Eddie Betts and Brodie Smith shine as Adelaide snaps two-game losing streak with thumping win over Gold Coast
Milestone man Eddie Betts bagged six majors — including a goal of the year contender — as Adelaide produced its most complete performance of the season to demolish Gold Coast by 73 points.
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It was a day for the milestone men.
Crows favourite Eddie Betts turned Adelaide Oval into his playground in his 300th game with a spectacular six-goal haul that included a goal of the year contender against Gold Coast on Sunday.
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Having already won the AFL goal of the year award three times, the 32-year-old added another brilliant major to his personal highlights reel to celebrate becoming just the sixth indigenous player to reach the 300-game milestone.
His left-foot checkside kick from the boundary line, 30m from goal, under pressure from Sun Jarrod Harbrow 20 minutes into the final term put the exclamation point on a breakout game for Don Pyke’s previously struggling team.
But while Betts celebrated his big day in style — he wore football boots with 300 games inscribed on them alongside the names of his four children — Lewis, Billy, Alice and Maggie — this was no one man freak show.
SIR EDDIE#AFLCrowsSuns pic.twitter.com/t4OlAnCX6S
— AFL (@AFL) April 21, 2019
Rebounding halfback Brodie Smith, whose 150th game had been upstaged by Betts’ milestone, took matters into his own hands when things weren’t going the Crows’ way early.
With Adelaide treading water in the second quarter and playing the type of slow, error-riddled and clueless football that put them in a 1-3 hole, Smith decided enough was enough.
After both sides had kicked just one goal in 36 minutes of horrible footy, the 2014 All-Australian — the one Adelaide player to play with dash and dare and hit targets by foot early in the game — took the game over when it was needed.
He courageously thrust his body backwards to take an overhead contested mark, quickly jumped to his feet, charged towards goal and sank a long bomb major from 55m.
Smith’s goal not only ignited the previously frustrated crowd but also his teammates.
From there the Crows were a different side, moving the ball quickly and with precision to reel off another four goals in eight minutes to blow the game wide open by halftime, leading by 34 points before running away with the match in the second half to win by 73 points, 18.11 (119) to 6.10 (46).
FORWARDS FIND FORM
ADELAIDE’S out-of-sorts forwards joined the Betts party on a day Pyke’s side broke its scoring shackles.
The Crows started the game ranked equal-17th in scoring, averaging just 69.2 points a game, but they cracked the 100-point barrier for the first time this season against the Suns, booting 18.11 (119).
While Betts bagged six, fellow small forward Lachlan Murphy and out-of-form co-captain Taylor Walker each kicked three in a breakout game.
Walker had kicked just three goals in his first four games this season.
HUGH SHINES IN COMEBACK
THE fans have been calling for his return and when Hugh Greenwood finally got his AFL call-up on Sunday he didn’t let them down.
Forced to fight his way back into the side after an abdominal injury cost him valuable pre-season training time, the strong-bodied midfielder was excellent in his first AFL match of the season after good form in the SANFL.
After earning a recall following a powerful 33-disposal, two-goal effort against Woodville-West Torrens, Greenwood was excellent against the Suns.
He set the tone with his strength in the contest and finished with 18 disposals and two goals.
THE DROUGHT CONTINUES
ADELAIDE is still the only club the Suns have yet to beat in their nine years in the AFL.
Sunday’s loss was their 12th straight against the Crows, with an average losing margin of 57 points.
The closest they gave got was 28 points at Metricon Stadium in round 14, 2013.
Adelaide’s 12-game winning streak is its greatest against any opponent.
Its next best is eight against North Melbourne (2004-09), Richmond (2000-05) and St Kilda (2012-18).
The Suns are also yet to win at Adelaide Oval.
They are 0-5, losing to the Crows four times and Port Adelaide once.
HOME GROWN TALENT
THE Suns have the biggest collection of South Australian-born AFL players outside of the two SA-based clubs, Adelaide and Port Adelaide, with 11.
Six of them played against the Crows — last year’s No. 2 draft pick Jack Lukosius, mature-age pick-up Chris Burgess, 2017 third-round draft selection Charlie Ballard, former Power defender Jack Hombsch and ex-Geelong midfielders Jordan Murdoch and George Horlin-Smith.
Murdoch was the pick of them on Sunday, finishing with 23 disposals and five marks while Lukosius kicked his first AFL goal in the third quarter.
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