Upset wins, high scoring shootouts and plenty of finals - the best Adelaide Crows victories of the 2010s
The Adelaide Crows have taken out some classics over the past 10 years, and we’ve ranked the best ones of the lot.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Crows settle with Burton after court threat over sacking
- The best Showdowns of the decade
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
The Adelaide Football Club fell short of the ultimate success throughout the 2010s, but it provided the footy community with some of the most memorable games.
The Crows overcame incredible adversity throughout this past decade and some of their matches will forever live on as some of their greatest.
Watch over 50 sports LIVE on Kayo! Stream to your TV, mobile, tablet or computer. Just $25/month, cancel anytime. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Here are our top 10 Crows victories of the decade.
10. Adelaide 12.9 (81) v Fremantle 11.5 (71) - Second semi-final, 2012
The Crows had finished second on the home and away ladder, but produced a woeful performance in the qualifying final to lose to Sydney at Football Park.
After a half of football, a straight sets finals exit beckoned as they trailed an impressive Freo outfit by 13 points.
Yet, a forward on the rise, Taylor Walker, in just his 63rd game threw his team-mates on his shoulders and booted five massive goals to claw the Crows back to a 10-point win.
Jason Porplyzia was also terrific with three, while Scott Thompson had 27 touches.
9. Adelaide 15.9 (99) v Sydney 14.10 (94) - Round 6, 2012
The Crows failed in their first challenge of the 2012 season back in round three, and were comfortably flogged by Hawthorn by 56 points.
Yet, they sat with a 4-1 record after victories over Gold Coast, Western Bulldogs, GWS and Port Adelaide.
The Crows started in style with Walker, Kurt Tippett, Matthew Jaensch and a double from off-season recruit Ian Callinan booting goals to give them a four-goal lead at the first break.
The Swans came back hard and took a seven-point lead at three-quarter-time.
An early blitz from Walker, Jaensch, Jared Petrenko and Callinan shocked the Swans in the final quarter and they held on to win by five points.
Walker snagged five while Callinan and Petrenko finished with three apiece.
8. Adelaide 18.22 (130) v Port Adelaide 7.4 (46) - Round 20, 2017
The Crows were roaring towards the finals and next was their fierce rival in torrential rain at Adelaide Oval.
The horrendous weather deterred thousands, making it the lowest attended Showdown at the venue in history, but the Crows came to play.
Despite Justin Westhoff kicking the first of the game, the Crows came to play, booting the next seven of the match to lead by 48 points early in the third stanza.
It looked as if it would become the first meeting between the two clubs to exceed 100 points, but the Crows fell short, winning by a Showdown record 84 points.
It was one of the most complete performances from Adelaide for the 2017 campaign, and it belted its arch nemesis in the process.
7. Adelaide 16.13 (109) v Western Bulldogs 14.18 (102) - Elimination final, 2015
2015 was a year from hell for the Adelaide Crows, with the death of coach Phil Walsh.
It was a miracle the club was able to rally to push towards the finals, and they rallied hard.
The Crows were smashed out of the park in the opening four minutes, but three goals from Eddie Betts and one each to Rory Sloane, Walker and Ricky Henderson got their side back on top.
From then on, Adelaide deflected everything the Bulldogs threw at them.
Walker was again the hero, kicking a major to put his side in front and then dishing a massive kick off to Charlie Cameron, who kicked the sealer.
6. Adelaide 10.16 (76) v Collingwood 7.13 (55) - Round 9, 2014
The backs against the wall after an embarassing loss to Melbourne a fortnight earlier, having had the bye the week prior, the Crows needed a response.
Despite that, Adelaide started poorly, and trailed the Magpies by 11 points at quarter-time and a goal at half-time.
Then the third quarter resurgence came.
Richard Douglas levelled the scores early in the third, before James Podsiadly, Charlie Cameron, Josh Jenkins and finally Eddie Betts sealed the deal.
The Pies had plenty of chances late to get back into the match, but wasted their chances in front of goal.
