Adelaide’s 16-year losing streak at Kardinia Park continues
The Crows were unable to break a 16-year Kardinia Park hoodoo, falling to a 27-point loss to the Cats in Friday night football. Plus: Recap with quarter-by-quarter reviews.
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Adelaide’s 16-year Geelong hoodoo lives and while the 21-year drought they’d much rather break still remains a possibility this season, last night they got a lesson in four-quarter pressure from the team standing at the front of the queue in their way.
The Crows went toe-to-toe with the ladder leading Cats and for a quarter they were in front on the scoreboard, in contested possession and in clearances.
For a half they were all square as the Cats hit back by pinning them inside their defensive 50m for a 10-minute period, then after that it was a matter of who would blink first.
Would it be Adelaide with fresh legs looking to win its first game at Kardinia Park since 2003, or the Cats who went into the game 11-2 and having stewed on a loss to Port Adelaide all week?
Perhaps not surprisingly, it was Geelong who maintained the rage and finished the game with five of the last six goals to win by 27.
Geelong’s big three in the midfield — Tim Kelly, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield combined for 90 disposals — in a shining night.
The Cats looked like they’d lost Dangerfield after he was involved in a heavy collision with Adelaide full back Daniel Talia in a marking contest just before half-time when Talia went back with the flight of the footy, but he returned after the break and played forward.
Earlier the Crows had 9 scoring shots to 5 in the first quarter, won clearances by +9 and contested possession +10 in a very encouraging start.
They maintained the rage in the second term and led by 20 points mid-way through the quarter before the Cats hit back in time-on, sensing their opportunity and taking it.
Mark Blicavs was moved into the ruck in the second term and he started there in the second half made Reilly O’Brien accountable.
But it was Geelong’s ability to run and spread from stoppage that did the most damage. They went sideways to go forwards, played patient footy and when they pulled the trigger they attacked with purpose.
Luke Brown did a handy job on danger-man Gary Ablett and kept him to a respectable 18 touches and two goals, while Talia was solid on Hawkins and Kyle Hartigan and Alex Keath certainly weren’t the reason Adelaide conceded 90 points.
Ultimately inside 50s didn’t help Adelaide’s cause with 40-63 failing to give them enough opportunities.
There were however a couple of highlights from Paul Seedsman who kicked the opening goal of the game but his second in the third quarter will contend for goal-of-the-year.
As the Crows broke away from a stoppage, Seedsman won the foot race to the ball on the wing, had two bounces, got away from Selwood and still had the poise to steady and put it through from 50m.
CROWS LACK POTENCY
How ironic that the Adelaide forwardline that went so long without Josh Jenkins suddenly looked like it really missed him last night.
Taylor Walker was solid, out-bodying Blicavs to take an early mark and kicking a set-shot goal, and he set another up for Brodie Smith in the third term after hurting his right elbow.
Elliott Himmelberg played in spurts, starting forward and pinch-hitting in the ruck and had a hand in Jordan Gallucci’s goal and kicked one himself off the ground minutes later in the first half.
But again the Crows missed Tom Lynch (calf injury) who plays both tall and small with his ability to both hit the scoreboard and set others up.
By contrast Geelong found a way to kick a winning score without Hawkins having a major influence. They got six goals from Cam Guthrie, Gryan Miers and Tim Kelly which was a major difference.
O’BRIEN HAS HIS HANDS FULL
Reilly O’Brien went head-to-head with Rhys Stanley in the first half then Mark Blicavs in the second after Blicavs tried to expose him late in the second term.
He pushed forward and at the first proper entry from Walker, O’Brien shunted Stanley out of the way, took a contested mark and kicked the goal.
His follow up tackling on the likes of Joel Selwood was impressive and he went low and hard at the ball when it was on the ground.
A couple of times he trailed Stanley into defensive 50m and it cost the Crows a goal when Stanley kicked truly after the quarter-time siren.
O’Brien finished with 39 hit-outs and 18 touches in another encouraging performance from the developing big man.
MURPHY MAKES HIS MARK
How can you not be inspired by the way Lachlan Murphy plays?
He had his teeth almost knocked out his head two weeks ago when he forgot his mouthguard, but last night ran down Mitch Duncan with a tackle in the first quarter to win a free kick then sat under a ball in no-man’s land on the wing in the second to take a courageous mark. Murphy never took his eyes off it knowing Tim Kelly was coming the other way, took the mark, took the contact then got his kick away.
Murphy signed a two-year contract extension during the week and it is completely justified.
HAS GIBBS DONE ENOUGH?
Bryce Gibbs realistically only earnt a reprieve when Cameron Ellis-Yolmen hurt himself at training during the week but played the type of game that may well keep him in the side.
He put good body pressure on Geelong’s midfield, and was creative with his kick by opening up the ground and generating plenty of run to put the Cats’ defence under pressure.
He would like a moment back just before half-time when he had the chance to cut off a pass to Tom Hawkins but didn’t make it. He finished with 13 disposals which might not save his spot for next week’s Showdown but his endeavour was there.
SCOREBOARD
GEELONG 4.1 7.6 11.9 14.12 (96)
ADELAIDE 5.4 7.5 9.7 10.9 (69)
BEST — Adelaide: Sloane, Seedsman, Hartigan, M. Crouch, Kelly, O’Brien. Geelong: Kelly, Selwood, Miers, Blicavs, Clark, Duncan.
GOALS — Adelaide: Seedsman, Himmelberg 2, O’Brien, Walker, Gallucci, Murphy, Greenwood, Smith. Geelong: Hawkins, Miers, Ablett Guthrie, Kelly 2, Stanley, Bews, Clark, Duncan.
