AFL 2022 Adelaide Crows defeated by Melbourne Demons: Latest news out of the round 16 contest
The race for the AFL recruit of the year remains wide open with several in the conversation. And after this weekend the Adelaide Crows realise they have a serious contender.
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Adelaide’s coaches sometimes must wish they had three of Jordan Dawson.
One to put at half-back, another in the midfield and the third at wing/half-forward.
His versatility has been a blessing for the Crows since joining from Sydney in October, but unfortunately for the club there are few players of his quality on the list.
Last week, Champion Data statistics revealed Dawson was one of only two Crows with a positive kick rating for 2022.
On Saturday, he was either Adelaide’s best or second-best player — alongside industrious midfielder Rory Laird — in the 29-point home loss to Melbourne.
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In a game where composure with the ball and intercept marks were the difference, the Crows did not have enough players like Dawson who could hold their nerve in possession, hit targets inside 50 or bring the ball to ground.
The former Swan finished with a team-high 144 ranking points, 30 touches, 10 marks and seven inside 50s, having an influence in multiple roles.
His piercing kicks helped launch the Crows from defence, where he also took a great, early intercept mark.
When he found himself up the field, Dawson’s delivery to teammates ahead of the ball shone, on a night Adelaide’s inside 50 efficiency was just 37 per cent.
As soon as he was moved into attack in the third quarter, he took a contested mark and kicked a goal.
Ultimately, 68 per cent of his disposals came in the back half of the field.
Is defence where he is best suited right now at the 5-10 Crows?
Probably.
He was a half-back at Sydney before moving to a wing.
When Adelaide recruited him, it suggested it wanted to play him up the ground.
Nicks said on Saturday the club was not going to lock him in one position.
“He’s come in and worked with a lot of our younger guys down back, he’s gone up around the wing and even through that midfield,” Nicks said.
“We use him in a number of different roles depending on what we see and the scenario of where the opposition are at and where the game’s at.”
Teammate Wayne Milera told News Corp Dawson’s versatility was a weapon.
“He can play as a high half-back, play as an intercept marker, on a wing he plays taller and up forward he plays almost like a third tall, has really good hands and judges the ball really well,” Milera said.
Another question around Dawson after Saturday: is he the AFL’s recruit of the year?
Will Brodie (Fremantle), Tyson Stengle (Geelong), George Hewett (Carlton) are also in the conversation.
Nicks said Dawson’s form had not surprised him.
“He’s going really, really well but we probably saw that before he came to the footy club,”
the coach said of the 25-year-old, who finished third in the Swans’ best-and-fairest last season.
“He was performing extremely well at Sydney and a really important part of what they were doing.
“He’s become a really important part of our football club.
“He’s a great footballer, he’s a very smart footballer, he’s got great awareness, understands the game and sees it very well.”
Melbourne counterpart Simon Goodwin said his coaches debated how to curtail Dawson.
“Talking to coaches around the league, he causes a fair bit of angst,” Nicks said.
Nicks played a straight bat when asked if Dawson was the league’s best off-season signing.
“We’re really pleased — he’s definitely our recruit of the year,” he said.
As for Milera’s take: “You could say he could be. He’s been really good for us. He’s shown leadership since he’s got here and he’s torn it up since the first day.”
Milera himself has virtually been a new recruit for the Crows after being sidelined for all of 2021 with a ruptured patella tendon and only playing five AFL games in 2020 due to a foot injury.
He spent plenty of time with the club’s SANFL team, sitting on the bench and learning from coaches.
The 24-year-old returned to face Fremantle in the season-opener, only to be dropped to the SANFL for seven games and not feature again at AFL level until round 11.
He needed to improve his match fitness, sharpness and repeat efforts while in the reserves.
The coaches also had to determine what position in the AFL team suited him most.
Milera played forward on Saturday and had 19 disposals in what was his best game for the year.
“I’m starting to slowly feel better,” Milera said.
“You have 18 months out of the game and it takes a while to get used to the speed of things.
“I wasn’t quite ready (in round 1) and spent that stint in the twos.
“I didn’t really have an idea how long (the SANFL stint would be).
“I’m just looking to play consistent footy now in the ones.”
Like Dawson, Milera is versatile.
Milera’s class and dash seem a better fit at half-back — despite the Crows being stacked in that position — once he gets more games under his belt.
He is enjoying playing in attack right now.
“I’m happy to play wherever Nicksy needs me,” he said.
“I’m just happy to be back playing footy.
“It beats being in the stands.”
Milera getting back to his best is extra important in a developing side that is low on the ladder and short on class.
His zip and damaging disposal are not yet back, but that is not unexpected given his lengthy time out.
“He’s shown how important he is when we get that footy on the deck,” Nicks said.
“He played a couple of roles tonight that we needed to go to because we weren’t getting it done.
“He’s got some weapons we haven’t quite been able to see at this point.”
Adelaide only has one Dawson, but, at his best, Milera also has attributes few Crows do.
Premiers add insult to gruesome Crow’s injury
It wasn’t easy but Melbourne’s resurgence after a mid-season slump has continued with Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver helping the reigning premiers see off a brave challenge from Adelaide on Saturday.
The Crows won a one-point thriller when Melbourne visited Adelaide Oval last season and history looked set to repeat when the home side got to within five points early in the last quarter.
But the Demons booted five of the last six goals of the match to score a hard-fought 14.10 (94) to 10.5 (65) win that moved them to a 12-3 record and consolidate their hold on top spot.
Petracca, Oliver and Ed Langdon were standouts for Melbourne, with the star trio pivotal in putting down Adelaide’s dogged challenge in the final term.
“It was a pleasing result … we were pretty strong defensively,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.
“To Adelaide’s credit they brought a lot of pressure and heat around the contest.
“It was a tough game in and around the scrimmages but in the end our method, over a long period of time, proved to be the difference.”
Rory Laird, Jordan Dawson and Ben Keays were instrumental for Adelaide around the ball, with Taylor Walker the home side’s most dangerous forward, finishing with two goals.
“I loved our ticker, I loved the fight that we brought,” Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said.
“We took the game where we wanted it … (but) when they had their time they punished us a little more than we did.
“What I really liked was that we gave ourselves opportunities but unfortunately we didn’t capitalise on those.”
Crows’ eye-watering injury
After booting an early goal for the Crows, big forward Darcy Fogarty left the ground midway through the first quarter with a nasty-looking finger injury.
Fogarty hurt the finger in a marking contest with Demons’ interceptor Jake Lever.
“Fogarty’s got a finger going sideways,” Crows great Mark Ricciuto said on Fox Footy.
“They called Neil Kerley ‘Knuckles’, it might be in honour of him.”
Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said the injury was part of the perils of playing forward.
“You can see the finger on the right hand was pointing at completely the right angle,” Dunstall said.
“If you play football long enough, particularly up forward, you’re going to have dislocated fingers.
“We hope it’s just a dislocation and nothing more.
“Normally they pop back in the player can do it himself and you tape it up.”
Tough-nut Fogarty made it back out onto the field after some treatment at quarter time and played out the match.
Trac attack
Petracca’s radar in front of goal hasn’t been working that well this season, but the Melbourne star shook off his goalkicking troubles in a superb three-goal performance.
The midfield bull booted two goals in the first quarter, one in the second and was a constant threat in Melbourne’s front half.
He finished with a game-high 11 score involvements and started the chain of handpasses that set up Langdon’s important final-term goal.
Adelaide trailed by 17 points at three-quarter time, but stormed back into contention with goals to Laird and Keays.
With a stoppage deep in his side’s attacking 50, Petracca sharked the tap and found Oliver, who set up Langdon to deliver a telling blow with a crafty dribbled goal that sparked the visitors’ late flourish.
Tex flex
In a blistering start, Melbourne had three goals on the board before the rattled Crows managed to go inside their attacking 50 for the first time.
But with alarm bells ringing, Walker helped jolt the home side into action.
The 32-year-old booted back-to-back goals as Adelaide put on a run of four unanswered majors to trail by seven points at quarter time.
The goals dried up in an engrossing second quarter where both sides ramped up the pressure.
Riley Thilthorpe ended the drought with just under four minutes left with a well-executed snap from deep in the scoreboard pocket, with Walker continuing to pose a threat even if he wasn’t kicking them himself.
Of his side’s 6.2 score at the end of the first half, Walker had five score involvements.
Ruckless Dees
The Demons went into the clash without a recognised ruckman after Luke Jackson (knee) joined Max Gawn (ankle) on the injury list.
Simon Goodwin went with key forward Sam Weideman, with some help from Mitch Brown, up against Reilly O’Brien and the Adelaide big man made the most of the match-up against the undersized duo.
O’Brien had 31 hit-outs by halftime, with the Crows leading the tap count 33-7 at the main break, but the Demons were awake to that imbalance with Oliver, Petracca and Jack Viney often able to win the clearance from O’Brien’s tap.
The big Crow finished with an eye-watering 48 hit-outs, with Adelaide on the right side of a 57-13 hitout count.
