Australian Football

Match Report

Adelaide has moved up to seventh place on the ladder after shaking off the Gold Coast Suns with a big last quarter at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. The Suns did well to stay in touch with the Crows for three quarters, after losing Gary Ablett to a knee injury late in the first term. Gold Coast was within nine points of the Crows at the last change, but Adelaide piled on eight goals to two in the final quarter to run out 45-point winners.

A mark and goal to Charlie Dixon gave the Suns the lead within the first minute, and when Tom Lynch followed up with another two minutes later, Gold Coast had a two-goal lead. Taylor Walker picked up a loose ball and goaled to get the Crows on the board at the eight-minute mark, and when Charlie Cameron kicked another four minutes later, Adelaide had a one point lead. Dixon's second restored the lead for the Suns but Ablett hobbled off soon after, dealing a massive blow to their chances. The Crows scored two of the next three goals, and the teams were locked together at 4.1 apiece at the first change. 

Eddie Betts kicked the first of the second quarter after taking a fine running mark, after which the two sides traded behinds for a 10-minute period. Walker's second major broke the drought and gave the Crows a 12-point advantage, but goals to Sam Day and Lynch brought the match back to level terms as the quarter entered time on. The Crows gradually got on top over the last 10 minutes of the term , kicking three of the last four majors to lead by 13 at the long break. 

With Ablett done for the afternoon, the expectation was that the Crows would get right on top in the third quarter but, after Josh Jenkins extended their lead to 19 points at the one-minute mark, Gold Coast began to control the play Lynch kicked his third at the nine-minute mark to cut the margin to 15, and a brilliant running goal from Jesse Lonergan cut it back to just nine three minutes later. Patrick Dangerfield got one back for the Crows at the 27-minute mark but Dixon's third on the cusp of three-quarter time saw Gold Coast within nine at the last change of ends.

The Suns appeared to be a chance when the final quarter began, but those hopes were dashed within the first five minutes when Richard Douglas, Betts and Jenkins all added goals to blow the margin out to 27 points. From there the Crows added another five goals to two for the quarter and ran out comfortable 45-point winners to take seventh place on the ladder.

Best for the Crows included Sam Jacobs (21 disposals, 39 hitouts), Douglas (25 possessions, two goals) and Dangerfield (36 touches, eight tackles), while Gold Coast was well served by Harley Bennell (39 disposal, four tackles), Tom Lynch (11 marks, four goals) and Lonergan (nine tackles, 20 possessions). 

Next up for Adelaide is a trip to Sydney to take on the fourth-placed Swans, while Gold Coast will host West Coast at Carrara next Saturday. 

GOALS
Adelaide: Cameron 4; Jenkins, Betts 3; Walker, Douglas, Sloane 2; Dangerfield, Laird, Martin
Gold Coast: Lynch 4; Dixon 3; Matera 2; Day, Russell, Lonergan

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Douglas, Dangerfield, Laird, Lever, Thompson, Jacobs
Gold Coast: Lynch, Bennell, Lonergan, Dixon, Hall, Kolodjashnij

BEST - THE AGE
Adelaide: Jacobs, Douglas, Dangerfield, Cameron, Thompson, Lever, Dangerfield
Gold Coast: Bennell, Lynch, Dixon, Lonegan, Rischitelli, Hall

INJURIES 
Adelaide: Nil
Gold Coast: Ablett (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Rory Atkins replaced Matthew Wright at three-quarter time.
Gold Coast: Joshua Glenn replaced Gary Ablett at quarter time.

UMPIRES: Farmer, Hay, Harris

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Matthew Campbell, Mark Ricciuto, Alastair Lynch, Cameron Mooney