UMPIRES — L. Fisher, N. Williamson, J. Mollison.
CROWD — 28,108 at GMHBA Stadium.
QUARTER-BY-QUARTER UPDATES
FIRST QUARTER
Cats 4.1 (19)
Crows 5.4 (34)
The Seed unleashed!#AFLCatsCrows pic.twitter.com/uZfWA823aq
— AFL (@AFL) June 28, 2019
If the Crows were to break their 16-year losing streak at Kardinia Park, then they needed a fast start against the Cats and that’s just what they delivered with a five-goal to four opening term.
And quick it really was: Paul Seedsman had kicked Adelaide’s first inside two minutes, with follow-ups to Reilly O’Brien and Taylor Walker scored 10 minutes later.
That lead was eroded thanks to three Geelong goals of their own from Gary Ablett, Cameron Guthrie and Tom Hawkins (who was held goal-less by Port Adelaide last week).
Ruckman, O’Brien has continued his stellar season by not only kicking his first goal of 2019 (the second of his 14-game AFL career), but by being influential with 12 hit-outs.
While Geelong fought back to be within two points, it was a run of two-goals that saw the Crows take a nine-point lead into quarter time.
SECOND QUARTER
Cats 7.6
Crows 7.5
🆗 TK!#AFLCatsCrows pic.twitter.com/j73VTNsyHl
— AFL (@AFL) June 28, 2019
Taylor Walker started the term by marking strongly and kicking wisely, at one point a well-timed kick forward found Lachlan Murphy who kicked the first goal of the second quarter.
Hugh Greenwood, playing as a forward, was gifted a goal after Patrick Dangerfield fell foul of the “interfering with a ruck contest” rule and with that goal, the Crows had kicked four straight.
While Walker spent some time on the bench with a sore shoulder, Joel Selwood was picking up touches and he finished the first half with 20 disposals
When Tom Hawkins kicked his second, it started something of a Geelong revival, with goals to Tim Kelly and Jed Bews.
Crows debutant Ben Davis had a set shot from the 50m line, but couldn’t quite make the distance and put the teams level.
After the siren, Hawkins hit the post and Geelong were up by a point.
Cats star Patrick Dangerfield left the field late in the quarter looking sore after hitting the ground hard after a marking attempt.
THIRD QUARTER
Cats 11.9 (75)
Crows 9.7 (61)
Taylor Walker bamboozles a few Cats and finds Brodie Smith all by himself for a goal!#AFLCatsCrows pic.twitter.com/koPA4wnKxh
— AFL (@AFL) June 28, 2019
The Crows defence was tested early: Alex Keath, Luke Brown and Rory Laird were all working hard, but Geelong started to gain some momentum and the forward line clicked. A Gryan Miers goal made it four unanswered goals.
And so it took a backman in Brodie Smith to break that momentum, when he found himself up forward and in the right spot to receive a Walker handball and he run into an open goal and the Crows were back to within a point.
The Cats gained ascendancy in the all-important contested possession count this quarter — up 117 to 109 by quarter’s end, but it was the inside-50s that were hurting: Geelong was up 48 to 33. And despite the Crows refusing to give up, goals to Miers and Guthrie gave the Cats a 14-point lead.
FOURTH QUARTER
Cats 14.12 (96)
Crows 10.9 (69)
The score review is messy but you’ve got to feel for the reviewers! Two tonight have been unfathomably close #AFLCatsCrows
— Josh Jenkins (@JoshJenkins24) June 28, 2019
Geelong dominated this quarter in every which way and held the Crows goalless right up until the final 47 seconds of the game when Elliott Himmelberg snapped at goal. Tim Kelly ran rampant, and added a second to his goal tally, while Brad Crouch hit the post. Three behinds to Kelly, Hawkins and Dangerfield kept the scoreline looking better than it should have, but the Crows were completely dominated. Gary Ablett finished off the Crows with a too-easy running goal with only 30 seconds left in the game and they proved themselves the league leaders with their 27-point win. And the Crows Kardinia Park losing streak continues. You can call it a hoodoo now.
Plenty of love shown for tonight's debutant @bennabeadavis from his Crows teammates 🤗 Go well, Benny! #weflyasone pic.twitter.com/FPoVbmbIWW
— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) June 28, 2019
GEELONG V ADELAIDE
Friday June 28, 7:20pm
GMHBA Stadium
Weather: Fine, Max 18C
TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy (live)
Radio: TripleM, ABC891, FIVEaa
Live stream: Kayosports.com.au
CATS
B: Tuohy, Kolodjashnij, O’Connor
HB: Henry, Taylor, Stewart
C: Dangerfield, Kelly, Duncan
HF: Dahlhaus, Fogarty, Hawkins
F: Ablett, Bews, Atkins
FOLL: Blicavs, Guthrie, J. Selwood
I/C: Stanley, Miers, Clark, Parfitt
EMG: Parsons, Smith, Buzza, S. Selwood
IN: Fogarty, Bews
OUT: Fort, Rohan
CROWS
B: Brown, Talia, Laird
HB: Smith, Keath, Gibbs
C: Atkins, B. Crouch, Kelly
HF: Gallucci, Walker, Douglas
F: Greenwood, Himmelberg, Betts
FOLL: O’Brien, M. Crouch, Sloane
I/C: Seedsman, Hartigan, Davis, Murphy
EMG: Mackay, Jones, Otten, Jacobs
IN: Gibbs, Himmelberg, Davis
OUT: Milera, Jenkins, Ellis-Yolmen
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