Adelaide hit form at just right time



How about this result for your forward line? Jason Porplyzia: four goals. Chris Knights: four goals. Kurt Tippett: four goals. Then throw in Brett "Birdman" Burton, the man who took the mark of the year in the same match and booted two, and midfielder Bernie Vince who kicked three. That is what Carlton had to put up with last Saturday, when Adelaide gave their fellow finalist a 12-goal bashing in the last round of the year, leading to the two swapping fifth and sixth spots on the ladder.

All told, 13 players kicked goals for the Crows, seven of them two or more. It meant Adelaide won the right to host a home elimination final against Essendon today, while the Blues have to travel to Brisbane tomorrow for the second elimination. The Bombers will be without star forward Matty Lloyd, ruckman Paddy Ryder and Sam Lonergan, all of whom were suspended after last weekend's do-or-die win against Hawthorn. It is hard to see them advancing to the next weekend. Adelaide, on the other hand, are hitting form at the right time.

Saturday's trouncing followed a similar performance against West Coast with the Crows victorious by 74 points. Although it is a pretty hard ask to win the grand final from fifth, there is a lot of expectation of the Crows taking their third flag this year. In the other knock-out match, Carlton have brought their three wayward sons, omitted for arriving late to a recovery session, back into the fold.

Brisbane have a sorrier tale, having lost the second of their twin towering forwards in Daniel Bradshaw, and sturdy defender Daniel Merrett. Throw in what promises to be a cracker when the Western Bulldogs and Geelong meet in the second qualifying final tomorrow, and Sunday's meeting between St Kilda and Collingwood, and that should keep you busy for the weekend. pstafford@thenational.ae

Checks continue

A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.

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Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.