Australian Football

Match Report

The Adelaide Crows have maintained their hold on top place on the ladder with a hard-fought win over Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Unlike in their first two matches of 2015, the Crows were pushed for most of the first three quarters, and the Demons were within just eight points of them as late as the 25-minute mark of the third term, but Adelaide held firm to go on and win by 25 points.

Melbourne opened the match full of running. Ben Newton goaled for the Demons after six minutes, and after Nathan Jones and Jeff Garlett followed with majors, Melbourne led 3.3 to 0.0 half way through the first term. The Crows steadied from that moment and goals to Tom Lynch, Charlie Cameron and Cam Ellis-Yolmen saw them back within three points at the quarter-time break.

After an early second-quarter behind from Demon Jesse Hogan, Josh Jenkin goaled to put Adelaide ahead for the first time in the match but Hogan answered several minutes later with a major that restored a four-point lead for Melbourne. Only one further goal for the term was scored. It went to Crow skipper Taylor Walker at the 18-minute mark and was enough to give Adelaide a lead of three points at the long break.

The Crows made the early break in the third quarter with goals to Brodie Smith, Walker and Luke Brown inside the first 10 minutes but the Demons demonstrated some defensive spine over the next 15 minutes, restricting Adelaide to just one further behind and adding goals via Hogan and Dean Kent to cut the margin to just eight points. But a late goal to David Mackay saw the Crows go into the last change of ends with a 14-point buffer and the momentum wrested back from their opponents.

They maintained that momentum when the final term began, and goals to Walker, Ellis-Yolmen and Eddie Betts extended the lead to 31 points and made the game safe. A late major to Garlett saw the final margin reduced to 25, probably a fair reflection of the difference between the sides on the day.

Best for the Crows included Rory Sloane (31 disposals, 10 tackles), Mackay (13 tackles, 23 possessions) and Scott Thompson (11 tackles and 30 touches), while Melbourne’s better players included Nathan Jones (25 touches and five tackles), Heitier Lumumba (25 possessions and seven tackles) and Jeremy Howe (20 disposals, five marks).

Adelaide will look to make it four from four when it takes on the Western Bulldogs at Docklands next Sunday, while Melbourne will look for its second win at the MCG on Friday night against Richmond.

GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 3; Ellis-Yolmen 2; Cameron, Lynch, Jenkins, Mackay, Smith, Brown, Betts
Melbourne: Hogan, Garlett 2; Newton, Jones, Kent

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Sloane, Mackay, Thompson, Jacobs, Douglas, Talia
Melbourne: Jones, Lumumba, Howe, Vince, Cross, Tyson

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Melbourne: Frost (foot)

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Matthew Wright replaced Charlie Cameron at three-quarter time
Melbourne: Angus Brayshaw replaced Sam Frost (foot) in the second quarter

UMPIRES: Foot, Margetts, Meredith

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Mark Ricciuto, Ben Dixon