in the game, while Zach Tuohy did well to keep former teammate and the competition's in-form small forward Eddie Betts to one goal.
Kreuzer had an impact in his first game since Round One last season, kicking two third-quarter goals as the Blues charged back into the game.
The first of those goals underlined what the Blues have been missing for the past 18 months that Kreuzer has been sidelined with foot problems.
Charging at a long bomb inside Carlton's forward 50 from Andrejs Everitt, Kreuzer brushed Dangerfield inside and marked in front of Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs.
CARLTON 4.1 6.2 11.3 14.6 (90)
ADELAIDE 6.3 8.9 10.13 14.15 (99)
GOALS
Carlton: Casboult 3, Kreuzer 2, Armfield 2, Menzel, Cripps, Everitt, Tuohy, Henderson, Bell, Graham
Adelaide: Jenkins 5, Lynch 2, Betts, Wright, Cameron, Dangerfield, Jacobs, Walker, van Berlo
BEST
Carlton: Murphy, Cripps, Tuohy, Curnow, Rowe, Simpson
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Jenkins, Lynch, Laird, Thompson, Jacobs
INJURIES
Carlton: Judd (knee), Cripps (hamstring)
Adelaide: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: Chris Judd replaced by Jason Tutt in the first quarter
Adelaide: Cam Ellis-Yolmen replaced by Matt Crouch in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Brown, Mitchell
Official crowd: 32,035 at the MCG
