Darcy Fogarty’s breakout game not enough as Adelaide falls to West Coast and finals slip further away
The Crows were brave, but that wasn’t enough as a costly third-term helped West Coast shore up its top-four spot — and leave Adelaide’s September hopes hanging by a thread.
Adelaide’s finals destiny is no longer in its own hands after it was put to the sword by a nine-minute West Coast goal blitz at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Trailing by just a point eight minutes into the third term following a breakout game from 19-year-old key forward Darcy Fogarty, the brave Crows conceded four goals in nine devastating minutes to slip 27 points behind before losing by 10 to fall out of the top eight with two home-and-away rounds left.
While 2017 No. 12 draft pick Darcy Fogarty was superb with a career-high five goals in just his 12th AFL game, Adelaide’s narrow defeat has left it likely having to win its last two minor round matches against Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on Saturday and the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat on August 25 to have any chance of playing in September.
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But even that might not be enough after a second half opposition goal spree left them sitting ninth — percentage behind hometown rival Port Adelaide outside of the top eight — and with the 10th-placed Bulldogs hot on their heels after their 104-point thumping of a reeling Essendon.
Having unluckily lost co-captain Rory Sloane early in the third quarter with blurred vision, the Crows, who trailed by just a point at halftime, were outpointed in the third quarter by the premier, which is chasing a top-two finish and an all-important home qualifying final.
Adelaide lost no admirers in throwing everything it had at the Eagles and it kept coming in the final term but it has now won just two of its seven matches since the round 14 bye.
While the Crows’ endeavour could not be questioned on Sunday and they saw signs of great things to come from Fogarty, who was playing just his second AFL game of the season after managing 10 in his debut season last year, they weren’t clean enough in the real pressure moments.
West Coast has now won seven of its past eight games and nine of 11 games at Optus Stadium this season.
Fogarty was magnificent for Adelaide, taking seven marks to go with his five majors, midfielders Matt Crouch (43 disposals) and his brother Brad (35) were terrific, key defender Daniel Talia held star Eagles goalkicker Josh Kennedy to just one major and veteran ruckman Sam Jacobs was strong in his first AFL game since round two.
For the Eagles, key forward Jack Darling was a difference maker with three goals and nine marks, small forward Willie Rioli was lively all day and midfielders Andrew Gaff, Dom Sheed and Elliot Yeo were influential.
TOP EAGLE PENALISED ... CORRECTLY
ADELAIDE was handed a controversial goal early in the third quarter when Eagles captain Shannon Hurn was penalised for a deliberate rushed behind.
Hurn, who was in mid-air, punched the ball over the goal line from just outside the goalsquare under pressure from Crows co-captain Taylor Walker.
The field umpire paid the free at the top of the goalsquare to Walker, who slotted through his second major.
Fremantle small forward Hayden Ballantyne, commentating on radio, said the decision to pay the free kick was correct and that the players were told by the umpiring department pre-season that the ball cannot legally be deliberately punched through from outside the goalsquare when a defender has another option.
EDDIE ON THE BRINK
CROWS pocket rocket Eddie Betts needs just one goal to become only the 33rd player in VFL-AFL history to kick 600 after booting one against the Eagles.
Former Blue Betts started the match on 598 goals after booting 290 in 184 games for Carlton from 2005-13 and 308 in 129 matches for the Crows from 2014-19.
Adelaide’s leading goalkicker in his first four years at the club, Betts was dropped to the SANFL for the first time in his career two weeks ago before being reinstated to the AFL following a four-goal haul against State League pacesetter Glenelg.
He kicked three goals on his return against St Kilda last week and despite not being in the form of his career at age 32, he entered the game trailing only Taylor Walker in goals, with 35 to the co-captain’s 36.
His only goal against West Coast came from a mark early in the final quarter.
WHERE TO LOOK IN EAGLES’ ATTACK?
WEST Coast’s attack is looking formidable heading into September.
While the Crows backline performed admirably to restrict the home side to 13.12 (90), the Eagles have options galore inside their 50m arc.
Prior to the clash with Adelaide, West Coast’s attack had been on fire since the bye in round 13, averaging 99 points a game — the second-most in the league — and 112 points in the last five matches at home.
Its firepower includes the perfect combination of strong-marking talls and classy smalls.
While Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman can grab the ball in the air, the mosquito fleet of Willie Rioli, Liam Ryan, Jamie Cripps and Jack Petruccelle are quick and dangerous at ground level.
Cripps return from an adductor injury against the Crows saw the Eagles have the luxury of leaving impressive rookie Jarrod Cameron out of the side.
HARTIGAN BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
WHILE Sam Jacobs played his first AFL game for nearly five months to move to a career total of 199, Crows defender Kyle Hartigan chalked up his 100th match in the same state where his career kicked off.
Hartigan, 27, debuted against Fremantle at Subiaco Oval in round 18, 2013, and returned to the west for his major milestone match.
The Victorian, who had a tough day against St Kilda’s Tim Membrey last week, was given the job on the Eagles leading goalkicker Jack Darling, who entered the match with 47 majors.
Hartigan helped hold back the West Coast avalanche early but Darling took the honours, kicking three goals and taking nine marks in a standout display.
WEST COAST 3.4 6.6 11.9 13.12 (90) def ADELAIDE 1.4 6.5 8.5 12.8 (80)
Goals: West Coast: Darling, Waterman, Allen 3, Ryan, Sheed, Rioli, Kennedy
Adelaide: Fogarty 5, Walker 2, Sloane, Murphy, B. Crouch, Knight, Betts
Best: West Coast: Darling, Rioli, Sheed, Gaff, Yeo, Hickey, Barrass, Allen
Adelaide: M. Crouch, Fogarty, Talia, B. Crouch, Laird, Jacobs, Gibbs.
Injuries: Adelaide: Sloane (blurred vision).
Umpires: R. O’Gorman, S. Meredith, C. Fleer
Crowd: 54,994 at Optus Stadium.
ANDREW CAPEL’S VOTES:
3. M. Crouch (Adel)
2. J. Darling (WC)
1. D. Fogarty (Adel)