Adelaide Crows bullied and beaten by tough Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval

A TROUBLING pattern has emerged after Adelaide’s 41-point belting at the hands of a tough and hardworking Melbourne side at Adelaide Oval. The Crows are being bullied into submission.

ADELAIDE has lost its run and overlap and been bullied into a form slump.

The Crows do not even resemble the team that rose to premiership favouritism with six wins to start the season — and the most concerning part is that there is a pattern to how they are beaten.

They are bullied.

Melbourne was harder at the ball, stronger and more effective when tackling and better at supporting each other.

The Crows’ trademark coast-to-coast goals were a distant memory as the Demons orchestrated two match-defining shutdowns.

They first kept Adelaide goalless for the first 20 minutes, lost them for the Crows’ only good patch, then kicked seven goals in succession during a 45-minute drought for Adelaide to put the game under lock and key.

And the key to it was again the shutdown of Rory Sloane, who had been installed as Brownlow Medallist after the six-match streak but has now been tagged out of two straight games.

This time it was old teammate Bernie Vince, who celebrated his 200th game to keep Sloane from having any influence of significance.

Rory Sloane gets a rare moment of freedom against the Demons. Picture: Daniel Kalisz (Getty Images)

For a start that had seemed so important after the North Melbourne loss, it was Melbourne which initiated Operation Shutdown.

They crowded the Crows, hustled and hassled them and predicted their every move.

The Crows broke down across half forward and were losing in the midfield to players such as strong-bodied former Hawthorn champion Jordan Lewis and Jack Viney.

It took until 20th minute until Betts kicked the Crows’ first goal — a nice snap over his shoulder from 25m out — for Adelaide Oval to come alive and it seemed the Crows were beginning to find some flow and outside ball.

Gradually, through taking more chances and lifting its intensity, Adelaide was starting to look like itself again.

The Crows strung together five goals in succession and would have had a comfortable margin had it not been for some costly turnovers.

Rory Laird ... one of the few Crows to break the Demons’ shackles. Picture: Sarah Reed

Players who caught the eye as a lead was formed were headlined by Betts, with two of the best snaps you could see. Walker broke the shackles of heavy attention for another couple and Sam Jacobs dominated in the ruck with a staggering 42 hit-outs for the first half.

Rory Laird was the standout: he’s become a player who can be effective both in the midfield and good for a goal after making his name as a defender. He intercepted, crumbed, won his own ball and created room for teammates.

But Melbourne, under the inventive guidance of Crows great Simon Goodwin, shuffled players around, tinkered with its ball movement patterns and stayed in it.

Regular backman Tom McDonald was sent to the other end of the ground and kicked a couple, the first of which came after he crashed himself through the Crows backline like a man chasing a dropped $100 note in a crowded bar.

Bugg added a couple of goals and the Demons had regained the lead halfway through the third quarter, with veteran Nathan Jones playing with authority and a sense of calm, even in the most time-poor situations.

And so the second part of Operation Shutdown began, only this time worse because Melbourne also opened it up and started scoring more freely through their physical work.

From there the result was never in doubt.

CHRIS McDERMOTT’S FIVE THINGS

Don Pyke ... too reluctant to make moves, says Chris McDermott. Picture: Sarah Reed

1. Skill errors were an early problem for the Crows, especially by foot and by players who should know better. It’s been an issue for much of the year despite the wins and must be addressed.

2. The Crows midfield was once again their biggest problem. It was the fear during the preseason and it is coming true. Missing out on Bryce Gibbs has hurt them and if Sloane is held, no-one is standing up enough

3. The Crows pressure was good early and while they didn’t play well they didn’t allow Melbourne to break loose. Someone had to crack. Adelaide did and on their home deck. North Melbourne coach Brad Scott found a weakness and the others have learned. We have a problem.

4. Melbourne had many stars and many heroes but Christian Petracca was the game breaker for me. Quiet early he went into the midfield and the game changed immediately. Big, strong and powerful. A new star has arrived.

5. Don Pyke’s major weakness as coach is his reluctance to make moves from the bench. He trusts his players and wants them to win the game themselves. Not him. It’s great in theory but unrealistic in practice. It must change.

SCOREBOARD

MELBOURNE 2.2 5.3 12.5 17.5 (107)

ADELAIDE 1.4 6.7 7.8 9.12 (66)

BEST — Melbourne: Viney, Jones, Vince, Hibberd, Pederson, Oliver, Lewis. Adelaide: Laird, Jacobs, Douglas, Atkins, Matt Crouch

GOALS — Melbourne: Pedersen 3, T. McDonald 2, Bugg 2, Jones 2, Garlett 2, Kent 2, Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Hannan. Adelaide: Walker 2, Betts 2, Jenkins 2, Laird, Atkins, Smith

Originally published as Adelaide Crows bullied and beaten by tough Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval