Adelaide into the AFL Grand Final after thrashing Geelong in first preliminary final
ANOTHER preliminary final, another first quarter nightmare as Geelong’s season of promise again ended in a fiery wreck, this time at the hands of a rampant Adelaide Crows.
ANOTHER preliminary final, another first quarter nightmare.
Geelong’s season of promise has again ended in a fiery wreck - the Cats bludgeoned by a rampant Adelaide in an opening 38-minute blast that sat them on their backsides.
Last year it was Sydney who inflicted a horrific 7.2 to 0.5 preliminary final first-quarter massacre.
MATCH RE-CAP: ADELAIDE BREAK GRAND FINAL DROUGHT IN STYLE
BONE-RATTLER: DANGERFIELD, SLOANE IN CLASH OF THE TITANS
Twelve months on, the Crows rammed on 6.3 to 1.2 in an early rampage that had the Adelaide Oval rocking. Don Pyke’s scoring powerhouse slammed on nine of the first 10 goals - including a run of seven straight - to lead by 48 points only six minutes into the second quarter.
Lights out, Cats.
It was at this point that Adelaide legend Mark Ricciuto’s phone was lighting up. “They’re asking for granny tickets,” he told Triple M.
A “Dangerwood” exhibition in the second term kept it interesting for a bit, but it would take more than Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood to haul back the Crows in this Adelaide cauldron.
Dangerfield was knocked flat by Rory Sloane in a brutal hit just before half-time and struggled badly after the main break. It meant that this brilliant pair weren’t just fighting the tide, they were swimming against a tsunami.
A six goal to one first term was bookended by a seven goal to two last quarter. It was a rout.
After four consecutive preliminary final failures and a 19-year absence, Adelaide has stormed back into the Grand Final. And they deserve it.
On a warm day where the mercury was still 23C at the first bounce, the home side delivered their erect-arm national anthem staredown and then brought the heat that melted the Cats.
Simply, Geelong couldn’t handle the pressure Adelaide applied. Of the Crows first seven goals, six came directly from Cats turnovers.
Rory Laird was the fire starter off half-back. With Mark Blicavs and Scott Selwood rotating on Matt Crouch, the All-Australian defender ran the show.
More important than ever in the absence of Brodie Smith, Laird’s first 10 touches came at 100 per cent efficiency and the defender finished with 32, 15 marks and five score involvements.
What you have to admire about the Crows is that regardless of what’s at stake - in this case the biggest game of their lives next week - they are desperate to play the corridor.
The Crouch brothers - Matt and Brad - the returning Rory Sloane, Rory Atkins, Richard Douglas; they go fast, they go slow, but they almost always choose the brave kick. Sometimes it comes unstuck, but most times it doesn’t and the rewards are huge.
Forward of centre, the Crows forwards selflessly spread like a well-oiled machine, leading to spots that made it impossible for the Cats to intercept or offer third-man up help.
Eddie Betts was electric early, kicking two goals and assisting another. His little mate Charlie Cameron helped himself to five, with one coming via a floating hanger atop a huge pack in the third term.
Tom Lynch was in everything and had a ridiculous 255 metres gained by the three-minute-mark of the second quarter. By the final siren he had 20 touches, seven marks, a game-high 10 score involvements and five inside 50s. Some game.
Paul Seedsman. Remember him? His fourth game of the season was a blinder, highlighted by consecutive team-lifting goals in the second quarter.
The list of contributors was as long as Rundle Mall.
Geelong was a mess. The pressure that brought them unstuck against Richmond in the qualifying final, made them rabbits in the headlights here.
Joel Selwood fought off the Riley Knight tag, but had few friends after Dangerfield was poleaxed by Sloane.
Scott Selwood played on one leg after an early hamstring problem, Tom Hawkins and Daniel Menzel couldn’t sniff it, Rhys Stanley had no influence and Nakia Cockatoo performed as you would expect of a man who had played only 65 minutes of footy in 13 weeks.
It was a sad ending for retiring pair Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan, but rarely do farewells justify careers in this caper.
Melbourne, brace yourself for cyclone Crow. Because whoever faces Adelaide in next Saturday Grand Final will find it mighty difficult to stop this scoring juggernaut.
SAM EDMUND’S VOTES
3. RORY LAIRD
Devastating string-puller whose first 10 touches came at 100 per cent efficiency off half-back.
2. SAM JACOBS
Gave the Crows engine room the biggest armchair ride you’ve seen. Slaughted Zac Smith.
1. CHARLIE CAMERON
Hangers, snaps, eye-catching speed and a bag of five. Worth the price of admission.
BEST
Adelaide: R.Laird, S.Jacobs, C.Cameron, T.Lynch, P.Seedsman, M.Crouch
Geelong: J.Selwood, P.Dangerfield, M.Duncan, S.Motlop
Originally published as Adelaide into the AFL Grand Final after thrashing Geelong in first preliminary final