The Lowdown Round 3: All the likes and dislikes from the Power Crows

Ken Hinkley will refuse to admit it, but is it time to ask what the Power can salvage for 2025 as it prepares for the Josh Carr era to begin? That and more in The Lowdown.

The Crows did what they had to against North Melbourne, but the same couldn’t be said for the Power against the Bombers in a horrific game of football on Thursday night.

Simeon Thomas-Wilson lists his likes and dislikes in The Lowdown.

DISLIKES

1. BECOMING A TREND?

Against Collingwood it was not coming to compete. In the final quarter against the Bombers it was being outworked. That’s twice in three games these themes have reared its head for the Power. So is it becoming a trend? It might be too early to ask what the Power can salvage from their season - but if you look at their fixture they must address it or be left by the wayside. The forward line still looks to be a work in progress after the off-season and the subsequent long-term injuries to Todd Marshall and Jack Lukosius, so it might not be champagne footy going forward. But what you can control is your effort and desire and in two games out of its three so far the Power have lacked in those areas.

Connor Rozee and the Power walk off dejected following their loss to Essendon. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

2. WHAT’S UP WITH THE HORNET?

Save for that fourth quarter against the Bombers where he looked to put the Power on his back, Jason Horne-Francis just looks a bit off. Probably nine times out of 10 he would take those uncontested marks he dropped against the Bombers at Marvel Stadium. And worryingly he looks to be dropping his head way too easily or getting involved in stuff he didn’t have to.

The Power is being tested in a lot of ways, on the injury front and with the less than ideal start to the season. It is going to be a test for Horne-Francis as well. Clearly not winning didn’t sit well with him when he was at North Melbourne and since he has arrived at Alberton he has won far more (34 games) than he has lost (17). His body language and effort when not in possession of the ball is going to be more and more scrutinised, especially if the Power can’t bounce back. Horne-Francis wants to be a leader at Alberton. This is his opportunity to show it.

LIKES

1. BEN KEAYS

He’s on a run of form. In his last 12 matches, since Round 16 last year, the Crows small forward has been a top-10 rated player on the ground by Champion Data on seven occasions and only once outside the top 20 - that was Round 1 this year. During this period he is averaging 18.9 disposals, 2.2 goals, 1.6 score assists and 7.8 score involvements. That is as a small forward with no time in the midfield. It is mightily impressive and against North Melbourne the Crows fan favourite again delivered with two goals, 20 disposals and seven marks. He also played a key role in negating North Melbourne’s intercept defender Charlie Comben from having any influence on the game. The Crows’ forward line is again firing and Keays is playing an important role there as a small. Tied with captain Jordan Dawson for the Malcolm Blight Medal last year, he can be right up there again come the end of the year.

Ben Keays was sensational again for the Crows. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

2. THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

It was only his third game but James Peatling showed against North Melbourne why the Crows were so thrilled he chose them over rival suitors. It had been a relatively quiet start to life as a Crow for Peatling, with the 19 disposals and a goal against St Kilda and then just the 13 despite a huge win over Essendon. Yes it was early but more games like the Bombers one and you could start to ponder was there a reason why former club GWS didn’t use him as much as many thought the Giants should have? But against the Roos it was a game more in line of the expectations of the former Giant. He finished with 23 disposals, 10 contested possessions, nine score involvements and with 492m gained.

The previous week against Melbourne the Kangaroos were electric from stoppages in the final quarter, on Sunday the Crows didn’t give them a sniff there with Peatling winning the first clearance of the fourth term and getting Adelaide on its way. After the game Matthew Nicks said it was a lot more like the Peatling the Crows expected. “JP he has a high standard. He has come off after the first two weeks and been really disappointed … he would be the first to put his hand up and say “I wasn’t at my best, I wasn’t as clean as I wanted to be”, so we went away and worked on it,” Nicks said. “We had a bit of fun with it, I think he relaxed and stopped chasing the butterfly and it landed on him.”

James Peatling on the move against the Roos. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

3. CHRISTIAN MORAES

We could have gone with Jase Burgoyne again looking good at half-back, surely he plays there more often, or Mitch Georgiades’ looking near unstoppable at times, but it was the performance of the second-gamer that was a real positive for the Power. From a skills perspective the clash against the Bombers was a shocker for most of it with a lot of Power players you would expect to be better nowhere near their best. In just his second game Moraes finished with 27 disposals at an impressive 85 per cent efficiency, seven marks and five score involvements. There hasn’t been too much to cheer about if you are a Power fan, save aside from the regulation win over Richmond, but Port look to have found one with Moraes going at pick No. 38 in last year’s draft.

Christian Moraes was one of the Power’s best players. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

AND THE LOWDOWN ON …

Has an Adelaide and Gold Coast clash ever been so interesting? Both sides come into the match unbeaten but still with points to prove. The Crows did exactly what they had to do over North Melbourne - find a way to win - while the Suns dispatched Melbourne with ease despite the Demons looking poor. It is not just going to be the Suns’ stacked midfield or potent attack that will test Matthew Nicks’ side - the Saturday lunchtime slot and the humidity there could also have a big impact. We are going to find out a fair bit about the Crows this weekend.