Adelaide Crows’ premiership dream ends in tears with Grand Final mauling from Richmond Tigers
RICHMOND denied minor premier Adelaide a fairytale finish to the season. Instead it created its own on the way to ending a 37-year premiership drought.
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THE dream turned into a nightmare.
Minor premier Adelaide saved one of its worst performances of the season for last, heartbreakingly falling one win short of completing one of sport’s greatest tragedies to triumphs stories.
A match that was supposed to put the exclamation mark on the brave club’s remarkable ability to rebound from a series of major setbacks, including the loss of previous coach Phil Walsh, ended with the Crows players in tears after they were upset by 48 points by an underrated Richmond team with an insatiable appetite for the contest.
Adelaide — so resilient off the field — simply couldn’t handle the heat on the biggest stage of all.
After kicking the opening two goals of the game, it crumbled under the Tigers’ incredible pressure, kicking its lowest score of the season, 8.12, as Richmond — 13th last year — ended its 37-year premiership drought in spectacular fashion.
The Crows, who lost an AFL grand final for the first time after winning their first two in 1997-98, led by 11 points at quarter-time.
But they trailed from the moment former South Australian under-18 captain Jack Graham, playing just his fifth game for Richmond in his debut season, kicked his first of three grand final goals 25 minutes into the second quarter.
The Crows were smashed by 27 in contested ball — an area of strength this year — continually turned the ball over under pressure and its stars failed to shine.
Only a handful of Crows played anywhere near the best, with Matt Crouch gathering 35 disposals, his brother Brad having 27, and ruckman Sam Jacobs and vice-captain Rory Sloane enjoying strong first halves.
Adelaide’s highly touted forward line did not fire, with Eddie Betts kicking only one goal and Josh Jenkins, Tom Lynch and Andy Otten failing to kick a goal between them.
Richmond, with an unconventional small forward line that terrorises the opposition, had conceded an average of just 62 points in its previous eight games.
And it put a vice-like grip on the AFL’s highest-scoring team.
Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin followed up his Brownlow Medal win on Monday night with the Norm Smith Medallist as best on field.
His superb performance included 28 disposals, including 21 contested, six clearances and two goals.
Defender Bachar Houli, Croweaters Graham and Shane Edwards, Dion Prestia and Alex Rance were other standout performers for the Tigers.
Adelaide started the day by adopting the same intimidating “Staredown Stance’’ for the national anthem that it successfully employed in finals wins against GWS and Geelong.
Richmond’s response was for its players to stand opposite with their arms around each other.
Just as they did in their previous two finals, the Crows hit the ground running.
After a nervous start from both teams, Matt Crouch found Sloane in space with a clever pass inside 50 and the vice-captain spilt the uprights to nail the first goal of the grand final in the fourth minute.
A minute later the Crows had another major when Betts swooped on a fumble from Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin and ran into an open goal.
The Tigers were winning their share of the ball around the contest but were jittery in the back half while Jack Riewoldt missed their first three shots at goal.
Richmond’s nerves settled when Dan Butler found Josh Caddy unmarked inside 50 and he snapped the ball around his body to kick the Tigers’ first goal in a grand final since 1982.
Rebounding half-back Houli gave Richmond its first lead when he snapped truly from 40m four minutes later as the match heated up.
Adelaide then hit the Tigers with a significant one-two punch.
Jacobs won important hit-outs in stoppages close to goal and Sloane and Hugh Greenwood capitalised with snap shot goals as the Crows snatched a handy 11-point lead at the first change.
Adelaide kicked at 80 per cent efficiency in the opening stanza but its sizzling ball movement collapsed in the second quarter.
The Crows did not handle Richmond’s heat around the contest and turned the ball over, resulting in nine kick clangers alone.
They were held goalless for the term — the only quarter in 36 meetings against the Tigers where they haven’t kicked a goal.
In contrast, Richmond, which was dominating centre clearances, hit the scoreboard.
With Martin starting to have an influence, Houli continuing to rack up disposals, Prestia getting his hands on the ball and Rance intercepting well, the Tigers kicked the only four goals of the quarter — including one to Graham — to break to a nine-point lead at half-time.
Adelaide key forwards Taylor Walker, Jenkins and Otten had managed just 10 disposals and failed to kick a goal between them as the pre-match favourite had its back to the wall.
And nine minutes into the third quarter it was gone.
Graham caught Sloane holding the ball to goal and when Shaun Grigg and Kane Lambert booted majors Richmond had kicked seven consecutive goals, its lead was out to 28 points and it had all the momentum.
The last quarter became party time for the Tigers, with Martin putting the finishing touches on a big day by kicking his side’s final goal with a brilliant snap.
RICHMOND 2.3 4.7 11.8 16.12 (108)
ADELAIDE 4.2 4.7 5.10 8.12 (60)
BEST — Richmond: Martin, Houli, Graham, Prestia, Edwards, Rance, Nankervis, Lambert.
Adelaide: M. Crouch, Jacobs, B. Crouch, Sloane, Laird, Lever.
GOALS — Richmond: Graham 3, Martin, Riewoldt, Townsend 2, Prestia, Grigg, Houli, Caddy, Lambert, Butler, Castagna.
Adelaide: Sloane, Walker 2, B. Crouch, Betts, Greenwood, Cameron.
UMPIRES — M. Stevic, S. Meredith, S. Ryan.
CROWD — 100,021 at the MCG.
NORM SMITH MEDAL: Dustin Martin (Richmond).
Originally published as Adelaide Crows’ premiership dream ends in tears with Grand Final mauling from Richmond Tigers
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