Crows add new life to top-eight campaign to cap off a special week after vice-captain Rory Sloane’s contract renewal
CROWS vice-captain Rory Sloane’s signature on a new contract this week is matched by his Adelaide team-mates signing up for the tough battle to win a top-eight finals berth.
RORY, Rory, Rory.
Timing is everything - and if signing a bit of paper (a significant document all will agree) can energise a team (and a city) as your new contract has, perhaps you should have done it in stages Mr Sloane.
This week Season 2019. Next week, 2020 ... and so on to keep the other great dream held by Crows fans - of another September campaign - alive.
The magic number to play in the top-eight finals is now five - to match the five years on Sloane’s new contract. Five wins with six games to play
And it is very much possible on the Sloane-like energy the Crows rediscovered during Thursday night’s 15-point win against finals contender Geelong in a remarkable game at home.
Only one player could have upstaged Sloane last night - team-mate Eddie Betts (rather than former team-mate Patrick Dangerfield).
Betts’ return from his second absence with a hamstring injury gave the Crows attack a key theme that has been missing for some time - the ability to stretch and torment a defence to the goal-line.
And the key to opening up these critical goalsquare opportunities remains Tom Lynch, the vital linkman at the gateway to the Crows’ attack Good thing he has a contract.
Adelaide’s ability to contain Geelong’s attack with the imposing Tom Hawkins and opportunist Daniel Menzel was challenged as soon as the team sheet were lodged 90 minutes before the start time of 7.20pm with key defender Daniel Talia (foot) ruled out.
Adelaide’s new-look defence with Kyle Hartigan and cricket convert Alex Keath (in his first AFL game in 11 months) was exposed by Hawkins’ superiority in the aerial contests. Dangerfield’s presence at the goalfront, drawing Kyle Cheney as his opponent, made it testing on the ground.
AFL match review officer Michael Christian today will deliver - after so many others, including Brownlow Medallist and former Crows captain Mark Ricciuto, have already debate the case with a concerned tone - the critical verdict on current Adelaide captain Taylor Walker’s first-quarter bump on Geelong defender Zach Tuohy.
When so many have wanted Walker to impose his body into contests, this was far from the way to respond. His second tribunal moment in less than a fortnight will not take a minute to dismiss as it did last time.
FIVE THINGS WE’VE LEARNED
With Jesper Fjeldstad
1. Adelaide’s season remains alive after the Crows’ brought back memories of last season with a high-energy, high-scoring performance against another side contesting the eight.
2. Taylor Walker faces another nervous week after being reported for high contact on Cat Zach Tuohy, who left the ground clenching his jaw but later returned to the field after being assessed. The most likely scenario is that match review officer Michael Christian gives the Adelaide captain a week’s holiday.
3. Rory Sloane’s five-year contract could not have come at a better time. Not only did Sloane ignite the Crows with heavy tackles and quick gives from the packs, his teammates and the crowd responded to his energy.
4. When the Crows move the ball quickly they still have the capacity to score heavily against top sides. They kicked more than 100 points for the first time since Round 7 and the five-goal run in the first and second quarters was just as impressive as the final quarter against West Coast.
5. Wayne Milera is taking his game to another level. His run and carry and creativity in the third quarter was just as important as the higher-profile contributions from Rory Laird, Tom Lynch, Matt Crouch and Sloane.