Mop-haired Carlton forward Brendan Fevola cleaned up Adelaide with a remarkable seven-goal haul that inspired the Blues to a famous four-point triumph.

Fevola kicked four last term goals as the Blues steamrolled the Crows to win 14.9 (91) to 12.15 (87).

Carlton trailed Adelaide throughout the AAMI Stadium encounter until Fevola kicked his seventh major, a sensational 50-metre bomb from the boundary line with three minutes of the match remaining.

In dramatic scenes, Fevola was almost denied his moment as the boundary umpire ruled he had marked over the line only to be overruled by the field umpire, much to the disgust of the home crowd.

But then, in the frenetic final moments, Crow Graham Johncock was awarded a contentious free kick in the final minute when just 30m from goal.

But the Adelaide goalsneak kicked out of bounds on the full to gift Carlton its fourth victory this season and leave the Crows languishing near the bottom of the ladder.

"It was certainly the best win that I have been involved with since I have been at Carlton," said Blues coach Denis Pagan, in his second season at the club.

Pagan, and the 41,617 people in the crowd, must have thought his Blues unlikely victors when trailing Adelaide by 25-points at three-quarter time.

But Fevola kicked three goals in a devastating three and a half minute burst which spurred a seven-goal final quarter for the visitors.

In stark contrast, Adelaide stumbled and bumbled as the scores closed before finally cracking under the Fevola-charged pressure.

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