AFL Round 1 Adelaide v St Kilda: All the news and reaction to Crows’ huge victory
Adelaide’s 2025 campaign is off to a fantastic start after a demolition job of St Kilda, with Matthew Nicks’ men reaping the rewards of their pre-season work early.
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Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks was thrilled with the high-powered Crows’ slick ball movement and energy inside attacking 50 after his side got off to a winning start for just the second time in his six seasons in charge.
Darcy Fogarty led the way with four goals in a potent forward line that had 12 goalkickers in the 63-point belting of St Kilda on Sunday, while Jordan Dawson, Jake Soligo and Izak Rankine impressed in a midfield that moved the ball with breathtaking pace at times.
“It’s a great spot to start, we’re 1-0 and we’ve got plenty of games to come where we want to have the same performance,” Nicks said.
“It’s not easy to do, but that’s our goal.
“We had a little run there for a period … we had some real momentum and that’s something that we do value – making the most of your opportunities when the run is on.
“That seems to be where the game is at at the moment, and we made the most of that.
“There were periods in the game when it was a reasonably vanilla battle, but we took our chances when we had them.”
And when the Crows weren’t scoring quickly from their attacking forays, their forwards were able to exert greater pressure on opposition defenders to lock the ball inside 50 and generate repeated scoring opportunities.
“It was what we had worked on right throughout pre-season,” Nicks said.
“To our players’ credit they brought what it was that we had worked on.
“It’s an area last year where, for different reasons, we didn’t have it to the level that we needed.
“The challenge now is for us to do that week after week, but it’s a great start.”
Josh Rachele, controversially dropped for the final game of last season, kicked two goals and had 12 score involvements in an eye-catching display.
“I’m really pleased for Josh,” the coach said.
“He’s a beneficiary of what others are doing when we’re competing and bringing the ball to ground to give Josh a chance to do what he does best.
‘It wasn’t about his goals, it was about his assists, being in the right spot at the right time and sharing the ball.
“Alex Neal-Bullen and Ben Keays were doing exactly the same thing, those guys are working so well together, but for Josh stood out, especially in the first half.”
The only slight disappointment for jubilant Crows fans in the impressive display was that they didn’t get to see prized No.4 draft pick Sid Draper in action until late in the third quarter after he was the sub in his AFL debut.
“Ultimately, we’re here to win as a team, we’re not here for individuals, we’re here to do it as a team,” Nicks explained.
“I don’t think it’s something to worry about.
“I think Sid had a fantastic impact on the game in the role that he was playing.
“We were really keen to get him on the ball, I think that’s where you’re going to see some of his best footy over time.
“Who knows where he develops and what player he becomes, but I think it was a really positive step for him and our footy club.”
CROWS MAKE STATEMENT IN ROMP OF SAINTS
Adelaide’s AFL season roared to life in emphatic fashion on Sunday with Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine and Jake Soligo starring as the commanding Crows feasted on undermanned St Kilda in a 63-point mauling at Adelaide Oval.
Matthew Nicks’ men shrugged off the disappointment of last season with winners across every line in an impressive display.
The home side led by 37 points at the main break and set up a season-opening win with a stunning burst of seven unanswered goals in the third quarter.
Adelaide had 12 goalkickers in the high-powered exhibition, Darcy Fogarty leading the charge with four majors.
Rankine and Soligo lit up Adelaide Oval with some electrifying ball movement, along with skipper Dawson, who was also a damaging presence in attack.
NEW BOYS
The imposing three-headed monster that is Taylor Walker, Riley Thilthorpe and Fogarty caught the eye in the first half with six goals between them, but off-season recruits Alex Neal-Bullen, Isaac Cumming and James Peatling also made their presence felt.
Cumming goaled from close range as the home side bounced out of the blocks with the first five goals of the game and added another soon after halftime.
Peatling then Neal-Bullen were mobbed by jubilant teammates as the Crows blew the game apart with a withering seven-goal burst.
WHERE’S SID?
Adelaide fans had to wait a little longer to see highly touted draftee Sid Draper, with the No.4 pick named as the sub.
A buzz of excitement went around the ground when Draper warmed up late in the third term and fans erupted into wild applause when he entered the game in the 21st minute to replace Walker, who was rested.
His first touch, a mark, was greeted like it was a goal, Draper with two kicks and handball at three-quarter time.
The teen star showed promising signs, starting at a few centre bounces, finishing his AFL debut with eight possessions.
MIGHTY MACRAE
Premiership Bulldog Jack Macrae made an early splash in his first game for the Saints, racking up a game-high 20 touches in the first half, including nine clearances with that figure six more than the best Crow.
With the use of a stiffening breeze, Macrae’s play in his 250th AFL game was a key factor in an improved showing in the second quarter.
In a forward line missing Max King, Dan Butler and Mitch Owens, 22-year-old rookie Max Hall found himself playing a more prominent role than he might have expected in his AFL debut, but he rose to the challenge admirably.
His first AFL goal was his side’s first of the day and stopped a run of five Adelaide majors.
Hall stopped a three-goal run in the second quarter to give the Saints some hope, his second goal pulling the margin back to 37 points at the main break.
At the other end of the scale, Brad Hill managed just one handball to halftime, with several established teammates also failing to have much of an impact in a disappointing open to the season.
SCOREBOARD
CROWS 7.2 10.4 17.7 21.9 (135)
SAINTS 2.2 4.3 7.7 10.12 (72)
PHELAN’S BEST
CROWS: Rankine, Soligo, Dawson, Laird, Crouch, Thilthorpe, Fogarty, Rachele.
SAINTS: Macrae, Wanganeen-Milera, Wilson, Sinclair, Wood, Hall.
GOALS
CROWS: Fogarty 4, Thilthorpe 3, Rankine 2, Rachele 2, Dawson 2, Cumming 2, Walker, Soligo, Peatling, Neal-Bullen, Keays, Crouch.
SAINTS: Wood 2, Higgins 2, Hall 2, Wanganeen-Milera, Cordy, Garcia, Hill.
INJURIES
CROWS: Nil.
SAINTS: Nil.
UMPIRES: Nicholls, Tee, Bailes, Bryce
CROWD: 42,985 at ADELAIDE OVAL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Rankine (Adel)
2 Soligo (Adel)
1 Dawson (Adel)
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