Adelaide Crows prove they’re still September contenders despite three-point loss to Sydney Swans

THIS was the game that would convince all the doubters of what the Crows firmly believed: Adelaide is the real deal. They were three points away from convincing us.

Tex Walker was well contained by the Swans.

JOSH Jenkins felt this was the game that would convince all the doubters of what he and his Crows teammates firmly believed: Adelaide is the real deal in this year’s AFL premiership race.

Follow the money today. Sydney, after a 0-6 start to the marathon home-and-away series, is the team that will become the new favourite for the AFL flag – and with some merit. The Swans’ gritty three-point win against the top-ranked Crows at Adelaide Oval – a fortnight after beating Geelong at Kardinia Park – leaves John Longmire’s finals-hardened men with nothing to fear in September.

Daniel Talia did a solid job on Franklin. Picture: Sarah Reed

Not that Adelaide should be totally torn down as a contender, not when the top-ranked Crows still have two home finals next month. And they did prove they can match it with Sydney where – but not when – it counts most.

Adelaide’s fight-back from a 29-point deficit at the fourth minute of the second term to a five-point lead at the same point in the third quarter – while not allowing the Swans to score – highlighted again how the Crows can adapt (and quickly) amid an on-field crisis.

Charlie Cameron after the loss. Picture: Sarah Reed

And there was re-affirmation of just what makes the difference in recent Crows-Swans games. Adelaide found its harder edge, as midfielder Rory Sloane set the example with contested football. The theme of more wins at ground level – coupled with more tackles that stuck hard – made Sydney become flat-footed and vulnerable.

Imagine what might have been had Adelaide not had the goalscoring yips – again at the Oval’s southern end (3.5 in the third term).

It is possible – highly probable - that this Adelaide-Sydney match-up could be repeated at Adelaide Oval in a qualifying final in three weeks. This gives Adelaide coach Don Pyke some time for a major re-think, particularly on critical match-ups that decide games when they become horrible mismatches.

Pyke – and his defence coach James Podsiadly – showed extraordinary courage (and faith) in having upgraded rookie Alex Keath as Adelaide’s match-up on Sydney power forward Lance Franklin. The lad who has hopped back to football from cricket – in just his fifth AFL game – might have loved the vote of confidence on Thursday.

Tex Walker was well contained by the Swans.

But the job lasted only 20 minutes with Keath conceding two goals to Franklin and the assignment given to All-Australian Daniel Talia (until he stumbled to an ankle injury late in the third term). Some midweek gambles in the match committee room are just too exotic. And at least Pyke did not persist to repeat the Kris Massie gaffe Adelaide’s coaching staff made in the 2007 elimination final when “Buddy” was with Hawthorn.

There is one other certainty from this match. For a change, there will not be any of that usual grumbling about umpiring in Adelaide this weekend.

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Originally published as Adelaide Crows prove they’re still September contenders despite three-point loss to Sydney Swans