Crows Tighten to the Top
Are the Crows the real deal, are they are a premiership threat?
Against a fellow top four contender in the Suns, Adelaide were absolutely dominate on Sunday afternoon. Adelaide won the game by 61 points, and are now just one win off the ladder leading Magpies.
Matt Rowell, Brayden Fiorini, and Noah Anderson all answered the call for the disappointing Suns. Josh Worrell, Alex Neal-Bullen, and James Peatling all played well for the Crows.
The first term was a confusing watch. Despite Adelaide winning the quarter by three goals, it was the Suns who dominated the quarter. Rowell and Anderson worked in tandem in the centre of the ground, and were able to win the ball out and get inside forward 50.
However that was where the positives stopped, the Suns efficiency inside forward 50 was putrid.
They gave the football back to Adelaide’s intercept markers, and they were able to generate from defence. Riley Thilthorpe started the party for the Crows up forward, while Izak Rankine tried to produce magic, and won a free subsequently. However, Taylor Walker did produce a piece of magic, as the talent of the Texan rose on the surface.
The Suns mood didn’t improve to start the second quarter when Daniel Rioli looked to be out for the count with an injury. He would try multiple times to re-enter play, but nothing would last for a more than a few moments.
Alex Neal-Bullen that added another incredible goal, and Taylor Walker then went back and added a set shot goal to his stunner in the first.
Ben Keays found another, while Luke Pedlar got a free kick for the after as there was high contact. He then kicked a goal, as the scraps continued.
It was the man who signed a contract extension in the week until 2029 that saw a long bomb go through from outside 50. Jordan Dawson delivered as the Suns were hold goalless in the first half.
The Suns mini fightback in the third gave the passionate, but relatively small Gold Coast supporter base something to cheer about.
Unlike in the first half, the Suns used the football well. The delivery inside 50 improved, and the reward was a five of the first seven goals of the third quarter.
It was Ethan Read who kicked the first in contentious circumstances. He had taken the mark on the forward 50, and was marched forward 50 metres. The umpire said that he was grabbed after he’d taken the mark, but it appeared that he had played on.
However, Adelaide steadied, and when Daniel Curtin kicked the last goal of the third, the Crows were already looking ahead to next week.
The Crows kicked three goals to one as the final quarter brought the game to a close.
Adelaide Crows: 3.2 9.5 13.9 16.11.107
Gold Coast Suns: 0.2 0.4 5.9 6.10.46
Goalkickers:
Adelaide Crows:
Neal-Bullen, (3), Walker, (2), Thilthorpe, (2), Rankine, (2), Soligo, Pedlar, Peatling, Keays, Dawson, Curtin, Berry
Gold Coast Suns:
Walter, Read, King, Jeffrey, Flanders, Ainsworth
Best, (alphabetical order):
Adelaide Crows:
Neal-Bullen, Peatling, O’Brien, Rankine, Worrell
Gold Coast Suns:
Anderson, Jeffrey, Fiorini, Flanders, Rowell