Australian Football

Match Report

Adelaide has moved to within one game of the top eight with a solid 36-point win over a disappointing North Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. The game had a slow start with neither side kicking a goal until the 13-minute mark when James Podsiadly kicked his first, and this set the Crows alight. Eddie Betts kicked one of the goals of the season from hard on the boundary line a minute later and Matthew Wright added another at the 17-minute mark. Lindsay Thomas finally got the Kangaroos on the board at the 21-minute mark but Betts kicked his second late in the term to give the Crows a 20-point lead at the first break.

The Crows took a stranglehold on the match in the first 10 minutes of the second term, with goals to Taylor Walker, Sam Kerridge and Podsiadly taking them out to a 40-point lead at the 13-minute mark. From that moment on, the match was a relatively even affair. North threatened on several occasions, but could never reduce the difference to fewer than 22 points, while Adelaide at one stage led by 50. The final margin of six goals was probably a fair reflection of the difference between the two sides over the four quarters.

Best for the winners included Brodie Smith (29 disposals, nine marks), Eddie Betts (three goals) and Rory Sloane (25 touches and eight marks), while the Kangaroos were well-served by Levi Greenwood (32 possessions and a goal), the evergreen Brent Harvey (two goals, 31 possessions) and Ben Cunnington (24 disposals and seven tackles).

Within sight of the eight, the Crows could well be inside it if they can overcome Essendon at Docklands on Sunday. North, in seventh spot and one game clear of both the Crows and the Bombers could consolidate their place in the eight if they can overcome the improving Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

GOALS
Adelaide: Kerridge 4; Betts 3; Podsiadly, Walker, Jenkins 2; Wright, Smith, Mackay
North Melbourne: Thomas 4; Harvey 2; Hansen, Greenwood, Bastinac, Petrie

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Betts, Smith, Kerridge, Sloane, Podsiadly, Dangerfield
North Melbourne: Greenwood, Cunnington, Harvey, Thomas, Hansen

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Smith, Betts, Kerridge, Sloane, Podsiadly, Dangerfield
North Melbourne: Harvey, Greenwood, Cunnington, Thomas, Hansen

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Brodie Martin replaced Matt Crouch in the third quarter.
North Melbourne: Liam Anthony replaced Robbie Tarrant in the third quarter.

UMPIRES: Fleer, Bannister, Rosebury

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling