AFL Adelaide v GWS: Fatigue failing Adelaide as execution, not opportunity costs the Crows

The Crows finals hopes have taken a serious hit with their last-term loss to the Giants. A look at the stats shows what’s ailing Adelaide.

Matt Turner and Jason Phelan

7 min read

July 16, 2023 - 10:18AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Tempers flare as Josh Rachele and Harry Perryman go at it. Picture: Getty Images

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In a so-called eight-point match, Adelaide could ill afford a last quarter like that.

Crows captain Jordan Dawson cited a lack of composure, failure to win contests, getting beaten aerially and not taking the game on enough among the reasons GWS was able to overcome a 17-point deficit at the final break to prevail by 14 at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

Statistics help to tell the tale of what went wrong.

During the final term, the Giants were +9 in contested possessions, +4 in inside 50s, +7 in hardball gets, +25 in disposals and +6 in contested marks.

Adelaide had 13 inside 50s yet scored just one behind.

Crows coach Matthew Nicks said his side had enough opportunities but could not execute.

GWS dominated the stats sheet in their final-term win over the Crows. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

These were the results of Adelaide’s most wasteful last-quarter inside 50s:

■ Shane McAdam marks from just outside 50 then misses a relatively straightforward 25m kick to a leading Darcy Fogarty, passing it too high

■ Isaac Cumming out-marks Izak Rankine, who seems to misread the flight of the ball

■ Sam Taylor beats Taylor Walker to an entry and out-marks him

■ Rankine hits the post from about 30m

■ Ben Keays, under next to no pressure, kicks the ball out on the full while aiming for a free Josh Rachele in the northeastern pocket, missing him by about 2m

■ Either Lachlan Murphy or Rankine look like taking a mark 30m from goal, but instead spoil each other

Luck wasn’t on the side of Rachele. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

While Adelaide butchered its chances going inside 50, the Giants kicked 5.2 from 17 entries.

They were able to dominate territory for large chunks of the term by ramping up their pressure and winning the aerial ascendancy.

The Crows took 11 contested marks in the first half but just three after the main break, including one in the last quarter.

Between them in the second half, Adelaide’s three key forwards had three disposals and zero marks.

Walker, who started well, booting two goals from eight-disposals to halftime, did not have a possession in the last two quarters.

Tex on the left ðŸ¤ #AFLCrowsGiants pic.twitter.com/wgGnf4P8i2
— AFL (@AFL) July 15, 2023

Thilthorpe had only one – in the third term – among eight for the match.

Fogarty recorded two in the second half (one each in the third and fourth quarters, 10 in total).

He did have a team-high seven pressure acts in the last term, while Thilthorpe had six and Walker three.

The trio had eight marks between them in the first half.

As a team, Adelaide did not take a mark inside 50 in the last quarter.

“It hurts when you’re going forward and aerially being dominated,” Nicks said.

“The first quarter was on our terms, our forwards doing a great job, but that turned as the game kept going.

“In the second half, they just dominated us in that area.

“You’re pushing forward and want to play front of centre and you’re not able to do it … and using a lot of energy trying to bring the ball out (of defence).”

Adelaide struggled to bring the ball out of the Giants’ attacking 50. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

After playing 14 games this season, supporting Reilly O’Brien in ruck, Thilthorpe (one goal) looks like he needs a rest, not unlike the management of the omitted Jake Soligo this week.

Fellow young guns Josh Rachele (one last-quarter disposal) and hard nut Luke Pedlar (two fourth-quarter touches, three final-term turnovers) had an early influence before fading.

Rising Star contender Max Michalanney had his hands full with Giants captain Toby Greene for much of the night and was far from his best.

It is understandable that in high-octane games late in the season that the Crows quartet – none of whom are older than 21 and have 17 to 40 matches to their names – cannot quite sustain the zip they have shown earlier in the campaign.

Thilthorpe was effective early but struggled to have an impact on the final term. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Not that it was just the younger players whose influence decreased as the clash went on.

“We were fighting in the last, we were giving everything,” Nicks said.

“Was there some fatigue there? Possibly.

“We are a young group.

“Every team is fatigued … and we’ve got to be able to grind and push through that.

“We’ve had some young guys who have been outstanding this year and I think it’s pretty obvious are starting to grind through games.

“We’ll have to balance that.”

Speaking about the side in general, Dawson said it “lacked composure and hardness” during the final term.

“We just didn’t take the game on when we needed to in the last and they were able to get front-half footy, and eventually they’re going to score,” Dawson told this masthead.

Dawson was one of the Crows best with 27 disposals. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“When the ball was there to be won, we didn’t win enough.

“All lines lost too many contests in that last quarter.

