Adelaide demolishes Melbourne in final round of AFLW

Adelaide is favourite to claim a second AFLW premiership after a dismantling Melbourne, which posted the equal-lowest score in the competition’s short history.

Crows players celebrate an Ebony Marinoff goal.

Adelaide demolished Melbourne by 10 goals at Casey Fields to set the Crows on the path for a shot at a second AFLW premiership.

Here are the key takeouts from today’s match:

ADELAIDE FOR THE FLAG?

The Crows look the flag favourite after their demolition of a disappointing Melbourne.

Adelaide was ruthless in its destruction of the Demons, with precision kicking and a defence that started in the midfield, stifling Melbourne’s attack.

A home preliminary final is assured — against the lesser ranked qualifying team from Conference B.

The new Crowbots will be unbackable.

Erin Phillips of the Crows tackles Melbourne’s Lily Mithen.

PHILLIPS TO REIGN

Erin Phillips should win her second AFLW best-and-fairest award.

Her poise and influence is immense.

She had 13 touches to halftime, and it felt like a whole lot more.

Phillips uses the ball so well and while she’s exciting as a forward, it’s when she’s on the ball that she really makes things happen.

One play, she danced around the pack, waiting patiently, hunched over, before receiving the handball. She sidestepped, then booted the ball 25m into the Crows forward 50 where Chloe Scheer marked straight in front.

Ebony Marinoff celebrates a goal.

DEE-SASTER

It was heartbreak of a different kind this season for the Demons. This game was over at quarter-time and the Demons didn’t post a score – a handball over their goal line by Tyla Hanks – until midway through the third term. Their only goal came at the eight-minute mark of the final term from a 50m penalty.

The Dees’ final score of 1.2 (8) was the equal-lowest score in the short history of the AFLW (Brisbane kicked 1.2 earlier this season).

It was such a disappointing end to what had been a promising season for the Dees, who had proven they were still a good side even without Daisy Pearce or Mel Hickey.

But Melbourne has now failed to make finals in three AFLW seasons. Last year it was a two-point loss to the Bulldogs in the final round, and percentage cost them in the inaugural season. This thumping will hurt.

Melbourne players contemplate their defeat.

FINALS FLOPS

You shouldn’t be able to lose more games than you win and play finals, should you?

But it’s possible two of the four teams to play off next weekend will have done just that thanks to the conference system.

Geelong has won three games and lost four and has a percentage of 65.5 per cent. If Brisbane loses on Sunday, the Cats are in.

If the Lions beat the Magpies, they will play finals again, sneaking in with three wins and four losses. Brisbane’s current percentage is 69.9.

Carlton (3-3, 98.2 per cent) would need to suffer a triple-figure loss to the Bulldogs to fall out of the finals and is all but guaranteed to go through on top of the conference.

ELIZA SEWELL’S BEST:

ADELAIDE: Phillips, Marinoff, J. Foley, Cramey Rajcic,

MELBOURNE: Downie, Cordner, O’Dea, Mithen