After Sunday afternoon's showing at Marvel Stadium, one of the most hotly-disputed player comparisons of the modern era is definitively over, according to Kane Cornes.
Whilst the debate between which top-five player was best has been heavily discussed over the last number of seasons, the Port Adelaide great believes the difference is now stark.
There are a number of similarities between Marcus Bontempelli and Patrick Cripps, with both stamping themselves as generational talents in the league, as well as accepting their respective sides captaincy early into their young careers.
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Sunday afternoon's clash between the Dogs and Blues saw one captain flourish, and one fall well short of expectations. Kicking eight of the last nine goals of the game, the Bulldogs and 'The Bont' blew away an answerless Blues out of the water.
"I look at Cripps and Bontempelli, prior to the start of the season we would have had them around the same mark,” Cornes stated on SEN Breakfast.
“The impact that both skippers had, it was chalk and cheese yesterday. He’s (Cripps) just not influencing games and we saw what great captains do and that was Bontempelli yesterday.”
Cripps went missing on the weekend along with a number of other big names, only registering the five touches in the second half when the Blues desperately needed leaders to stand up and stop the Dogs' onslaught.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Question marks have also risen after the Blues captain started the second half on the timber. It was a disappointing sight to see for fans, with Kangaroos champion David King worried by the message it sent.
"I think it’s really disappointing the use of Patrick Cripps today, particularly after halftime." King said on First Crack on Sunday night.
"Put your captain out there, let him be the man. He gave a speech to the boys and then jogged to the bench. That’s just ridiculous.”
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Statements haven't been made of captains so brutally other than the dropping of Stephen Coniglio late in the 2020 season. It's a sight that wouldn't be seen on the other side of the fence, with the Bont being a huge part of the Dogs' late surge, with the captain finishing with 32 touches that included 10 clearances and an important goal.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
When the opportunity arose for Carlton to take a big scalp, the Blues were left abandoned by their leaders, with the spotlight also firmly on big-name recruits Zac Williams and Adam Saad after an underwhelming game.
The Blues have another opportunity to take their first big scalp of the season, with a Sunday afternoon blockbuster against the Demons at the MCG.
