The Australian
Brisbane Lions make easy meal of still-stoned Crows
By Andrew Faulkner
COACH Neil Craig said the performance was the Crows’ worst of the season and suggested his players were getting ahead of themselves. “I thought we played today as if it was just going to happen,” Craig said. “And that’s a very immature approach. We were fumbly, we over-handballed…we were in direct. We played with an attitude that we’ll be OK. I don’t know what gives us the right to play with that attitude.” Craig said his players had to learn to get over crushing defeats such as the Collingwood debacle last week, when Adelaide led by four goals before losing by seven. What will not go away is the mounting pressure on Craig and his players to fix the side’s chronic inconsistency. Adelaide entered the game hoping its brace of talls would exploit the Lions, but the opposite was the case.
Courier Mail
Brisbane stun Crows with 40 point win
By AAP
WILY Brisbane goalsneak Ashley McGrath has triggered a turnaround 40-point AFL upset over a dispirited Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. The Crows had flown to an early lead with recalled forward Taylor Walker among the goal scorers in Adelaide's 3.2 to 1.3 opening term. But McGrath then kicked three goals and set another up in a devastating 17 minute which stunned the 34,583-strong crowd. The Crows, their season tattered with six losses from nine starts, lost Walker who sat out the second half with an ankle injury. Adelaide's woes would have been worse without the efforts of their prime midfielders Scott Thompson (35 disposals) and Richard Douglas (33 touches). The Lions host Sydney next Saturday while Adelaide travel to meet North Melbourne on Sunday.
The Sydney Morning Herald
Craig blasts Crows following lacklustre display
By Steve Larkin
FRUSTRATED Adelaide coach Neil Craig blasted his players after their loss to unfancied Brisbane yesterday. Craig was abused by angry Crows supporters as he left AAMI Stadium following Brisbane's triumph. “I am not here for social approval,'' Craig said. ''I'm here to do a job with this team and be very strong with this team and expect this team to perform at a high level … I'm not backing off on that. ''And if that puts pressure back on me, so be it … but I ain't backing off.'' The Crows were in control when skipping to a two-goal lead at quarter-time. But Brisbane then booted 14 goals to five in a commanding period that laid the platform for consecutive victories.
The Age
Lions bring pain for Crows
By Ashley Porter
ONLY three weeks ago, Neil Craig was a hero at home while the talk of the AFL was that Michael Voss' days were numbered. Yesterday, Craig found out that three weeks is a long time in footy after his Crows were crunched by the Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium. Craig said he would keep pushing on with what he and the coaching staff were doing, especially their demands for excellence and not resorting to using ''rebuilding'' as an excuse. Craig said he was mystified how his team could play so well at times and then produce an absolute shocker. The coach said it best: "We were fumbly, we over-handballed, we did not hit through the ball, we were indirect. We did not play like millionaires, but we played with an attitude that we will be OK. I don't know what gives us the right to play with that attitude."
The Advertiser
Lions tame ‘immature’ Crows unit
By Andrew Capel
THE Crows crashed to their sixth loss of the season because of some of the most inept skill and decision-making errors they have made at home in years. "We were really poor," Craig noted, rating the performance as worse than the 96-point flogging against Melbourne at the MCG in round seven. "It was a very poor, immature performance.” Remarkably, Adelaide - whose ball use was terrible - had 10 more inside-50s than the Lions but kicked only eight goals from 55 inside-50 entries. In contrast, Brisbane booted 15 majors from 45 forward-50 entries. The Crows' tale of woe would have been worse had the Lions not missed seven set shots, including three from skipper Jonathan Brown, who was held goalless by Ben Rutten. The Lions - handed a blueprint on the Adelaide players and its game plan by their new physical performance manager, former Crow Brett Burton - used the ball intelligently and with precision.
