Adelaide Crows cruise past St Kilda to raise hopes an early-season stumble is behind them

A week after thrashing Gold Coast, the Adelaide Crows have showed that win was no fluke as they delivered a win of real substance. Now, the rest of the AFL is on notice.

Liz Walsh

4 min read

April 27, 2019 - 6:34PM

Taylor Walker was back to his best against the Saints. Pic: Getty Images

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And there it is: Adelaide’s first real scalp of the 2019 season — the top-of-the-ladder St Kilda — and much-needed proof that last Sunday’s dominant win over the Gold Coast was no fluke.

The Crows claimed their prized scalp with pressured, accurate football that saw them hit targets, take intercept marks, dominate clearances and defend like their season depended on it.

Those backmen — led by Rory Laird and Alex Keath — held the Saints to only one goal in the final term, to run away 29-point winners under the roof at Marvel Stadium.

CROWS ARE BACK: STATS + SUPERCOACH SCORES

After being lucky to be only six points down at quarter time, thanks to St Kilda’s inaccuracy, the Crows second quarter showed divine football: their ball control out of the backline was superb, their intercept marking strong.

A scrappy third quarter was blown away by another dominant last quarter when Tom Lynch and small forward Lachlan Murphy both kicked goals from outside 50 in the final term to put the game away.

Rory Laird was his usual prolific self. Pic: AAP

This win is important for the Crows’ season revival as it is the first time Adelaide has strung together two consecutive wins and they’ve pulled themselves back to a 3-3 win-loss ledger. And what’s best? They’ve done it against competitive opposition.

The Crows went into the game having beaten St Kilda in their last four encounters by an average of 60 points and have beaten them in all eight encounters dating back to 2011.

But this was a wildly different St Kilda they were coming up against: on top of the ladder, with a 4-1 record and huge confidence.

The Saints faithful had spent the week discussing in online forums the fact that their team couldn’t start to talk about a revival until they’d beaten their “bogey” teams like the Crows … that bogey continues.

And now the Crows can start thinking about what else they can achieve this season.

SLOANE v STEELE

Sloane, went into the game averaging 27 disposals and eight tackles this season, but this was always going to be tough for him, considering he’d be up against St Kilda’s “stopper” in Jack Steele who has become known as one of the best taggers in the competition.

Sloane was kept to only three handballs — no kicks, no tackles — in the first term.

But Matt Crouch was more than making up for, racking up a game-high 13. So Steele did the smart thing and swapped targets in the second quarter and headed straight for Matt Crouch.

Sloane then found the space he needed and when Sloane — who seems to be relishing his new co-captaincy role — fires, so do the Crows.

But the other midfielders shouldn’t be forgotten: Matt Crouch, Brad Crouch, Brodie Smith and Rory Laird all finished with 30-plus possessions.

Alex Keath continues to develop in the Crows’ back six. Pic: AAP

KEATH THE DIFFERENCE?

Alex Keath was part of a defensive unit that held St Kilda’s matchwinner from the week before, Tim Membrey (who kicked four goals last week), to one goals.

Midway through the third term Keath had a game high five intercept marks — three more than any other player on the field — not to mention the 16 disposals (including 14 kicks) that he’d notched up.

Rory Laird also stood strong in the back half when needed.

Taylor Walker led superbly near goal. Pic: Michael Klein.

Matthew Parker lit up the Saints with three goals. Pic: AAP

ILLNESS HITS

Both Adelaide and St Kilda were hit with illness and late changes: Crows’ midfielder Bryce Gibbs stayed home in Adelaide recovering from gastro, which handed Jordan Gallucci his first game for 2019, while St Kilda’s ruck Rowan Marshall was also taken down with illness, replaced in the side by Billy Longer.

The Saints were also missing their captain — and valiant backman — Jarryn Geary, who’d needed surgery on Saturday night to relieve pressure following a corked thigh and Daniel McKenzie came in for Geary.

Gallucci — a week away from celebrating his 21st birthday — stood up admirably, at one point shaking off a bone-chilling bump near the Crows defensive 50-line, to pick up the ball off the boundary line and send his team forward again. He then kicked a goal late in the second quarter.

Brad Crouch and brother Matt won a stack of the footy. Pic: Getty Images

GAMBLE ON POHOLKE

Prior to Gibbs’ late withdrawal, the Crows made one change to the team that resoundingly beat Gold Coast last Sunday by 73 points: Myles Poholke in for the injured Wayne Milera.

After playing in the Crows Round four loss to North Melbourne finishing with 15 disposals and one behind, he was dropped to the reserves.

And back in the SANFL last week he impressed and starred for the tri-colours with 30 disposals, five centre clearances and four goals.

So up to the seniors he went again, and this time the 20-year-old struggled to have an impact.

It will be interesting to see whether coach Don Pyke decides to stick with youth for next weekend’s home game against Fremantle, or he recalls Josh Jenkins from the SANFL.

Elliott Himmelberg is taking his chances. Pic: Getty Images

CROWS FIND THEIR RADAR

After patchy form in front of goal in the first four rounds this season, the Crows became scarily accurate in front of goal and up until half time, had only scored one point — from a Hugh Greenwood snap at goal that could have gone either way.

But come the third term and that accuracy left their boots somewhat: Elliott Himmelberg sprayed a set shot — which should have been a gimme — after taking a brave back-to-the-play mark in the goalsquare.

Then Walker, from 40m out in front, hit the post. Adelaide kicked 2.5 in that term, while the Saints booted 3.1. And the Crows had kicked St Kilda back into the game.