They’ve only played one game for premiership points in 2024, but the Adelaide Crows are well and truly under the microscope ahead of their clash against Geelong tonight.
While their six-point loss to a rising Gold Coast won’t raise any eyebrows on paper, a deeper dive into their first three quarters has cause for speculation into what went so wrong at People First Stadium.
In a matchup that brought torrential rain, the Suns proved far too good for the young Adelaide side, with standout performances from their midfielders.
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While the Crows’ own engine room held their own through Matt Crouch, Rory Laird and Jordan Dawson, Gold Coast’s Noah Anderson (35 disposals, one goal), Matt Rowell (29 disposals, one goal), Touk Miller (29 disposals, 10 clearances) and Sam Flanders (35 disposals, six inside 50’s) took control of the game from the very first bounce.
In fact, the Crows became just the sixth team in the last four years to be held scoreless from stoppages at three-quarter time; a testament to both the difficult weather and the unrecognisable conversion rates in attack from Adelaide.
The Crows are the first team to go the first three quarters without scoring from a stoppage since GWS against Hawthorn in Round 16, 2022.
Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton told foxfooty.com.au that Adelaide got their game style “a little bit out in the first three quarters”.
“They tried to play too close to their usual game style [in the rain], whereas they should’ve accentuated their contest-type game – which I think they’re very good at,” Brereton said.
“They did that in the final quarter, and they looked so much better; because they’ve got some talent up front.”
Down by six goals at the seven-and-a-half-minute mark of the last quarter, the Crows managed to remarkably claw their way back to within a goal before the final siren sounded.
Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine led the late charge, kicking five of the Crows’ last seven goals in just over a quarter and a half; with all three of Rachele’s coming in less than a quarter.
Dual North Melbourne premiership player David King was both complimentary and critical of the performances from the Adelaide pair, labelling it as ‘too little, too late’ on Fox Footy’s ‘Give Me Something’.
“Rankine and Rachele need to get involved earlier in the game… he [Rachele] played half a game last week, and was so good when he was invested,” King said.
“I’m asking these two to be the difference against the Cats this week.”
Adelaide last year prided themselves on their offence and ability to score from inside 50’s; they were the #1 team in the competition for ‘Points For’ and ‘Score per Inside 50 %’ in 2023.
While the absence of star Taylor Walker was noticeable, his Round 2 inclusion will boost the Crows significantly in attack.
“They’ll be much better off with him in the side,” Brereton said to foxfooty.com.au.
“I’m very keen to see how Darcy Fogarty keeps progressing… he fought the fight [against Gold Coast], but it showed he wasn’t capable of instructing and owning that forward line just yet.”
Fogarty (9 disposals, 3 score involvements) tried his best to stay involved in the conditions, but failed to hit the scorecard himself.
Brereton is also hopeful Adelaide’s sub last week Jake Soligo (eight disposals, 275 metres gained) will play the game in its entirety tonight, having been impressed with his efforts once activated.
“It would be good for them to get his nippiness, and his ability to get the ball travelling quickly,” he said.
The Crows have won four of their last six matchups against Geelong at home, and with the exception of the preliminary final win over the Cats in 2018 – this may well be their most important matchup at Adelaide Oval since making it their home.
King was direct and honest on his expectations for the Crows against Geelong, labelling the match ‘a game they just absolutely have to win’.
“They’ve got to win games at home the Crows, because we know they’ve been poor on the road,” King said on Fox Footy’s Give Me Something.
The Crows have started their season with two losses nine times in their history, only making finals once in the process (2001, after starting 0-3).
With history up against them if they lose tomorrow night, should Adelaide fans be nervous?
Brereton doesn’t think so.
“I look at Adelaide and think that last year they were a finals team… to me, they were in the best eight teams in the competition last year,” Brereton emphasised.
“There’ll be no panic buttons if they lose – Adelaide should be able to win this one at home, but they’ll look within themselves if they don’t… there’s no issues with their team just yet.”
The clash between Adelaide and Geelong kicks off at 7:40pm AEDT (7:10pm local time).
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