5. Adelaide 13.18 (96) v Port Adelaide 14.9 (93) - Round 20, 2018
The equal closest Showdown of all time and one of the most controversial due to the winning goal.
The Crows had struggled in 2018, just 12 months after making the grand final and had lost the first Showdown of the year to Port in a thriller.
After a shootout in the first quarter which left scores tied, the Power led at each break, including by one at the final break.
With the game in their grasps, Ollie Wines marked the ball on an angle, opted to try a snap to bury the game and instead buried it into the stands.
Betts goaled and Josh Jenkins would seal a winner which could’ve been deemed to hit the post, all but ending the Power’s season.
Jenkins finished with three and Sloane had two and 26 touches.
4. Adelaide 14.10 (94) v Geelong 14.8 (92) - Round 17, 2013
The Crows were struggling hard to keep their season alive and came into their game against Geelong with a 6-9 record.
After kicking five goals to one in the second quarter, the Cats looked home and they led by 24 points at half-time.
A Tom Lonergan goal put Geelong up by 30 points early in the third, but Matt Wright and Tom Lynch hit back to trim it to 18.
James Kelly and Josh Caddy nailed two extra for the Cats, and the lead was back intact at the 12-minute mark.
Yet, Lynch was the hero in the third, kicking two more and Jenkins one as they got back to within 14 points.
The Crows then piled on five goals to two in the final quarter, with Matty Wright putting them in front in the 25 minute mark, ultimately kicking the sealer.
3. Adelaide 18.17 (125) v North Melbourne 19.10 (124) - Round 9, 2013
One of the greatest and underrated games of Australian Rules football in recent years.
The Roos had shot away from the Crows in the first quarter to lead by 20 points at quarter-time.
A seven goal to six second term trimmed the margin back to 10 but it was an all-out shootout.
Despite a five-goal deficit midway through the final quarter, the Crows came storming home.
Sam Kerridge kicked three fourth term goals, Richard Douglas kicked in and Jared Petrenko kicked the winner with just second remaining, letting the Roos faithful know about it.
Kerridge finished with six, Jenkins slotted two and Douglas, Bernie Vince and Petrenko kicked two apiece.
2. Adelaide 18.8 (116) v Port Adelaide 17.11 (113) - Round 16, 2015
Get the job done.
It was a surreal Showdown - no entrance songs and a united front from both supporters mourning the death of Crows coach and former Port assistant Phil Walsh.
What the two sides produced was one of the all-time classics.
The Crows burst out through Jenkins, Matt Crouch and Ricky Henderson, which was followed by Walker, Brodie Martin and Douglas, and they led by 15 points at the first change.
Charlie Cameron’s goal at the 20 minute mark of the second quarter saw the lead push out to 34 points, and it looked done and dusted.
The Power hit back again and it was 17 points at the main change.
The Crows were home at three-quarter-time, having kicked seven goals to four in the ‘premiership’ quarter and led by five goals.
Yet, the Power came fighting back, and with seconds remaining, Robbie Gray had them within three points.
The siren sounded and the Crows claimed an emotional victory, with Scott Thompson receiving the Phil Walsh Medal, a special version of the Showdown Medal.
1. Adelaide 21.10 (136) v Geelong 10.15 (75) - Preliminary final, 2017
The most complete Crows performance of the decade, and the most dominant.
Adelaide stormed out through its superstar small forwards - Charlie Cameron and Eddie Betts - goalling in the opening three minutes.
Despite Nakia Cockatoo’s response, the Crows were all over the Cats.
The Crows kicked the next six of the game to open up a massive 48-point lead early in the second quarter.
The determination was a joy to watch, underlined by Rory Sloane’s hard collision with former team-mate Patrick Dangerfield, and the Crows gun got up straight away.
Adelaide couldn’t be stopped, it was centre stage, it continued to pummel the Cats, as their opponents desperately tried to keep in the contest.
Jenkins kicked three final quarter goals, finishing with four for the match, Cameron had five and Rory Laird had 31 touches as the Crows made their first decider since 1998.