Eagles soar to sink gallant Crows

The West Coast Eagles have consolidated their place inside the AFL’s top eight with a convincing five-goal win over the Adelaide Crows.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – MAY 16: Jake Waterman of the Eagles celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2021 AFL Round 09 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows at Optus Stadium on May 16, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

When Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is looking at the replay of the Crows’ 30-point loss to West Coast on Sunday, he will focus heavily on the second half of the second quarter.

That’s when Eagles forward Jack Darling took control of the game and tore it away from Nicks’ side.

Darling booted five goals for the term to give the Eagles a 29-point lead at halftime.

The 16.10 (106) to 11.10 (76) win was the Eagles’ third on the trot, as their season builds momentum.

They remain in seventh spot on the table, only percentage out of third.

Adelaide’s season continues to free fall.

This was their fifth defeat in as many games. Only North Melbourne and Collingwood have also lost five consecutive games this season.

After winning three of their opening four games, the Crows dropped to 15th on the AFL ladder after the loss the Eagles.

Things could get less a lot worse before they get a chance to get any better.

They host an unbeaten Melbourne on Saturday and then travel to the MCG to face reigning premier, Richmond.

SCOREBOARD PRESSURE COUNTS

The first of Darling’s five second-term goals came 14 minutes into the quarter.

He hadn’t looked like troubling the Crows before that. Defender Tom Doedee had done an exceptional job, keeping him to just one handball for the entire first term.

The Crows had dominated the start of the quarter, but failed to finish off their hard work.

How many times have we seen it? One team gets all the play for an extended period of time, but fail to hit the scoreboard.

Twice in a minute before Darling erupted, Darcy Fogarty had shots on goal that he should not have missed.

He missed.

The Eagles and Darling made the Crows pay.

That first goal from Darling’s boot put the Eagles back to within one point of Adelaide after they had led by seven.

Jack Darling slotted five goals in the Eagles’ win. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

TERRIFIC TERM DARLING

Within six minutes of Fogarty’s second miss, Darling had three goals and the Eagles led by 11 points.

The Eagles’ tall forward all gave the Crows a tough time, especially in the first half.

Josh Kennedy and Oscar Allen each kicked a goal in the second term, having done the same in the first.

But Darling’s five goals in the second term set the game up for the Eagles.

With a 29-point lead at the main break, West Coast’s three tall forwards had kicked all nine of their goals.

Kennedy showed no sign of the calf injury that threaten to see him sidelined for another week.

He finished with three goals, as did Allen.

SOME LIGHT FOR THE CROWS

Rory Sloane returned for the Crows and took some time to settle into the game.

He finished with 22 touches, but it was Rory Laird (35) and Ben Keays (32) that put Adelaide right in the game early.

The Crows dominated contested possession when they hit that seven-point lead.

With Taylor Walker being rested, Fogarty stepped up and set the tone for the game.

What Adelaide was lacking in talent, they were making up for endeavour.

Shane McAdam consistently looked the most dangerous Crow forward though, finishing with three goals.

Having had eight more inside 50s than the Eagles (56-48), it would have been interesting to see how much the Crows would have benefited from having Walker inside their attacking 50.

EAGLES FINDING FORM

Again, Tim Kelly, Andrew Gaff and Jack Redden were good in the midfield for the Eagles.

It’s as though they took that hammering against Geelong three weeks ago personally.

Kelly has averaged more than 32 touches per game in the three since that shocking loss to the Cats.

Jeremy McGovern’s return from injury and Jamie Cripps’ performance against the Crows are what Eagles fans should celebrate.

McGovern was solid in defence, with 22 disposals and 10 marks. Cripps had 25 touches and kicked a goal and also had an incredible 11 score involvements.

EAGLES 2.5 9.6 14.7 16.10 106

CROWS 2.3 4.7 8.8 11.10 76

ELBOROUGH’S BEST Eagles: Darling, Cripps, Kelly, Redden, Naitanui, McGovern. Crows: Laird, Keays, Smith, Schoenberg, McAdam, Sloane.

GOALS Eagles: Darling 5; Kennedy 3, Allen 3; Waterman 2; Cripps, Petruccelle, Jones. Crows: McAdam 3; Thilthorpe 2, Berry 2; Schoenberg, Rowe, Laird, Fogarty.

INJURIES Eagles: Nil. Dockers: Nil.

UMPIRES Margetts, Dalgleish, Johanson.

VENUE Optus Stadium

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES

3 Darling (Eagles)

2 Cripps (Eagles)

1 Kelly (Eagles)