1. Gibbs shows no mercy to Blues buddies
Bryce Gibbs made a teary departure from Carlton and he's still held in high regard despite making the move to Adelaide when his experience would have been invaluable in 2018. Gibbs was predictably productive in his first appearance against his old club collecting 21 disposals. He sealed the performance by marking an errant Blues kick out of defence and scoring a fourth-quarter goal from 35 metres. Fellow former Blue Sam Jacobs took on Matthew Kreuzer and Andrew Phillips and matched the opposition ruckmen while Eddie Betts was quiet but still bobbed up with two majors. Former Crows Sam Kerridge and Matt Wright were solid performers for the visitors.
CROWS CRUSH CARLTON: Full match coverage and stats
2. McGovern flies high
There were plenty of Crows highlights after the half-time break but it was Mitch McGovern's aerial work that saw the 47,422 crowd at Adelaide Oval lift as one. As Adelaide sent another ball deep inside 50, McGovern got a ride on Liam Jones' shoulders, taking the ball above his head. He finished with nine marks, including three contested. The Crows forward line stood up strongly without Taylor Walker, with Josh Jenkins, Tom Lynch and Eddie Betts combining for seven goals to go along with McGovern's five.
3. Free-wheeling Laird dominates again
It's unusual for a small defender to be a club's leading possession winner but Rory Laird continues to do as he pleases in Adelaide's backline. After six rounds, he had amassed a staggering 215 possessions and was averaging 36 possessions a game. He was off the leash again on Saturday night and even chipped in with a 50-metre goal. Opposition teams put plenty of work into Adelaide's classy midfield but surprisingly little respect is given to what Laird offers as a linkman and efficient ball user.
4. When will Carlton's drought end?
The Blues need to make the most of their next two matches at the MCG otherwise the losing streak threatens to drag into the second half of the season. They take on a disappointing Essendon in round eight and an inconsistent Melbourne in round nine. After that they are away to the Cats and the Swans before the mid-season break. While they are drawing positives from losing efforts, a 0-11 start could be damaging to this young group.
5. Second quarter gives Blues fans hopes
It wasn't Carlton's night but they gave supporters a glimpse of its best footy in the second quarter. With 18 players around the contest, Paddy Dow found some space and snapped truly for his first goal in the AFL. Harry McKay made the most of two set shots while Levi Casboult put one through from a tight angle. They had 15 inside 50s to four, were plus-10 in contested ball and got on top in the clearances.