“We played our game for three quarters … but there was a quarter where we dropped off, they got their tails up and they’re a good running team and we probably didn’t honour that and ran over the top of us.”

Curiously, Adelaide sits third in the AFL for total clearances this season, yet has won the statistic in just five games.

Many of those tallies have been marginal, including on Saturday night (43-40).

The teams Adelaide have beaten in clearances are strugglers Hawthorn, North Melbourne and West Coast, as well as St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.

Key defender Nick Murray was a bright spot for the Crows, recording the third-most intercept possessions with 10, behind only GWS duo Sam Taylor’s 16 and Lachie Whitfield’s 12.

Dawson described the defeat as “pretty devastating”, particularly given it was former captain Rory Sloane’s 250th match for the club.

“He’s been such a warrior for the club and I’ve admired him since I was a young boy, watching him play his first few years,” he said.

“For the majority of the game, I felt like we played for him and wanted to get the win for him, but that just adds to it, the level of disappointment.”

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— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) July 15, 2023

The Western Bulldogs, Essendon and St Kilda all losing this round ensures the Crows still sit one victory outside the top eight, ahead of their remaining six matches.

A tough away clash against top-four contender Melbourne at the MCG awaits.

“Every week is a final for us now – we’re playing for our season,” Dawson said.

“We knew that before the game tonight and I felt like we played like that for the majority of the game, which is why it’s so devastating because we let it slip.”

Crows choke again as finals hopes take huge hit

– Jason Phelan

Josh Kelly-inspired Greater Western Sydney celebrated Lachie Whitfield’s 200th game with a stunning 14-point come-from-behind win over, the surging Giants making it five victories in a row.

Saturday night’s clash was supposed to be a celebration of Rory Sloane’s 250th AFL game, but Adam Kingsley’s men crashed the party with a tense 10.11 (71) to 8.9 (57) win at Adelaide Oval.

The Giants trailed by 17 points at three-quarter time but rattled off the last five goals of the final term to take the lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Kelly was outstanding, as were Whitfield and Toby Greene, who booted three goals.

Josh Kelly starred for the Giants as the Crows fell short. Picture: Getty Images

With just six rounds remaining in the home-and-away season, the clash was a classic ‘eight-point game’ with the Crows ninth on the ladder and the Giants 10th with identical 8-8 records heading into Round 18.

The Crows were well in the fight for most of the evening, but couldn’t manage a goal in a disappointing last quarter of a match that places their own finals bid in jeopardy.

SKIPPER’S SPARK

The Giants had six more inside 50s and five more clearances than the home side in a bright opening, but trailed by five points at the first break after they failed to capitalise in front of goal.

Jordan Dawson had two touches in a subdued first quarter, but the skipper sparked Adelaide’s revival with 14 possessions in an inspired second term where GWS didn’t manage a goal.

With Ben Keays sent to curb Josh Kelly’s influence after he had nine touches and four clearances in the opening term, the Crows managed to gain the ascendancy at the stoppages and send it inside 50 where Taylor Walker loomed large.

Walker, who had an engrossing duel with star defender Sam Taylor, brought up his half-century of goals for the season with his second major of the night after a brilliant pack mark coming from four players deep.

The former skipper also shot a deft handball to Keays, who bounced home a superb goal to help his side to a 17-point halftime lead.

GREENE GREAT

Greene terrorised the Crows with four goals in each of their past two clashes and the GWS skipper stepped up when his side needed him early in the third quarter.

Max Michalanney was given the tough task of minding Greene and the first-year defender did a good job early before the Giants’ superstar got away from him in the second half.

Greene gave his minder the slip to gather a loose ball and kick the visitors’ first goal of the second half then fended off Michalanney and goaled early in the last to spark his side’s run of unanswered goals.

He nearly capped his night with one of the most spectacular marks ever taken, but his giant leap went unrewarded by the umpires.

Rory Sloane tries to calm down Josh Rachele. Picture: Getty Images

ROCKY RACHELE

Josh Rachele looks set for a spell on the sidelines after he was reported for striking.

Rachele is known for his ‘Rocky’ shadow boxing goal celebration, but the star youngster took it too far when he landed a right jab on the chin of Jack Buckley in a fiery second quarter.

Josh Rachele has been reported following this incident.#AFLCrowsGiants pic.twitter.com/e5x3FCwQzI
— AFL (@AFL) July 15, 2023

Just minutes earlier, the 20-year-old was none-too-pleased with the physical attention of Harry Perryman that sparked a scuffle involving several players.

Rachele lost his cool when Perryman appeared to catch him high again, with Buckley wearing a glancing blow after he got in the face of the second-year forward.