Sombre tribute for ‘Knuckles’
Adelaide has honoured SA football champion Neil Kerley before Saturday’s home game against Melbourne.
There was a minute’s silence and a video tribute on Adelaide Oval’s big screens to Kerley, who died in a car crash on Wednesday at the age of 88.
Crows players are also wearing black armbands.
A touching tribute for the late Neil Kerley â¤ï¸#AFLCrowsDeespic.twitter.com/koMHvEXgVp
— AFL (@AFL) July 2, 2022
Kerley was Adelaide’s inaugural team manager and helped recruit players for the club’s first squad in 1991.
He was also involved as a player or coach at five SANFL clubs, winning four premierships, and lined up 32 times for South Australia.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks spoke to players on Friday about what Kerley meant to SA.
“I was lucky enough to be coached by Kerls at West Adelaide as a 17-year-old,” Nicks said.
“I remember walking into the rooms and it was incredible how he held the room … there was an aura. He was an amazing character and leaves an incredible legacy for footy in South Australia.”
Crows officials learnt of Kerley’s death during a board meeting on Wednesday night.
“We all thought Kerls would live forever,” Crows’ football director Mark Ricciuto said.
SCOREBOARD
ADELAIDE CROWS 4.0 6.2 7.4 10.5 (65)
def by
MELBOURNE DEMONS 5.1 6.3 9.9 14.10 (94)
GOALS
Crows: Walker 2, Keays 2, Dawson, Rachele, Fogarty, Laird, Milera, Thilthorpe
Demons: Petracca 3, B Brown 2, M Brown 2, Sparrow, Harmes, Bedford, Fritsch, Viney, Pickett
JASON PHELAN’S BEST
Crows: Laird, Dawson, Walker, Keays, Doedee, O’Brien
Demons: Petracca, Oliver, Langdon, Brayshaw, Harmes, Viney
INJURIES
Crows: Fogarty (dislocated finger)
Demons: Jackson (knee, late withdrawal)
Umpires: Donlon, Broadbent, Rebeschini
Venue: Adelaide Oval
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 — C Petracca (Mel)
2 — C Oliver (Mel)
1 — R Laird (Adel)
How baby Crow’s intense pressure made him a game leader
—Matt Turner
Sam Berry is Adelaide’s tackling machine.
The second-year midfielder leads the AFL in tackles per game (8.1) and pressure points (70.8) after 10 matches this season.
Berry, 20, has wrapped up opponents at least six times in every match since round 7, headlined by 13 in the win against North Melbourne last weekend.
The Victorian has also recorded a minimum of 50 pressure points in nine of his 10 games and forced 38 turnovers since round 5 — ranked first at Adelaide and 17th in the AFL.
Berry told News Corp he enjoyed putting pressure on opponents but did not practise it outside of training.
“I don’t go into a game and go ‘I can’t wait to tackle today’, it’s just something that comes naturally to me,” Berry said.
“All the teams that I’ve played in, a lot of coaches rewarded tackling as a stat in itself.
“It’s a mindset thing too.
“A few good hits or a few good tackles can bring you into the game.
“If I don’t win the ball, I don’t want the opposing team to get it either and I’ll do whatever I can to stop them.”
Berry joined the Crows from Gippsland Power via pick 28 in the 2020 national draft and played 17 games last year, mainly as a small forward.
A midfield move was discussed at his exit meeting and came to fruition over summer.
But he spent the first two rounds in the SANFL.
“It was hard watching (the AFL team),” he said.
“But it was a motivator for me.”
Berry’s main focus this year has been on finding more of the ball and becoming more consistent.
He is averaging 16.6 disposals, up from nine last year, and four clearances, after one per game in 2021.
Berry registered a career-high 27 touches and game-best 12 clearances in the Crows’ loss to Gold Coast a fortnight ago.
Off the field, the right-footer is settled in Adelaide after signing a contract extension to the end of 2024 in September.
He is also living with fellow hard nut and 2020 draftee Luke Pedlar.
“I definitely look forward to playing a lot more with him in the future,” said Berry, who hailed from Maffra, the hometown of ex-Port Adelaide forward John Butcher, a family friend.
Adelaide is hoping to make it two wins on the trot when it hosts reigning premier Melbourne on Saturday.
Children get in for free, as part of an AFL initiative across all venues, and there will be other activities at the ground such as face painting and 40 per cent of kids merchandise at Crowmania.
Berry hoped Adelaide could cause another upset after beating the Demons at home last year.
“We’re looking for a scalp and will hopefully do what we did last year,” he said.
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