Australian Football

Match Report

It was fitting that the two sides that have struggled to win close matches in this season played out a thriller at Football Park on Sunday afternoon. The Crows, who have lost five matches by under two goals in 2013, pipped North Melbourne by nine points, with the Kangaroos now having lost seven games by two goals or less this year.

Sunday's match saw Adelaide jump out to an early lead, kicking three goals to North's nil in the first quarter and then kicked four of the first six goals of the second quarter to lead 34 points not long before half time. But the Kangaroos fought back late in the second term and throughout the third quarter, and actually hit the front at the 25-minute mark of the third term.

The Crows managed to regain the lead just before the last change and the final quarter became somewhat of an arm-wrestle. Only three goals were scored in the last term, with Adelaide crucially scoring two of them to eke out a nine-point win.

Rory Sloane led the way for the Crows, kicking two goals and gathering 28 touches, while Richard Douglas (27 disposals and two goals) and Brad Crouch (26 possessions) were also important factors in the win. For North, Daniel Wells played a fine game, collection 30 possessions and kicking two goals, including an amazing one kicked from behind the centre circle. Leigh Adams (three goals, 17 disposals) and Sam Gibson (29 touches) also played good games.

While the year has been disappointing for both of these teams, they both still - somewhat amazingly - have a chance of making it into this year's finals. Both sides have eight wins, three behind eighth-placed Port Adelaide. While it's extremely unlikely either side would make up that ground against the Power, the possibility of Essendon losing points means that a ninth-placed finish could get one of these two teams into the finals, should they win their last three games.

The Crows play the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and West Coast in their last three games, while North will take on Essendon, Hawthorn and Collingwood in the run home.

GOALS
Adelaide: Douglas, Otten, Sloane 2; Johnston, Dangerfield, Grigg, Lynch, Petrenko
North Melbourne: Adams 3; Wells, Thomas 2; Black, MacMillan, Goldstein

BEST AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Sloane, Douglas, Crouch, Henderson, Laird, Dangerfield, Jacobs
North Melbourne: Wells, Adams, Gibson, Thompson, Cunnington, Atley

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Sloane, Douglas, Jacobs, Dangerfield, Crouch, Laird, Otten, Henderson
North Melbourne: Wells, Adams, Thompson, Gibson, Atley, MacMillan, Cunnington

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
North Melbourne: Ziebell (leg)

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Matthew Wright replaced Scott Thompson at three-quarter-time.
North Melbourne: Taylor Garner replaced Taylor Hine in the fourth quarter.

UMPIRES: Schmitt, Hay, Molliso

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling