Brownlow Medal favourite Patrick Cripps has produced another dominant AFL performance to lead Carlton to a 48-point thumping of Adelaide.
Cripps starred with 35 disposals, nine clearances and two goals in the 17.14 (116) to 10.8 (68) win at Docklands Stadium on Sunday.
The Blues lost livewire forward Jack Martin to a calf injury but it was one of few negatives for coach Michael Voss as his side surged into the top four with a 6-2 record.
Cripps set the tone early with his work in heavy traffic and won 19 contested possessions despite close attention from Jackson Hately.
Carlton's skipper also had three score assists, including one powerful play when he snared a loose ball and burst through two tackles to set up a goal for Jack Silvagni.
Fellow midfielders Adam Cerra (27 disposals), Sam Walsh (26) and Matthew Kennedy (23) followed Cripps' lead as twin towers Charlie Curnow (six goals) and Harry McKay (three) feasted on the supply in attack.
Full-back Jacob Weitering was involved in an absorbing duel with Adelaide spearhead Taylor Walker, who kicked two goals from 16 disposals.
Jordan Dawson (30 disposals), Rory Laird (33) and stand-in captain Ben Keays (29) also fought hard for the Crows against the tide.
Walker kicked the opening goal in a fiery start, continuing his strong form on return from his ban for a racist comment, and was jeered by Blues fans throughout the contest.
Tempers flared when Cripps snared his first goal and remonstrated with Hately, and again when Shane McAdam caught Jordan Boyd high.
Cripps had five contested possessions, seven disposals and four clearances by quarter-time and was instrumental in the lead twice blowing out beyond four goals before the main break.
Matters grew uglier still for Adelaide in the third term as they lost Lachlan Murphy to a neck injury and the Blues piled on six unanswered goals to take complete control.
McAdam (two goals) gave Crows fans something to cheer about with a big grab on Lewis Young's back as the visitors kicked five of the last seven goals of the match.
Demons remain undefeated as they see off Saints challenge
Red-hot reigning premiers Melbourne have made another emphatic statement by crushing finals contenders St Kilda en route to their 15th straight AFL win.
A defensive masterclass set up Sunday's 38-point victory at the MCG to give the Saints a giant reality check as they slumped to back-to-back defeats.
Melbourne kicked the first five goals of the match and led by as much as 47 points late in the second quarter before running out winners 14.9 (93) to 8.7 (55).
The Demons coasted to victories in the first seven rounds mostly against teams not expected to finish inside the top eight but came out firing with their premiership-best against the Saints, who started the round in fourth place with a 5-2 record.
Melbourne stamped their authority early by strangling the Saints' ball movement and capitalising on each of their own forward forays.
Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw were in typically prolific moods in the midfield, while Steven May, Jake Lever and Harrison Petty completely controlled the air down back.
Kysaiah Pickett lit up the MCG with two electric first-term goals, while St Kilda's nightmare start was topped off when Tim Membrey's regulation set-shot after the quarter-time siren was touched by Petty.
The Saints saved themselves from embarrassment by performing better in the second-half as Melbourne lost a third-quarter for the first time this season.
In further concern for St Kilda, small forward Dan Butler was subbed out with a lower leg injury ahead of the last quarter and replaced by Marcus Windhager.
Saints midfielder Zak Jones made an encouraging first appearance for the season after returning from personal leave but could find himself in trouble with the match review officer for a hit on Demons flyer Ed Langdon in the last quarter.
Things could get seriously ugly next Sunday as Melbourne face hapless West Coast, who have lost their last four games by an average of 83 points, at Perth Stadium.
St Kilda will be hoping to get back on the winners list when they host Geelong at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
