Adelaide Crows end SANFL losing streak with final quarter onslaught against struggling Roosters

THE season’s end can’t come soon enough for North Adelaide, which now seems chained to the bottom of the SANFL table after another black spot cost them in an otherwise commendable effort against the Crows.

Adelaide Crows’ Paul Seedsman.

THE season’s end can’t come soon enough for North Adelaide, which now seems chained to the bottom of the SANFL table after another black spot cost them in an otherwise commendable effort against the Crows.

Adelaide snapped a five-match losing streak by kicking eight goals to three in a barnstorming final quarter and it was a microcosm of the Roosters season: competitive for most of it but gone missing for a match-defining passage.

But the Crows, laden with AFL talent, always looked like it was about to find another gear.

Ben Jarman took a couple of bounces to kick a nice goal in the second quarter and even the staunch Roosters supporters in the crowd allowed themselves to appreciate his effort.

Not long thereafter he had a hand in setting up a goal for former Carlton player Troy Menzel, but it was his defensive efforts that made him among important players for the Crows.

North Adelaide had its highlights. Lewis Hender’s third goal – a mongrel punt from about 40m – underlined that the Crows’ reserves side has a decidedly green tinge: there was nobody on the goal line as it bounced through.

His fourth goal was typical North Adelaide — fast and free-flowing. He first won the ball in the centre, sent it to team-mate Leigh Ryswyk, who crisply kicked up the short kick on half volley, received the handpass back and dribbled it through from around 35 metres.

For a side that has struggled to string wins together, there is no doubt the Roosters can score quickly when the ball bounces their way.

As the Crows were beginning to take over in the third quarter — partly because of the Roosters’ mistakes — one player who caught the eye was top draft pick Jordan Gallucci.

He is quick both by mind and delivery and rarely fluffs a disposal.

Alongside Paul Seedsman, who is getting better by the week, Wayne Milera, Menzel and Scott Thompson, he was part of the established players who were the most composed when the match was won in the final quarter.

Coach Ryan O’Keefe credited the players’ composure.

“I thought we just lost our way a bit half way through the first quarter and that second quarter,” he said. “We just went away from the way we wanted to play.’’

SCOREBOARD

NORTH ADELAIDE 4.1 7.3 9.4 12.4 (76)

ADELAIDE 3.2 5.5 9.8 17.13 (115)

Best - Roosters: Hender, J Craig, Schwarz, Olekalns, C Craig. Crows: Seedsman, Jarman, Gallucci, Menzel, Milera, Hunter

Goals - Roosters: Hender 5, Harvey, Barns 2, Craig, McInerny, Minervini. Crows: Menzel 4, Seedsman 3, Fry, Gallucci, Pinyon, Signorilli 2, Jarman, O’Brien

Umpires: Harris, Burke, Philp