Adelaide star Eddie Betts boots four goals in matchwinning performance against Western Bulldogs

WHAT injury crisis? Despite being without Taylor Walker, Rory Sloane, Matt and Brad Crouch and more, Adelaide were far too good for Western Bulldogs as Eddie Betts, Bryce Gibbs and Rory Laird starred to keep Bulldogs to just two goals.

Eddie Betts booted four goals in the win. Picture: Sarah Reed

EDDIE Betts produced some trademark magic as injury-riddled Adelaide continued to defy the odds on Friday night.

Missing nine first-choice players, including captain Taylor Walker and All-Australians Rory Sloane, Matt Crouch and Brodie Smith in an unprecedented injury run, the Crows consolidated their top-four position with a hard-fought 37-point win in shocking conditions against the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval.

AS IT HAPPENED: CROWS SMASH DOGS IN HORRID CONDITIONS

MATCH CENTRE: STATS AND SUPERCOACH SCORES FROM CROWS v DOGS

And, importantly, they appear to have escaped without an injury for one of the few times this season.

With pocket rocket and former Blue Betts kicking four goals, including three freakish ones, in his 100th match for Adelaide on a night where goals were worth their weight in gold, the Crows stood tall among an injury epidemic that threatens to derail their year.

The win — in what turned out to be a slugfest because of persistent rain that turned the ball into a cake of soap — gave Adelaide a strong 6-3 win-loss record after nine rounds.

Only 11 goals were kicked for the game — the Crows booted nine of them — as the Bulldogs were kept to their lowest score ever against Adelaide, 2.14 (26).

Eddie Betts booted four goals in the win. Picture: Sarah Reed

This was worse than the 4.4 they booted at Football Park in Round 4, 2013.

The visitors, who were riding a three-game winning streak, battled hard all night and at halftime led the inside 50 count 32-21.

But they overused handball and paid the price.

Betts kicked three magical goals — one with a left-footer on the run from 55m near the boundary line and two from set shots on a tight angle — which proved difference-makers.

But he had plenty of help from his mates.

Midfield bulls Hugh Greenwood and Cam Ellis-Yolmen, along with Bryce Gibbs, won 26 clearances between them and defensive ball magnet Rory Laird controlled things across halfback.

The Dogs, with star midfielder and Brownlow Medal contender Jack Macrae having another big night, had 68 more disposals but were guilty of being handball happy — a tactic that was never going to work in the wet.

The game was played in horrid conditions after heavy rain.

The match began in driving rain and the Crows immediately sent former Kangaroo Sam Gibson, playing his first game for Adelaide after 130 in six seasons for North Melbourne, to danger man Macrae.

The Bulldogs ball magnet went into the game having recorded the third-most disposals in the competition (271 at an average of 33.9) this season.

Gibson, who hadn’t played any level this year after straining a hamstring on the eve of the Round 1 clash with Essendon, tried to wear Macrae like a glove.

But the classy left-footer was still able to get off the chain, breaking the tag to win 11 disposals in the first term.

It took some Betts magic to set the Crows on their way.

The brilliant small forward defied the horrible conditions to quickly make a statement in his milestone game for Adelaide after playing 184 games for Carlton.

While almost everyone else on the field was slipping and sliding, Betts gathered a loose ball and goaled with a left-foot kick on the run from just outside 50m.

Jack Macrae was unstoppable in the midfield for the Dogs. Picture: Sarah Reed

The ball dribbled through the big white uprights to bring the home crowd to their feet.

The Dogs dominated play for a 15-minute period in the opening stanza — they had 122 disposals to 78 for the quarter — but could not finish off their work in front of goal, managing just three behinds.

In contrast, the Crows did capitalise in front of the sticks.

Darcy Fogarty — Adelaide’s top draft pick last year (No.12 overall) and playing his fifth AFL game — goaled from a free kick and when stand-in captain Tom Lynch kicked truly on the run a minute later the home side had jumped to a handy 16-point lead at the first change.

With rain continuing to fall and conditions deteriorating, only one goal was kicked in the second term.

And it was a lucky one as the Bulldogs broke their goal drought.

Tom Lynch celebrates a first quarter goal.

Lukas Webb was the fortunate recipient when he was paid a free after Crows defender Daniel Talia was adjudged to have taken his legs from under him when he dived on the ball close to goal.

The Dogs continued to win more of the footy and by the long break led the inside 50 count 32-21 but trailed by eight points.

When Myles Poholke bobbed up to kick his first AFL goal with a clever snap in his fourth game for Adelaide early in the third quarter, the Crows had again skipped three goals clear — a significant margin in the conditions.

ADELAIDE 3.1 3.3 6.6 9.9 (63)

BULLDOGS 0.3 1.7 1.10 2.14 (26)

BEST: Adelaide: Betts, Greenwood, Laird, Ellis-Yolmen, Gibbs, Seedsman. Bulldogs: Macrae, Bontempelli, Dahlhaus, Williams, McLean

GOALS: Adelaide: Betts 4, Lynch, Jenkins, Fogarty, Poholke, Murphy. Bulldogs: Webb, Hunter

UMPIRES: M. Stevic, N. Williamson, C. Fleer

CROWD: 39,407 at Adelaide Oval

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Originally published as Adelaide star Eddie Betts boots four goals in matchwinning performance against Western Bulldogs