AFL round 2 Essendon v Adelaide: Live updates, scores, SuperCoach scores

The Crows are on the road for round 2, facing an Essendon side searching for its first win of 2025. But will Adelaide’s MCG hoodoo put a stop to Matthew Nicks’ side from being 2-0?

Most Adelaide players will be excited to take on Essendon at the MCG on Saturday, rather than daunted by the club’s record there, Crows great Mark Ricciuto says.

Adelaide is winless from its past 11 matches at the home of football, losing 10 in a row and drawing the one prior in 2017.

The Crows’ most recent MCG victory was against Carlton eight years ago, in a clash that four players selected this Saturday (Matt Crouch, Rory Laird, Wayne Milera and Taylor Walker) featured in.

Of the others set to face the Bombers, Ben Keays (0-9) Darcy Fogarty (0-7) and Reilly O’Brien (0-6) have the largest MCG winless runs.

Draftee Sid Draper and second-year utility Dan Curtin are yet to play there.

Recruits Alex Neal-Bullen (53-1-36), Isaac Cumming (5-4) and James Peatling (2-1) all have winning records there.

Crows great and board member Ricciuto told this masthead most of the squad would not be concerned about the club’s recent history at the ground.

“It’s just a fantastic opportunity for a youngish group to head over to the MCG … and tick another box,” Ricciuto, a Fox Footy expert, said.

“Sid Draper’s not worried about that (losing streak), the three recruits aren’t worried about that – half the side haven’t played in most of those games.

“They’ll just be looking to try to play somewhere near their best and would be excited.”

While Adelaide drew plenty of praise for opening its season with a 63-point home victory over St Kilda on Sunday, Ricciuto did not think the Crows played anywhere near their best.

“I think they’ve got a lot more upside,” he said.

“But I was impressed that the club narrowed its focus to round 1, which puts a lot of pressure on the players and coaches to perform, and still executed well.”

Ricciuto added to the plaudits for small forward Josh Rachele, who kicked two goals from nine disposals.

It was his first first match since being dropped in the last minor round of 2024 for repeatedly failing to adhere to team-first values.

“He’s handled it (getting dropped) really well,” the ex-Crows skipper said.

“I spoke with him when he was in Italy during his off-season to check in with him.

“Clearly he did a lot of work in the off-season, he came back and knocked 20 seconds off his 2km time trial.

“He’s got the right attitude, the miles in the legs and he had a good game last week.

“Now he needs to do the same thing on the MCG.”

* Fox Footy is the only channel broadcasting Port Adelaide and the Crows’ matches, doing so as part of the new ‘Super Saturday Live’ broadcast. Every game of every round is live and ad-break free in 4K on Fox Footy, available on Kayo Sports.

Originally published as AFL round 2 Essendon v Adelaide: Live updates, scores, SuperCoach scores