AFL round 11 Adelaide v West Coast: All the news, fallout and analysis from the Crows’ 66-point win

Adelaide may have moved into the top four after a big win over West Coast, but coach Matthew Nicks is focused on reaching the level of the AFL’s No. 1 side.

Adelaide is sitting pretty in the top four following the comprehensive win against West Coast, but coach Matthew Nicks warned there is still much work that needs to be done before the Crows can be considered a legitimate contender.

After struggling to assert control over the last-placed Eagles in the first half, at Adelaide Oval, the Crows found their mojo in the third quarter to pile on seven goals and secure their seventh win of the season to move into fourth spot on the ladder.

“I’m pleased with the consistency of our game ... there hasn’t been a game yet where we really dropped off,” Nicks said of his side’s season to date.

“But in saying that, each game we come out of, we know we need to be better in a couple of areas.

“(Key) moments are big ones, today is a really big one around being predictable to each other, sticking to our game plan and understanding that it works, trusting each other, and we get great lessons along the way.

“Collingwood, I speak a lot about them because there’s a respect there, I can see what they’re doing and they’re doing it really well.

“Even undermanned at the moment, they’re predictable, and they play a really strong brand.

“We’re striving to get to that at the moment.”

Josh Rachele starred in a big win for the Crows. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Nicks was asked if he needed to have stern words or even hand out a good, old-fashioned spray during the main break to fire up his team after a frustrating first half on Sunday.

“No, there wasn’t a need for stern words because it was a good contest up until that point,” he said.

“It was just that we were playing the wrong way.

“We were playing a game that isn’t a game that we play, so when you’re unpredictable to your teammates, it makes it really hard.

“We had a half-forward line in the first half that couldn’t get a touch, but it wasn’t their fault. It was a lack of predictability from us and our game plan and our ball use, which took away our game.

“We weren’t able to play front of centre, but we flipped the switch at halftime and went back to predictable footy in the third quarter and all of a sudden things started going our way.

“You make your own luck, so I think it’s a really good game for us to learn from.”

Jordan Dawson was best afield and Josh Rachele kicked a game-high five goals in a forward line missing Taylor Walker, with the 35-year-old withdrawn from the selected side and rested.

Walker’s AFL games tally stands at 288, and Nicks admitted reaching the 300-game milestone is a consideration in the veteran’s management.

“I’d be lying if we didn’t say the word ‘300’ came up in some of our conversations,” he said.

“That’s natural, what a milestone, it’s an amazing milestone.

“That’d be great, but I talked to him about, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we were able to play finals footy?’

“That’s our priority at the moment, and that’s his priority as well.

“He wants this group to play finals footy and then who knows, that might give him 300 or if he keeps going the way he is and has been going earlier in the year, who knows where we go?”

Jordan Dawson fired again at home. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

DAWSON PROVIDES LATEST MASTERCLASS IN BIG CROWS WIN

Another Jordan Dawson masterclass and five goals to Josh Rachele inspired Adelaide on Sunday, the Crows overcoming a tricky breeze and a dogged first-half challenge from West Coast to move into the top four with a commanding 66-point win.

Matthew Nicks’ men led by 17 points at half-time at Adelaide Oval, but shook off the energetic Eagles with a seven-goals-to-one third quarter that set up the percentage-boosting result that improves their record to 7-4.

Dawson was outstanding throughout, finishing with a game-high 27 possessions, the skipper also laying nine tackles, winning eight clearances, and going inside 50 11 times.

With Taylor Walker (managed) a late out, Rachele led a potent attack that had 11 goalkickers with a game-high five majors.

The clash ended in spiteful fashion when Liam Baker took James Peatling high with just over two minutes remaining.

The former Tiger gave Peatling something to go on with while he had him pinned on the ground, which led to a heated push and shove.

It took a while for the Crows to break down the Eagles. Picture: Getty Images

NO EASY KILL

Adelaide fans eager to watch an easy kill against the last-placed Eagles were disappointed for much of the first half.

Coming off a drought-breaking first win of the season, West Coast took the fight up to the home side, exerting stifling pressure that forced costly turnovers, with the Eagles’ first two goals coming from Crows’ errors.

But while Adelaide’s ball movement sputtered early, its intercept marking game was humming, Mark Keane with three of his side’s eight intercept marks in the first quarter.

Adelaide led by a goal at the first break, and had to withstand a second-quarter onslaught.

At one stage, Andrew McQualter’s men led the inside 50 count 16-5 for the term, but couldn’t quite manage to get their noses in front.

EAT GRASS!

The wind was so strong in Rachele’s face as he lined up for goal late in the second quarter that the blades of grass he threw up in the air, Matthew Lloyd-style, appeared to get blown right back into his mouth.

The setback didn’t bother him too much, the young star absolutely flushing his kick from just outside 50 to make it back-to-back goals after Reilly O’Brien had drifted forward to mark strongly and boot a rare major in a strong performance by the ruckman.

Riley Thilthorpe was causing issues for the Eagles’ defenders and when he was impeded soon after, Adelaide booted three goals in a row to set up a 17-point lead at halftime.

SWIRLY STRUGGLES

“If anyone can kick the ball straight in this wind, it’s Darcy Fogarty,” Dwayne Russell said as the big Crow lined up a set shot from 25m out early in the third quarter.

Sure enough, Fogarty’s awkward-looking shot barely wobbled through for a behind.

It was an excellent indication of just how tricky the conditions were for both sides.

It made for a tough watch at times, but Izak Rankine’s goal from close range 11 minutes into the third term sparked the feeding frenzy the home fans had come to see.

Concerns for Jake Waterman as he exits the field of play with a suspected dislocation.

📺 Watch #AFLCrowsEagles on ch.504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/tEbIJrg77g
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/uWzsInLNdj
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/U5vzqvH2k3pic.twitter.com/SnfRKVcYsX

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 25, 2025

WATERMAN WINGED

A tough second half for the visitors got worse when Jake Waterman suffered a serious shoulder injury midway through the final term.

The West Coast forward was competing for a mark when Josh Worrell crashed the pack to clear the danger.

Unfortunately for Waterman, his right shoulder was dislocated in the fierce collision.

SCOREBOARD

CROWS 4.2 8.5 15.12 19.14 (128)

EAGLES 3.2 5.6 6.9 8.14 (62)

PHELAN’S BEST CROWS: Dawson, O’Brien, Rachele, Berry, Rankine, Keane, Worrell, Thilthorpe. EAGLES: Graham, Reid, Waterman, Brock, Duggan, Brockman.

GOALS CROWS: Rachele 5, Thilthorpe 2, Pedlar 2, Dawson 2, Peatling 2, Rankine, O’Brien, Neal-Bullen, Keays, Fogarty, Berry. EAGLES: Waterman 3, Allen 2, Reid, Hough, Brockman.

INJURIES CROWS: Walker (managed – late withdrawal). EAGLES: Waterman (dislocated shoulder).

UMPIRES Adair, Deboy, Haussen, McGinness

39,271 at ADELAIDE OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 Dawson (Adel)

2 O’Brien (Adel)

1 Rachele (Adel)

Originally published as AFL round 11 Adelaide v West Coast: All the news, fallout and analysis from the Crows’ 66-point win