Adelaide Crows prove too good for Port Adelaide with 17-point JLT Series win

Adelaide didn’t need new faces to signal a new start this year, with its old guard standing tall in a sign there will be no repeat of 2018. Meanwhile, Port Adelaide is counting the cost of a Paddy Ryder injury.

Eddie Betts looked great in Adelaide’s JLT Series win. Picture: Getty Images

Adelaide didn’t need new faces to signal a new start this year and on Saturday its old guard showed the improvement would come from within with a 17-point win over Port Adelaide in Port Pirie.

Adelaide’s two best midfielders Rory Sloane and Brad Crouch, who played just 12 games between them last year, combined for 57 disposals while Brodie Smith, who played just two games, had 27 to remind coaching staff how much they were missed in 2018.

But the one who really surprised was Adelaide’s oldest player in Eddie Betts, who wound back the clock with four vintage goals.

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No one typified Adelaide’s frustrating season more than Betts last year as he battled injuries and form and teams stifled his run for just 29 goals — his lowest in five years at the club. But it’s taken just one JLT Series game in 2019 to show that Eddie is back.

He chased everything, forced turnovers, ran hard both ways, leapt vertically to mark overhead and his trademark snap around his body off one step in the third quarter showed there is plenty of life left in him yet.

Brad Crouch is back in business with the Crows. Picture: Sarah Reed

Newly installed co-captain Sloane did the pre-game talk then backed it up with actions with 10 disposals and 4 tackles in the first quarter on his way to 28 for the game while Smith combined with Rory Laird and Wayne Milera to pounce on Port’s turnovers across half-back and springboard them forward.

The major injury blow from the game was to Port Adelaide ruckman/forward Paddy Ryder who had to be helped from the ground with 1:30 on the clock and went straight into the rooms.

The Power started strongly and led 31-13 in 40C heat before the Crows began reeling them in by kicking five of the next six goals.

Although Port’s talls in Justin Westhoff and Ryder kicked two early goals in the third quarter, Adelaide steadied through a goal to Rory Atkins on the burst and a 50m bomb from Taylor Walker on the boundary.

If you wanted any convincing a summer Showdown still meant something — Sloane, Crouch and his brother Matt were all in the middle after Port kicked five unanswered goals to get to within five points with three minutes to go.

Tom Doedee was outstanding with his marking across half-back, Tom Lynch among Adelaide’s best and Chayce Jones didn’t come on until just before half-time but showed some good signs with a late goal.

The result didn’t go Port’s way but there was more good than bad for Power fans to take back to Adelaide.

They promised a new look, led by their kids and it took just 10 minutes for their draftees to show why.

Zak Butters was arguably best-on in the first half. In one chain early in the game he won the footy, sold the dummy to his opponent, kicked in-board to Travis Boak, continued running hard and got it back from Brad Ebert in the pocket. Resisting any urge to blaze away he delivered a pin-point pass inside to Sam Mayes for a goal.

Paddy Ryder left the field with an ankle injury. Picture: Sarah Reed

He was so smart with the footy, going inside the corridor to Sam Powell-Pepper then a toe-poke to Ebert to set up another two goals and handballed to Karl Amon for a major in the third term.

Earlier Xavier Duursma never took his eyes off the ball into on-coming traffic and took a courageous mark. He had no worries finding the ball but could do with a bit of finish on his kick. Top draft pick Connor Rozee played across half-forward and kicked two goals including a 40m set shot.

Port’s ball movement was good, often involving Boak who was their best and Ryan Burton who looked comfortable across half-back. The surprise move was Jack Watts into defence. He has gone from the forwardline last year to the wing and now into defence where he intercepted the footy and was creative with his kick on both feet.

Brodie Smith looked in good touch for Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

Ryder took two big contested marks on either wing and stretched Adelaide’s defence when he went forward, while Tom Clurey, Willem Drew and Karl Amon were also good.

Adelaide plays GWS in its final JLT Series game in Canberra on Friday night while the Power hosts North Melbourne at Alberton on Saturday.

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Originally published as Adelaide Crows prove too good for Port Adelaide with 17-point JLT Series win