Australian Football

Match Report

Adelaide has broken open the race for a place in the top eight, defeating Collingwood by 16 points at the MCG in the last game of round 18 on Sunday. The win propelled the Crows into the top eight, at Collingwood's expense, for the first time since round nine, 2013. Ironically, Adelaide's place was taken by Collingwood in the following round last year.

Sunday's match saw Collingwood draw first blood with a goal in the first minute to Jesse White before Adelaide peppered the goals without scoring a major. The Crows racked up four consecutive behinds before Scott Pendlebury made the most of a rare Magpie foray forward with a goal at the 12-miunute mark to give Collingwood an eight-point lead. But the Crows turned things around from that point, kicking 4.1 to 1.0 for the remainder of the term too go into quarter time with a 17-point lead. The second term was an even affair, each side kicking two goals, and the Crows' advantage at half time was 16 points.

Taylor Walker took that margin out to 21 with the first goal of the third quarter but goals to Travis Cloke and Jarrod Witts saw the Pies back with seven at the start of time-on. Brodie Smith marked an goaled to extend the lead to 13 at the 21-minute mark but Dayne Beams responded with a major at 24-minute mark before Adelaide closed out the quarter with five consecutive behinds. The Crows should probably have had the game in their keeping at the last change, but led by just 11 points going into the last quarter. 

Collingwood attacked fiercely early in the final term, with goals to Cloke and Beams giving the Pies a one-point lead at the six-minute mark. A behind from Mitch Grigg tied the scores but Cloke gave Collingwood an even one-goal lead with a major at the 13-minute mark. But with the game, seemingly slipping from their grasp, the Crows responded with three goals in a row from 100-gamer James Podsiadly, Richard Douglas and David Mackay. A further two goals to Walker at the 24 and 27-minute marks took the Crows' lead to 22 points and made the game safe, before a final goal to Magpie Jarryd Blair saw a 16-point win to Adelaide.

Patrick Dangerfield was a stand-out for the Crows, with 26 possessions, although he limped off late in the game with a knee injury. Brad Crouch (nine tackles, 25 touches) was also a fine player for the victors. The Pies' best included Steele Sidebottom (32 disposals, 10 marks) and Dayne Beams (29 touches and two goals).

Both sides now have nine wins but the Crows' superior percentage sees them inside the eight ahead of Collingwood and Gold Coast. Adelaide will host the Eagles at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, while Collingwood faces a tough match against fifth-placed Port at the MCG on Sunday.

GOALS
Collingwood: Cloke 3; White, Beams 2; Pendlebury, Elliott, Martin, Witts, Blair
Adelaide: Walker 3; Betts, Smith, Douglas 2; Jaensch, Martin, Sloane, Podsiadly, McKay

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Beams, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Cloke, Lumumba
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Crouch, Smith, Martin, Sloane

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Beams, Sidebottom, Lumumba, Pendlebury, Cloke
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Crouch, Smith, Martin, Sloane Jaensch

INJURIES
Collingwood: Langdon (head)
Adelaide: Podsiadly (elbow), Dangerfield (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Ben Kennedy replaced Kyle Martin in the fourth quarter
Adelaide: Mitch Grigg replaced Matthew Wright at three-quarter time

REPORTS: Clinton Young (Collingwood) reported for rough conduct on Brodie Smith (Adelaide)

UMPIRES: Farmer, Stevic, Armstrong

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Jason Dunstall, Alastair Lynch