Australian Football

Match Report

In the inner west, City Mazda Stadium in Richmond was the setting for the match between the Bloods and the Crows. The Crows finished seventh in last year's competition, but the Bloods would be raising the Thomas Seymour-Hill Trophy high for the red and black faithful as they took out their ninth senior premiership. A long drought was busted on Grand Final day last year, the 2015 flag ending their 32 years on the fringes of glory after three previous disappointments in 1991, 2003 and 2012. The Bloods, of course, raised that flag to start their 2016 season but would have several names missing from their first outing for the year and so were going in undermanned... another name had simply changed colours.

The Crows would have a full compliment of AFL-listed players in comparison, and within 11 minutes of the start would have already kicked three majors, the Bloods not getting it into their own attack zone once in that time period. They would score an inaccurate 2.4, an additional three behinds to Adelaide would see the visitors lead by five points at quarter-time. From here it was most definitely the Crows show, kicking a further 6.4 and restricting the Bloods to 1.3 to extend their lead to six goals by half-time. When play resumed, so did the Crows who would continue to punish any and all mistakes by the reigning premiers. The gap would be extended to 50 points by three quarter-time, Adelaide adding 4.3 to Westies' 2.1 in the third term. Not a start that the Bloods fans were hoping for from the premiers, they would add just two more goals in the last quarter while the Crows romped away to a 74-point win after adding 5.6 to their final tally.

Cam Ellis-Yolmen was named best for Adelaide, while the Bloods named Kaine Stevens as their best.