The Moment on Monday: How Jake Kelly’s crucial spoil on Jayden Hunt with one minute to go helped seal Adelaide’s stunning win over Melbourne in Darwin
Jake Kelly’s spoil in the final minute of the win against Melbourne counted for just as much as Adelaide’s five last-term goals. Read why and more in this week’s Moment on Monday column.
Reece Homfray
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- Power smashes sorry Saints in Chinese burn
- Pyke praises exiled pair but concerns for skipper
- Crows hit back in style in Top End
- Jacobs reveals mystery illness halted comeback
- Sharp-shooting Power gorges on goals
Five Crows kicked final quarter goals to stun the Dees in Darwin on Saturday night but Jake Kelly’s spoil in the final minute of the game counted for just as much.
Adelaide was clinging to a three-point lead, 90-87, with 1min 9secs remaining at TIO Stadium when Tom McDonald delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Jayden Hunt on the lead.
Hunt had looked dangerous every time he had been near the ball, and this time all he had to do was decide whether to mark it in his hands out front or take it on his chest 20m from goal straight in front.
Sam Weideman and Max Gawn might have missed their shots from 40-50m to win the game but there’s no way Hunt was missing from that spot.
As the ball speared in low and direct, Hunt chose the chest mark but he didn’t count on Kelly.
In a final quarter act of desperation that typified Adelaide’s contrasting mindset from the first half, Kelly lunged at him from behind, reached around his body without giving away a free kick for in the back and punched the ball away. Brodie Smith won possession and cleared it to the boundary to buy valuable seconds.
“It was a huge contest, and they’re the little things that you probably don’t see on the TV, but they mean a lot in those parts of the game,” Adelaide defender Daniel Talia said of the Kelly spoil.
“I thought that contest was really crucial and there were a couple of other ones late where they could have probably iced the game (but didn’t).”
It was a frantic finish to #AFLDeesCrows to say the least.
— AFL (@AFL) June 1, 2019
Watch the @AAMI Last Two Minutes. pic.twitter.com/ak20HIEJ0l
That spoil was one of 10 ‘one percenters’ for Kelly on Saturday night which was a game high. Spoils, knock-ons, shepherds and smothers all count as one per centers according to Champion Data and Kelly and Talia both had 10 for the game.
Then there were Kelly’s 10 tackles — another game-high — and seven rebound 50s to go with his 15 disposals which was his second strong game in a row after he was among Adelaide’s best in last week’s loss to West Coast.
There was a thought that Kelly perhaps might not survive the cut in a backline with Luke Brown when ‘The Glove’ returned from a lengthy injury lay-off last month but he’s proving impossible to dislodge.
“I thought he was outstanding tonight, he’s been improving his game and been rock solid. Him and Luke Brown down there deep were really important,” Talia said.
“And the backline at times we got out-marked but I also thought we stood up at times because they had a lot of inside 50 entries (62-45).
“They’re all big contests and it was just good to see the group not lose faith and keep their belief and fight to the end and that’s how we got the win.”
But to get to that point Adelaide’s playing group had to look each other in the eye at half-time after a disastrous start to the game.
“There were some tough conversations at half-time, we were getting smashed in the contest and the midfield was getting outworked,” Talia said.
“We just needed a lift from all areas so it was great that the players drove that and certainly after half-time we were able to wrestle back control.
“There’s always that risk (that players might go into their shell after some tough love) but we couldn’t have been going any worse, we were getting absolutely smashed and outworked and when you lose those two stats in footy you know the scoreboard shows it.
“We just had to turn those things around and we got lucky tonight and got the win.
“Guys like JJ and Tex really stood up, they’ve had a lot of scrutiny on them and I thought those two were huge, and also in our midfield Cam Ellis-Yolmen and a couple of guys really lifted.”
Jenkins, Walker and Bryce Gibbs were symbolic of a team under fire and responded as coach Don Pyke would have wanted them to.
“You definitely hear it (external criticism of teammates) as players but it’s our job to concentrate on what we can (control) and at training,” Talia said.
“It’s ‘what are you doing to get better? And ‘how are you going to turn your form around?’ The guys who haven’t been playing too well just need to keep digging in, tonight was a good step in the right direction in the second half and hopefully we can put it up again against two good teams in GWS and Richmond.”
