Adelaide’s win over Geelong on Friday night came four years to the day since the Club’s last victory over the Cats at Football Park in Round 17, 2013.
The win consolidated Adelaide in top spot on the AFL ladder, six points and percentage clear of the second-placed Cats. Greater Western Sydney and Richmond are a further two points behind.
The Crows have won every game (nine) when they’ve kicked the first goal this season.
Coincidentally, the half-time margin in both games between Adelaide and Geelong this season was 29 points. The Cats led at the main break in Round 11, while the Crows were comfortably in front on Friday night.
Coach Don Pyke has now beaten every team in the competition since taking over at Adelaide in Round One last season. Pyke has a 19 – 4 winning record at Adelaide Oval.
The attendance of 50,464 on Friday night was the second-highest for a match between Adelaide and Geelong.
Line-breaking Crow Charlie Cameron hit a maximum speed of 33.1 km/h on Friday night – the highest speed of any player on the ground. Debutant Alex Keath displayed his athleticism to be the second-fastest Crow, reaching 32.4 km/h.
Crows players covered 5.3 more kilometres than their Cats counterparts on Friday night.
For the seventh time this season, Matt (32) and Brad Crouch (29) combined for 60 or more possessions.
Matt Crouch was the leading possession-winner on the ground. It was the 11th time in 17 games that Crouch has collected 30 or more disposals this season. He also won an equal-Round 18 high 10 hard-ball gets, eight clearances and laid five tackles.
Brad Crouch won more clearances (10) than any other player, including five in the third quarter alone. Only Richmond star Dustin Martin had more clearances (11) for the round.
Against the Cats, Rory Sloane became the 28th player to kick 100 goals for the Crows.
After Richard Douglas kicked his career-best fourth goal at the 21-minute mark of the third quarter, Adelaide didn’t kick another goal for the game. The Crows, who started with an accurate return of 13.5 (83), finished with eight consecutive behinds.
Sloane equalled his career-high of three goals. The Adelaide vice-captain also gathered 28 disposals, 11 score involvements, seven clearances and applied seven tackles. He gained more metres (581) than any other Crow.
Full-back Daniel Talia effected a League-high 16 spoils in Round 18.
Adelaide won the clearance count by 20 (47 – 27) which was the equal-highest differential of any team over the weekend.
The frenetic Crows pressure limited Geelong to a competition-low 106 effective kicks and 47 uncontested marks in Round 18.
Match statistics
Disposals
Adelaide – 346
Geelong – 328
Disposal efficiency
Adelaide – 69%
Geelong – 74%
Kicks
Adelaide – 214
Geelong – 163
Handballs
Adelaide – 132
Geelong – 165
Clearances
Adelaide – 47
Geelong – 27
Inside 50ms
Adelaide – 48
Geelong – 42
Contested possessions
Adelaide – 154
Geelong – 145
Uncontested possessions
Adelaide – 186
Geelong – 186
Tackles
Adelaide – 70
Geelong – 89
Hit-outs
Adelaide – 39
Geelong – 37
