AFL round 6: Adelaide Crows v Essendon Bombers, scores and latest news

Adelaide’s finals chances are on the brink of extinction after a gutting loss to Essendon which had coach Matthew Nicks conceding his side had gone backwards.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 19: Darcy Parish of the Bombers breaks away from Jordan Dawson of the Crows during the round six AFL match between Adelaide Crows and Essendon Bombers at Adelaide Oval, on April 19, 2024, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

As frustrating as the controversial finish to Adelaide’s loss to Essendon was for Matthew Nicks, the coach conceded the Crows took a step backwards on Friday night and would have stolen the win if the frantic final minutes had gone their way.

Nicks preferred not to comment on the contentious non-call on Bombers big man Sam Draper, who dived on the ball in the final seconds of the clash, with Taylor Walker denied a chance to win the game after the siren from a holding the ball free kick 25m out.

But a week after the Crows stunned Carlton for their first win of the season, they looked slow and struggled to move the ball with any fluency for large patches of the game on their way to a 1-5 record that makes playing finals this season a faint hope more than a realistic ambition.

Essendon players celebrate at the final siren. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“Our record is not where we want it and, unfortunately, our game wasn’t either, so we took a step back,” Nicks said.

“We felt like the last two weeks we had taken a couple of big steps forward … and we felt like we were in a good space, but this was a step backwards, unfortunately.

“That’s the bigger issue for us … we want to hold that momentum of form, we want to play a game that we walk off and be proud of.

“I think we’re all a bit disappointed with what we put out there.

“We lost the contest, we got out-tackled, so there were just a lot of areas that weren’t working.

“Our backs were to the wall and we hung in, but we expect so much more than that … (than) where we’re at at the moment.

“We expect so much more, so it’s disappointing.”

While the Draper non-free kick was the big talking point, Nicks bemoaned his side’s failure to grasp one of the several scoring opportunities that arose from repeat forward 50 entries in the dying minutes.

“I don’t know how many times we went inside 50 in a row, but we found our assertiveness and our aggression,” he said.

“Where had that been for the night? That was another disappointing part … where had that been?

“We had some chances.”

Sam Durham is wrapped up by Will Hamill and Mitch Hinge. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

In terms of positives to come from the three-point loss, Jake Soligo took another big step forward on his seemingly inevitable path to becoming an elite midfielder, and skipper Jordan Dawson shook off an indifferent start to the season with a best afield performance.

“He’s a warrior … he’s always going to step up and fight for us,” Nicks said of Dawson.

“I thought he impacted the game at crucial times.

“If we get over the line we’re probably talking a lot deeper about that and what he was able to do, but unfortunately one kick can often change a changeroom.

“Last week we came in knocking one through at the end but this week we didn’t do it.

“Last week we played a much more complete brand of footy as a team, this week we didn’t and we would’ve stolen one if we had got up.

“But Daws stepped up as a captain.”

Sam Berry will be assessed for a foot injury that saw him subbed out of the game in the second half.

DAWSON RESURGENCE A SILVER LINING IN PAINFUL CROWS LOSS

— Matt Turner, analysis

Adelaide will be ruing another could-have game but a silver lining is that at least Jordan Dawson is back.

Out of form to start the year, the Crows captain’s “sheer guts” kept his side in Friday night’s home game against Essendon, just as the Bombers looked like running away with it.

Dawson’s inspirational second quarter helped cut a 21-point deficit at the 16-minute mark to five points by halftime.

His statistics in that term included seven disposals at 86 per cent efficiency, five contested possessions, three tackles, two marks (one contested) and a pair of goals.

Mason Redman gets a kick away as Mitch Hinge closes in. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Dawson finished the match with an equal game-high 31 disposals, a team-high nine tackles and a match-best 734 metres gained.

But he was unable to get his team over the line, leaving the Crows with a 1-5 record and their finals chances on life support.

The skipper was Adelaide’s best, along with Jake Soligo, and looked like his 2023 self — the one who won Adelaide’s best-and-fairest and made the All-Australian team.

Jordan Dawson tries to lift the Crows. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Dawson had not played quite that way all season.

His disposal and decision-making had been uncharacteristically poor earlier in the year.

And he was coming off a mere 12 disposals last week, his lowest amount since 2018.

“He was out of form, he looked really like he was struggling big time, like the rest of the team,” Crows football director Mark Ricciuto said on Fox Footy.

“It looked like Essendon was there to put the game away in the first half of that second quarter.

“But then Jordan Dawson just exploded onto the scene.

Ruckmen Reilly O’Brien and Todd Goldstein do battle. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“He has struggled this year, his kicking hasn’t been as good, his decision-making hasn’t been as good, his disposals haven’t been there.

“But to be able to change the game off his own boot halfway through the quarter when he’s struggling has been an amazing effort.

“He did it just by sheer guts.”

The match would have been one that got away for the Bombers.

Darcy Fogarty climbs over Jayden Laverde. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

They finished with 19 more inside-50s and made it very difficult for the Crows to find any fluency early.

The inside 50 count had been 16-6 at quarter-time, 32-16 at the long break and 47-26 at three-quarter time.

Adelaide finished with 42 as the ball lived in its front half late in the match as the Bombers desperately tried to hang on.

Essendon had 28 scoring shots to 20 but some errant kicking and stoic Crows defending kept the contest close.

Bombers coach Brad Scott would have been thrilled at the pressure his side applied from the outset, registering 27 tackles in the opening term.

The Bombers also showed grit to fight back from a 19-point deficit 18 minutes into the third term, two weeks after fading badly against Port at the same venue in Gather Round.

Originally published as AFL round 6: Adelaide Crows v Essendon Bombers, scores and latest news