Crows starve off Roos

Adelaide   122 defeated Kangaroos   109

Adelaide has taken a further step toward cementing second spot on the AFL ladder with a 13-point victory over a fast-finishing Kangaroos outfit at the Telstra Dome today.

The Crows led at every change and looked set to be coasting toward an easy victory when they led by 49 points during the third quarter, only to see Dean Laidley’s dogged outfit claw their way back to within seven points.

The whirlwind blast from the Roos happened so quickly that it almost ended too early; the Crows were left more than 20 minutes in the final term to re-group and compose themselves before digging their heels in to record a memorable win.

The catalyst for the victory was again Adelaide superstar Mark Ricciuto, who picked up 26 possessions and kicked three goals in an outstanding performance to guide his side to its fifth straight win. The skipper was nearly matched for effectiveness by the industrious Tyson Edwards, who also kicked three goals and grabbed 24 touches.

Brent Harvey continued his outstanding run of form with another virtuoso effort from the midfield, picking up 26 possessions and flying the Arden Street flag throughout the afternoon. Jess Sinclair and Adam Simpson also pulled their weight in the trenches, while Leigh Colbert was nothing short of outstanding down back.

Crucially for the Adelaide, the temperamental Scott Welsh had a day out in the goal square, booting six goals and giving his old side a torrid time with his strong marking and clinical finishing, while Shannon Grant was left to shoulder the goal-scoring responsibility for the Roos, kicking four majors.

The Crows set the agenda early in the day when they kicked six goals in opening term and looking like a team who had something to prove on the road – and to the opposition coach, who previously made noises that suggested his team was capable of much more than Adelaide after their encounter earlier in the year.

The hosts were working hard and winning the majority of clearances but it would count for little as the rampaging Crows set about enforcing their dominance. By half time, they had opened up a 30 point lead and looked ready to start icing the game as the Roos appeared incapable of putting a winning score on the board.

Adelaide emerged from the long break looking like they wanted to stake a claim for being the premier side in the competition, not just second to the all-conquering West Coast.

They proceeded to pull away from the Roos, registering an eight goal lead before the margin was whittled back slightly to 34 points at the final change. Not even the most optimistic of Roos’ fans could have known their team would show such fight, but that’s exactly that what they did.

The last quarter saw both teams throwing everything into the contest, but the Kangaroos just kept on closing the lead and suddenly, momentum and time were on their side.

Yet no matter what the home side tried, they couldn’t strike the killer blow, and when Ken McGregor goaled late in the last term to secure the points, Adelaide coach Neil Craig could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Next week, the Crows return to the more familiar surroundings of AAMI Stadium for a blockbuster clash with Sydney on Saturday night, while the Kangaroos have a ‘home’ game against Port Adelaide at Manuka Oval on Sunday.

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