What Adelaide can learn from Port’s victory as it prepares for a contested-ball showdown against Geelong

Since Round 4, Adelaide is the equal-best contested-ball side in the AFL, along with Geelong. Can the Crows match the Power’s performance last week and beat the Cats in this key area?

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Geelong taught the Crows a lesson in contested-ball in Round 3 at Adelaide Oval, winning the count by 33 — their equal-highest differential of the year.

Don Pyke’s men were beaten at the contest by 17 the following week against the Kangaroos and, after four rounds, were sitting at 1-3 with the fourth-worst contested-ball differential in the competition.

But since the disappointing loss at Marvel Stadium, Adelaide has won seven of its past nine matches with its work at the contest — along with its ability to defend the ground — the key to the turnaround, which has it one win outside the top-four after 14 rounds.

Geelong’s Tim Kelly swoops on the ball during the Round 3 victory over the Crows at Adelaide Oval. Picture: David Mariuz/AAP

“It’s been a clear focus for us,” Pyke said when asked what has changed since the slow start.

“Our numbers early from a contest viewpoint were really poor and we were getting beaten in contested-ball.”

Since Round 4, the Crows have only lost the count twice, recording an average differential of +11.7 to rank as the equal-best contested-ball side over the past 10 rounds.

“(The improvement) has allowed us to not only win our share but to get some field position on the opposition.”

“And that’s going to be important come Friday night,” Pyke noted head of the Round 15 rematch against Geelong, who share the title of best contested-ball side since Round 4.

Important is an understatement.

Adelaide midfielder Hugh Greenwood said Adelaide’s on-ball brigade have spoken at length about the challenge that awaits them at Kardinia Park.

“That’s the area where the game is won and lost, particularly against this group. We know (that to) win we need to win that area,” Greenwood told The Lowdown Podcast.

As the 27-year-old stated, however, “it’s easier said than done”.

Round 5-14	Contested posession diff.
Geelong	+11.7
Adelaide	+11.7
GWS	+11.2
Melbourne	+10.6
Port Adelaide	+7.9
Essendon	+6.2
North Melbourne	+4.9
Collingwood	+4.8
Fremantle	+4.7
Brisbane	+4.1
Western Bulldogs	-0.3
West Coast	-7.4
St Kilda	-7.9
Carlton	-9.2
Gold Coast	-11.4
Hawthorn	-12.1
Sydney	-12.8
Richmond	-16.4

But cross-town rival Port Adelaide not only showed it can be done, but what can happen when you do beat the Cats at the contest.

Led by Scott Lycett (18 contested possessions), Travis Boak (17) and Robbie Gray (12) in the midfield, the Power won the count by 36 — its highest differential of the year — and the game by 11 at Adelaide Oval in Round 14.

And, tellingly, it was Geelong’s third-worst differential under coach Chris Scott.

Scott Lycett with one of his game-high 18 contested possessions against the Cats

Further highlighting its dominance, Port Adelaide won the ground-ball count by 18 — the Cats’ biggest defeat in this statistic since 2016 — and recorded a post-clearance contested-possession differential of +14.

“It was really clear right from the start, the clearance work in particular was, from our perspective, horrible to start with and it didn’t get much better as the game went on,” Geelong coach Chris Scott conceded post-match.

“It’s hard to build momentum from the defensive 50 when you’re being slaughtered around the ball.”

PORT AT THE CONTEST v GEELONG

	R14 v Geelong	Season rank
Groundball diff.	+18	Second-best
Contested posession diff.	+36	Season-best
Post-clearance CP diff.	+14	Fourth-best

GEELONG’S SCORING

	Round 1-13	Comp Rank	R14 v Port
Marks Inside 50	12.2	Equal 4th	5
Score per Inside 50	48%	2nd	36.4%
Goal per Inside 50	28.9%	1st	18.2%
Points for	99.3	1st	56

As co-captain Tom Jonas told The Lowdown Podcast, winning the contested-ball wasn’t the only key to beating the Cats.

“We really wanted to take their small forwards out of it because they’re so reliable rocking up to the crumb so we made sure we didn’t give them any opportunities.”

It was obvious the Power went in with a clear plan and, more importantly, executed it.

Port restricted the highest-scoring team this season to just 56 points — 43 points less than its average — by limiting Geelong to just five marks inside 50 and only allowing them to score 36.4 per of the time it went inside 50 — 12 per cent less than its average.

While winning the clearance battle was critical, given Geelong is the second-best side in the game for scoring from stoppages, the blanketing of key forward Tom Hawkins and his army of smalls was just as significant.

Geelong coach Chris Scott walks off Adelaide Oval in front of Harry Taylor and Cameron Guthrie after the Round 14 loss to the Power. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images.

As Jonas explained, getting the ball out of the area or winning it back, restricted the influence of Luke Dahlhaus and Gryan Miers, in particular.

Both recorded season-low disposals, Champion Data ranking points and score involvements.

Dalhahus, Miers, Gary Ablett and Brandan Parfitt all average more than two groundball-get inside forward 50 per game.

After combining for 11 against the Tigers the previous week, the quartet tallied just four between them against the Power.

Can the Crows follow Port’s lead and break the 15-year Kardinia Park hoodoo against a fired-up Geelong side on Friday?

“We will be prepared for a response,” Greenwood declared.

Response might also be an understatement.