Australian Football

Match Report

Adelaide secured the double-chance and a home final with a regulation win over Gold Coast at Football Park on Saturday. The Crows did all that was required of them, comfortably winning all four quarters against the Suns, to run out 91-point victors. Graham Johncock and mature-aged recruit Ian Callinan kicked four each for the Crows, while Patrick Dangerfield completed a dominant home and away season with another superlative on-ball performance, in which he gathered 36 possessions and kicked two goals of his own.

The ever-reliable Gary Ablett was the Suns' best, with 26 touches and two goals, while Danny Stanley also played one of his better games for the Gold Coast. Matera and Lynch also played well.

A second-placed finished would have been beyond the expectations of even the most optimistic Crows' fan at the beginning of this season, given last season's return of just seven wins and 14th place on the ladder. But Brenton Sanderson in his first season as coach, admittedly with a favourable draw, has transformed Adelaide in a remarkable fashion. The Crows will meet Sydney at home in next week's Qualifying Final and a win would see Adelaide with a week's rest and only a game away from its first Grand Final since 1998.

Whether Gold Coast has made any significant progress in its second season is debatable. In both 2011 and 2012 the Suns won three games. Coach Guy McKenna and all Suns' supporters would be expecting an improvement on that total in 2013.

GOALS
Adelaide: Callinan, Johncock 4; Dangerfield, van Berlo, Petrenko, Thompson 2; Jacobs, Porplyzia, Riley, Smith, Talia, Tippett
Gold Coast: Ablett, May 2; Brown, Gillbee, Lynch, Matera, Shaw

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Thompson, Mackay, Callinan, Douglas, Johncock, Porplyzia, Petrenko, Rutten, Jacobs
Gold Coast: Ablett, Bennell, Stanley, Matera, Warnock, Lynch

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Thompson, Mackay, van Berlo, Callinan, Porplyzia
Gold Coast: Ablett, Stanely, Matera, Bennell, Dixon, Lynch

COACHES' COMMENTS
Brenton Sanderson (Adel): It's here. It's September. It's time to turn up the heat and time to play some finals footy. We're as ready as we can be.

Guy McKenna (GC): It's been a long your for the footy club and most of those boys who haven't had a lot of experience. We won more quarters than last year. Most of our movement is on the back of our second-year players and that's the exciting thing.

Umpires: Fleer, Hay, Findlay