GAME NOTES
POWER V SAINTS
SADLY for Jarryn Geary, we got another reminder of just how freakishly fast Connor Rozee is by foot. We wrote an article just on his closing speed earlier in the season and Sunday in Shanghai was another prime example. When Geary took the handball in the middle of the ground, Rozee was at least a metre behind the handballer as he set off in pursuit. Geary looked as though he had plenty of time but Rozee hunted him down, lunged at him and dispossessed him as he went to kick. The cruel part of it is Geary went to hospital with a suspected broken leg having just returned from another serious leg injury.
Sheesh how's the superboot of Riley Bonner?#AFLSaintsPower pic.twitter.com/OGNgIeg1yg
— AFL (@AFL) June 2, 2019
TEAMS are going to have to wake up to Riley Bonner’s lethal leg around goal after he took the Saints down with three missiles on Sunday. Bonner kicked three goals and the third from outside 50m was the best of the lot. The running half-back had only kicked three in his entire career before that. If he creeps forward of centre he can expect to have someone close by next time — unless of course opposition sides weren’t watching.
THAT Travis Boak Brownlow Medal bet is looking better and better for those who got on earlier in the year. Another 33 touches and a best-on medal in Shanghai.
DAN Houston looked more than comfortable in the midfield for the Power. Without Tom Rockliff, Port sent Robbie Gray to the first bounce and then used Houston who had eight disposals in the first quarter and finished with 28 and seven clearances.
3ï¸âƒ£-0ï¸âƒ£ across the pond ðŸ†ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡³ #AFLSaintsPower#weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/x4eoYYMkdd
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) June 2, 2019
STILL on learning more about its list, the Dougal Howard/forward move gained more momentum by starting forward and kicking 2.0. He opened the game with a great snap around his body, should have had a goal assist if only Rozee had of converted, took a contested mark in the middle of the ground and caught Josh Bruce holding the footy. That three year contract extension last season is looking pretty good.
PORT Adelaide was clinical the way it moved the footy out of defence. Jarrod Lienert had a career-high 31 disposals and used it at 83 per cent efficiency. Other shining lights were Tom Jonas (19 at 84), Tom Clurey (10 at 100) and Darcy Byrne-Jones (26 at 84).
AND so Port Adelaide’s three kids — Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma — make it to the mid-season bye having only missed one game between them. Rozee remains Port Adelaide’s leading goal-kicker but it should be noted his workrate as well. He had an equal team-high six tackles against St Kilda and his contested to uncontested possession ratio is right up there as well. He’s had 87:94 CP:UP this year. Meanwhile how was Butters’ snap on goal in the first term and Duursma holding his ground against two Saints to set Travis Boak up with a handball and goal.
CROWS V DEMONS
ADELAIDE definitely got out of jail. It’s not often you lose contested possession by 15 and inside 50s by 17 and still win the game. Most worrying was the 18 marks inside 50m the Crows conceded compared to their seven. But they’ve been on the flip side this year as well — Round 1 against Hawthorn (won contested ball and inside 50s) and lost the game.
WHEN Max Gawn put his knee through Reilly O’Brien and bowled him over at the opening bounce I thought the Crows were in for a long night. But to O’Brien’s credit and with the help of Josh Jenkins, he hit back. In fact O’Brien finished with 34 hit-outs to Gawn’s 30 and although Gawn had 25 disposals, O’Brien took a goal saving mark in defence late in the game. It will be interesting to see whether Pyke recalls Sam Jacobs after his five goals in the SANFL on the weekend, or as Brodie Smith floated on Sunday, does he play both? Unlikely. The more likely is that Jacobs returns and O’Brien goes back for a well earned rest after a huge two months at the coalface.
THE Crows’ last minute decision to leave Kyle Hartigan out and play David Mackay for ‘team balance’ very nearly backfired on them when Melbourne made the counter move and included Sam Weideman for Christian Salem. Wonder whether that was going through Pyke’s mind when Weideman was lining up to win the game?
WILL Bryce Gibbs’ efforts in tagging Clayton Oliver in the second half be enough to keep him in the side when Matt Crouch returns as soon as this week? If Rory Sloane doesn’t get up from his hamstring strain then you would think so but Richard Douglas must be close after 31 touches in his second SANFL game on the weekend.
JOSH Jenkins did everything and more that the Crows coaching staff must have wanted from him in his return to the senior side. He kicked goals, created goals, tackled and outworked his opponent in Oscar McDonald — right from his first possession when he ran into defensive 50m to provide a marking option for his defenders early in the first quarter.
MR ONE PER CENTER
Who are the unsung heroes of SA footy? The players who have an impact on their team without hitting the stats sheet? Champion Data records one per centers by tallying spoils, knock-ons, smothers and shepherds every game. Here is the leaderboard from Adelaide and Port Adelaide after Round 11:
94: Daniel Talia (Crows)
88: Dougal Howard (Power)
77: Tom Clurey (Power)
64: Jake Kelly (Crows)
59: Alex Keath (Crows)
50: Tom Jonas (Power)
49: Paddy Ryder (Power)
44: Dan Houston (Power)
42: Scott Lycett (Power)
40: Kyle Hartigan (Crows)
37: Justin Westhoff (Power)
32: Rory Sloane (Crows)
SUPERCOACH TOP 10
Travis Boak has topped the scoring again this weekend but the big story for SuperCoaches was the return to form of Robbie Gray. Injury and form meant he hadn’t posted a 100-plus score since Round 2 but he hit the scoreboard yesterday and racked up 28 touches to finish with 122 SuperCoach points. Brad Crouch was the Crows’ leading scorer with 127 in Darwin.
1. Travis Boak (Port) 131
2. Brad Crouch (Adel) 127
3. Robbie Gray (Port) 122
4. Scott Lycett (Port) 115
5. Zak Butters (Port) 112
6. Rory Laird (Adel) 111
7. Jarrod Lienet (Port) 110
8. Tom Lynch (Adel) 109
9. Jake Kelly (Adel) 107
10. Hugh Greenwood (Adel) 98
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you’re the windshield and tonight we were the windshield.
— Don Pyke’s favourite saying in football behind ‘an even spread of contribution’.
TIPS
An early look at Round 12 tipping:
GEELONG to make a statement and beat Richmond, BRISBANE to beat Carlton, NORTH MELBOURNE to keep it rolling against Gold Coast, GWS to be too good for Adelaide, WEST COAST over Sydney and COLLINGWOOD over Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday Monday.
Last week: 6. Running total: 63
POWER RANKINGS
1. GEELONG (10-1)
Seven in a row for the hottest team in the competition. Beat Richmond this week and you’ll just about have to declare them premiership favourites.
2. GWS (8-3)
Smashed Gold Coast and will roll into Adelaide this weekend as favourites to beat the Crows.
3. BRISBANE (7-4)
Time for me to concede Brisbane is the real deal. I didn’t tip them against Adelaide, Sydney or Port Adelaide at home and didn’t tip them against Hawthorn on the weekend. I got that badly wrong.
4. WEST COAST (8-3)
Five in a row for the Eagles with Sydney, Essendon, Hawthorn and Fremantle up next. Top four looking good.
5. RICHMOND (7-4)
Drop out of the top four after what could be a costly loss to North Melbourne in a very tight season.
6. COLLINGWOOD (8-3)
Bad loss to the Dockers in Melbourne. Jordan De Goey and Tom Phillips both only with 16 touches for the day.
7. ADELAIDE (6-5)
Bryce Gibbs might find himself with a job on Stephen Coniglio from the opening bounce this weekend. Douglas, Jacobs, Hartigan and Crouch all a big chance to return.
8. PORT ADELAIDE (6-5)
Big win. Some tipsters even went for St Kilda they have so little faith in the Power in 50/50 games but they delivered to go into the bye ahead of the ledger.
9. FREMANTLE (6-5)
That win over Collingwood proves Fremantle can play finals this year.
10. HAWTHORN (5-6)
Their up-and-down season continues and so does Chad Wingard’s — he’s now out with a hamstring injury.
11. ST KILDA (5-6)
Disaster in Shanghai. The team got sick, Jarryn Geary hurt his ankle and they got smashed.
12. WESTERN BULLDOGS (4-7)
Expect them to snap a three-game losing streak against the Blues this weekend.
13. NORTH MELBOURNE (4-7)
The instant uplift from Brad Scott’s exit has continued into a second week with surprise win over Richmond.
14. ESSENDON (5-6)
Bombers fans were nervous before this one but they cruised past the Blues in a scrap.
15. SYDNEY (3-8)
Looked good in the first half and even capable of causing an upset against the Cats. Good to see Dan Menzel back out there.
16. GOLD COAST (3-8)
For all their competitiveness the Suns have now lost seven in a row and 83 points to the Giants was the worst of the lot.
17. MELBOURNE (3-8)
It’s just not your year, Dees. Dominant midfield and so many chances to ice the game in the last quarter but couldn’t find a way to win like the West Coast game in Perth a fortnight ago.
18. CARLTON (1-10)
Would be very disappointed with that loss to the Bombers because they would have given themselves a genuine chance.
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