ADELAIDE has been rocked by injury, with four players knocked out of Friday's NAB Challenge match against Carlton at Visy Park.

Kurt Tippett (ankle), Ricky Henderson (concussion), Brodie Martin (knee) and Ian Callinan (biceps) were all felled during a horror day for the Crows.

Adding insult to injury, Adelaide was handed a 24-point defeat by the Blues who overcame a sluggish start to record a 15.10 (100) to 11.10 (76) win.

Martin's is potentially the most serious injury with the speedy winger leaving the game in the third quarter after hurting the same knee he had reconstructed in 2009.

The club confirmed that Martin would have scans on the knee with a spokesman noting that the injury "doesn't look promising".

Callinan has suffered a detached right bicep muscle and will miss 10 to 12 weeks.

The news is better for Tippett, who will miss two weeks after hobbling off with an ankle injury sustained in a marking contest in the goal square in the first quarter.

Henderson's injury appeared more serious after a collision with Carlton defender Michael Jamison who was reported over the incident.

He was stretchered from the field in a neck brace and play was held up for around five minutes, but later returned to the bench and is set to miss one week according to a club spokesman.

Despite the high injury toll, Adelaide coach Neil Craig remained upbeat after the match he described as "worthwhile" and "a reality check".

The coach sympathised with both Martin and Callinan who were hurt in instances he put down to pure bad luck.
 
"No matter what game you're playing you can't put people in cotton wool because we've got to get out and practise the things we need to," Craig said.

"It's an unusual day. You've got to be really careful you don't spend too much time [talking about injuries]. If it was a regular occurrence it would be really worth talking about.

"I'm not being dismissive of it [though]."

Onballer Scott Thompson was influential for Craig's team while Taylor Walker booted four goals in the absence of Tippett.

The Blues were outplayed in an intense first quarter, but looked the better side for large periods of the remaining three terms.

"When our intensity went up I thought the game really changed and our physicality went up as well," Carlton coach Brett Ratten said.

"I think when you play the Adelaide Football Club any time you've got to roll your sleeves up and get really busy."

Carlton       3.2   8.4   11.6   15.10 (100)
Adelaide     5.3   6.5   9.8   11.10 (76)

GOALS
Carlton: Garlett 4, Waite 2, Simpson 2, Gibbs, Robinson, Betts, Collins, Hampson, Thorton, Ellard
Adelaide: Walker 4, McKernan 3, Knights 2, Dangerfield, Jaensch

BEST
Carlton: Yarran, Judd, Garlett, Waite, Betts, Duigan
Adelaide: S Thompson, Walker, Johncock, Doughty, McKernan, Knights

INJURIES
Carlton: Nil
Adelaide: Tippett (ankle), Henderson (concussion), Callinan (bicep), Martin (knee)

REPORTS
Carlton: Jamison for rough conduct on Henderson in the first quarter
Adelaide: Nil

CROWD
3000 (est.) at Visy Park

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the club