The Adelaide Crows’ top-10 moments from season 2017
CHIEF Football Writer Michelangelo Rucci looks at the top-10 moments in the Adelaide Crows’ 2017 AFL season.
ADELAIDE completed its mission to be the AFL’s pacesetter — as highlighted by its first league minor premiership since 2005 — with the most attacking football delivered ever by the Crows.
The ride was not always smooth, particularly after a 6-0 start that tagged Adelaide as “unbeatable” while scoreboards repeatedly kept flashing with 20-plus goals each game. But it has been built on individual brilliance, team strength and some phenomenal moments that mark this as a season like no other for the Crows.
As in the past, there have been the remarkable goals from specialist forward Eddie Betts. Some moment seem to never end. There are new shining lights, in particular with the return from basketball of rookie-listed midfielder Hugh Greenwood. And the season did begin with unprecedented success — with the first national women’s league premiership.
The best might be still to come as Adelaide on Friday seeks to end a 19-year AFL grand final drought — and unlock the trophy cabinet to add a third AFL premiership cup to the collection started with the 1997-98 double with Malcolm Blight’s heroes.
Adelaide’s highlights reel from Season 2017 is rich with memorable moments. The Advertiser has ranked the top-10 moments from a year that might still have its crowning moment in the making.
1. CATNAPPED
ROUND 18. So many questions needed to be answered after the first Crows-Cats encounter of the season on June 2 at Kardinia Park where Geelong coach Chris Scott again worked his reliable playbook to leave Adelaide with its fifth consecutive to the Cats loss since 2014.
The Crows stood up with a “new” physical approach — and reverted to a tagger with Riley Knight — to have the Cats on their back feet by Adelaide’s fast five-goal start.
2. SMASHED
ROUND 20: How good can a derby get for the Adelaide Football Club?
Beating Port Adelaide by a record 84 points, reclaiming the lead in the Showdown ledger at 22-21 and leaving the Power with a major rethink on the state of its line-up pretty much cleared the wishlist for the Crows.
And locking in a top-four finish for the first time since 2012 — while denying such to the Power — adds to the joy.
3. JINX BREAKER
ROUND 2: Hawthorn was Adelaide’s bogey team with the Hawks holding a record seven-game winning streak dating back to 2012 — and including two finals.
It was not the best start with Hawthorn kicking six goals in the first term and leading at half-time at the MCG.
But the Crows have been superb in thinking their ways out of bad jams this season.
The 24-point win with a dominant second-half marked Adelaide’s first triumph against the Hawks in Melbourne since 2009.
4. THE GOV
AUGUST 28: In a year when there is so much concern with Adelaide’s ability to hold its stars, the re-signing of young forward Mitch McGovern to a three-season extension after the West Australian ignored a significant offer from Fremantle is a major win for the Crows list-management team.
Now that question of where young defender Jake Lever plays next season.
5. JONO’S NIGHT
ROUND 12: After such a long wait to get a chance in the AFL, rookie-listed Jonathan Beech had the emotional moment of the season with his first goal — against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval in Friday Night Football.
The 26-year-old forward dedicated the goal to his mother Tammy who died in October after a short battle with cancer, aged 53.
6. THE MARK
ROUND 19: Adelaide had drawn just one game in its 27-year AFL journey — against St Kilda at the defunct Waverley Park in 1994 — before taking two premiership points off Collingwood at the MCG seemed as good as a victory.
The comeback from a 53-point half-time deficit was capped magnificently by young forward Mitch McGovern rising in a pack to take one of the greatest contested marks of all time.
He goal after the siren left the game at 103-103.
7. SLOANE MASTER
ROUND 3: Showdowns with Port Adelaide are billed as the closest the Crows and Power get to experiencing an AFL final in the home-and-away series.
So big performances in the derby make for big reputations. Crows vice-captain Rory Sloane left Port Adelaide mesmerised with his dominance — and sent a signal across the AFL of how he can influence a game from the midfield.
Sloane won the Showdown Medal as best-afield for the first time with the standout feature of his game being the 24 contested touches.
8. STARE DOWN
QUALIFYING FINAL: There is always that question of what is the best way to present the team during the national anthem before a game — side-by-side or with locked arms?
Adelaide came up with a “new edge” when it stared down the Greater Western Sydney players and left them flat-footed at the end of the national anthem at Adelaide Oval a fortnight ago.
The concept clearly was intended to intimidate.
9. RAIN MASTERS
ROUND 10: Wow, it poured at Adelaide Oval on May 27.
And the Crows completely ignored the downpour to emerge as the AFL’s best team in the wet as Adelaide scored 5.9 in the rain-soaked first quarter and had 9.18 on the scoreboard at half-time to put Fremantle out of the game.
The final margin — 100 points — marked the first time any team coached by Ross Lyon had fallen by the ton.
10. DOUGY’S BACK
ROUND 5: Richard Douglas, the 2010 club champion, has found a new gear in his 12th season at Adelaide after arriving as the No. 16 pick from the first round of the 2006 AFL national draft.
“Dougy” celebrated his 200th AFL game milestone in yet another successful trip to the Gold Coast.
The Crows’ 23.15 equalled the club’s record score against the Suns set last season.
It also marked Adelaide’s highest score of the season, a week after also scoring 153 points against Essendon.