CARLTON fans know that with a young, developing side, they're going to have to be patient and prepared to tolerate the odd mistake in the name of progress. But yesterday would have tested that resolve. And the first six minutes of the second half against Adelaide at the MCG demonstrated just why.

Carlton had gone into half-time not necessarily flying, but at least with tails up, 10 points to the good after two late goals — to first-gamer Steven Browne and Cameron Cloke.

The Blues looked in enough control despite Chris Judd and Brendan Fevola having been relatively quiet, were switching the play well, and holding their nerve when on the attack, confronted by a wall of Adelaide defenders. But confidence in the young can be a fragile thing, and when two of Carlton's brightest young stars, both No. 1 draft picks no less, made a couple of costly errors at the start of the third term, a whole team seemed to lose its way.

The first came from Bryce Gibbs, whose little chip kick to Michael Jamison fell short. When Gibbs desperately tried to make amends with a follow-up handball, he blundered a second time, Simon Goodwin intercepting and kicking a goal.

About three minutes later, it was Matthew Kreuzer's turn. The athletic ruckman ran across his defensive goal face, took two bounces, then shot a pass to Paul Bower, only to see Jason Porplyzia intercept it and put the Crows in front for only the second time in the match.

And there they would stay, booting eight of the next 11 goals for good measure, eight out of 10 after another critical Carlton clanger, when Jordan Russell wrapped up Michael Doughty in a beautiful tackle, winning a free kick for holding the ball then making a complete mess of the easy shot at goal. You could almost see the Carlton heads drop after that.

Gibbs and Kreuzer were far, far from Carlton's worst yesterday, but even they couldn't exercise the same sort of control and poise that enabled the more experienced Adelaide to make fewer mistakes in a generally dour contest, and emerge with the points.

That didn't appear how this game would pan out early on, when Carlton kicked the first two goals of the game in under four minutes.

The first was a passage to make Blues' fans salivate, skipper Judd bursting out of the square to hit Fevola on the lead. Fevola dropped the mark, but Eddie Betts was on hand to soccer the ball through.

The second was the sort of defensive effort that makes coaching panels salivate, too. Judd's minder Robert Shirley lingered just a little too long with the ball in Carlton's forward 50 and paid the penalty, Russell's tackle causing a spill, Marc Murphy the grateful recipient.

But it didn't take Adelaide too long to get into stride, and it was the ageless Brett Burton, who set the tone for the Crows, slipping behind Jamison and dobbing one on the run from 40 metres, followed by a beauty on the run from key defender Nathan Bock.

The Crows just had the capacity to do something a bit more special, with more precision, and with less fruitless effort than their younger opponent.

"Birdman" Burton was sensational, flying, dodging, weaving, and booting 4.3 as well as setting up a multitude of chances for his teammates. Andrew McLeod was all class as usual, his left-foot snap for a goal in the third term after having brought a difficult ball under control a gem. Adelaide had effective and efficient midfield "beavers" in Scott Thompson and Tyson Edwards.

And critically, the Crows were able to close down Carlton prime-movers Judd and Fevola.

Judd battled on honourably for the Blues, even managing a couple of late goals with the result all but locked away. But he looked a tired and sore champion by game's end, a double-team tackle by Adelaide pair Brad Symes and Nathan van Berlo early in the final term that led to a Crow free kick the final symbolic dagger through the Carlton heart.

Betts was good for the Blues early, and Judd and Fevola at least threatening when they were able to get their hands on the ball, which for Judd was a relatively modest 15 times, not enough for him to be able to turn this particular game around. Seven Blues had 20 or more disposals yesterday, but of them, it was really only Nick Stevens who was able to marry quality often enough with quantity.

The likes of Gibbs and Kreuzer will get that balance right sooner or later. So, hopefully, will a few of their less able young teammates. But, like yesterday, the education process won't always be smooth. And for Carlton fans, so will watching their team be an at-times bumpy ride.

ADELAIDE 3.3 6.7 12.11 16.15 (111) 
CARLTON 5.7 7.11 9.13 11.15 (81)

GOALS Adelaide: Burton 4, Douglas 3, Porplyzia 2, Tippett 2, Doughty, Vince, McLeod, Goodwin, Bock. Carlton: Betts 2, Judd 2, Murphy, Simpson, Fisher, Browne, Stevens, Fevola, Cloke.

BEST Adelaide: Edwards, McLeod, Burton, Goodwin, Bock, Shirley. Carlton: Stevens, Carrazzo, Cloke, Murphy, Scotland, Bower.

INJURIES Carlton: Hadley (groin) replaced in selected side by Grigg. Thornton (knee - grade one medial ligament strain), Hartlett (hamstring).

Adelaide: Rutten (corked buttock).

REPORT Carlton: Pfeiffer by umpire Kamolins for alleged forceful front-on contact on Johncock (Adelaide) while Johncock's head was over the ball.

UMPIRES Chamberlain, Kamolins, Wenn.

CROWD 41,033 at MCG.

THE UPSHOT While they may have got a taste of what it is like to win over the past two weeks, the young Blues showed they still have a way to go, virtually surrendering the game when the Crows asserted themselves in the third quarter.

HOT AND COLD Tyson Edwards was in Rolls-Royce form for the Crows, working hard through the midfield all day and finishing the game with 29 disposals and nine clearances. After kicking 22 goals in the past three weeks, Brendan Fevola was due to have a stinker, and he had one yesterday, getting six touches, kicking 1.3 and looking listless for most of the day.

TALKING POINT Jarrad Waite and the double-goal play. Frustrated by a goal from a free kick to Bernie Vince that put the Crows 25 points ahead late in the fourth quarter, Waite punched the ball into the crowd after it had crossed the goal line. Umpire Ray Chamberlain took exception to the act and gave the ball to Richard Douglas to kick from the top of the goal square, giving the Crows two goals in 30 seconds without even having to go via the centre square.