Sturt power past Adelaide Crows in big SANFL win at Unley

REIGNING premier Sturt is showing no sign of a premiership hangover, keeping the Adelaide Crows at arm’s length for most of the match before eventually kicking clear for a solid 49-point win at Peter Motley Oval.

Fraser Evans fends off Curtly Hampton. Picture: SARAH REED

REIGNING premier Sturt is showing no sign of a premiership hangover, keeping the Adelaide Crows at arm’s length for most of the match before eventually kicking clear for a solid 49-point win at Peter Motley Oval.

Led by four goals from small forwards Josh Hone and Mark Evans, the incredibly accurate Double Blues sealed the game early in the final stanza.

Sturt on-ballers Sam Colquhoun (31 possessions) Zane Kirkwood (28) and James Battersby (28) got leather poisoning while former Sturt star Patrick Wilson collected 25.

In unseasonally hot weather, it took six minutes for Wilson to officially become a zero at his old club when he goaled in heavy traffic for the Crows.

Sturt’s Thomas Read battles Adelaide’s Reilly O'Brien. Picture: SARAH REED

The Double Blues then took control of play, highlighted by a bone-shattering tackle from Hone, sending a defence-exiting Riley Knight to the turf.

Sturt gathered momentum as Hone converted truly from the free kick, and then followed up with another after a neat James Battersby pass.

But the Crows stole back the lead in the dying minutes of the quarter with majors through Elliott Himmelberg and Ben Davis.

Shane McAdam provided a touch of razzle dazzle in Sturt’s forward line in the second, with a clever soccer off the ground to regain a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

It was the first of a four goal Sturt strike, with Zane Kirkwood landing an absolute bomb from outside 50.

The Crows couldn’t get a sniff off it as the Sturt train appeared to be leaving the station, dominating the inside 50 count for the quarter 16 to 5.

Samblich’s second major underlined the home team’s excellent shooting for goal.

Ben Jarman goaled for the Crows within the opening minute of the third, but it would prove a false dawn, with Sturt answering through its army of talls and smalls.

Big man Jack Osborn, Hone for this third, and Osborn again extended the lead to 36 points.

The Crows had their chances to draw closer but Sturt’s defence and pressure wouldn’t allow the visitors to settle going forward.

Evans scored early in the last to snuff out any chance of an unlikely Crows comeback, as Sturt piled on six majors.

Sturt coach Marty Mattner praised his new look forward line after the departure of Kory Beard.

“We wanted a more even spread of goal kickers and we got that today,” he said.

Disappointed Crows coach Ryan O’Keefe said his team gave up “too many easy goals”.

Jordan Gallucci and James Battersby. Picture: SARAH REED

Sturt 3.0 8.2 13.3 19.4 118

Adelaide 3.1 4.2 7.8 10.9 69

BEST

Sturt: Kirkwood, Coulquhoun, Gilfoy, Read, Hone, M Evans, Battersby.

Adelaide: Wilson, Gallucci, McMahon, Jarman, Leigh, Launer, Himmelberg.

GOALS

Sturt: Hone, Evans 4, Osborn 3, Samblich 2, Kirkwood, Read, McAdam, Stephens, Battersby, Thiele 1.

Adelaide: Himmelberg, Wilson 2, Jarman, Poholke, Davis, McMahon, Signorello, Rivers 1.

REPORTS:

UMPIRES: Crosby, Harris, Sboro.