Adelaide’s 33-point win on Saturday afternoon was its first over Fremantle since the 2012 Semi-Final, ending a four-game losing streak against the Dockers.
The victory returned the Crows to the top eight. Adelaide is currently seventh on the AFL ladder as one of five teams with a record of four wins and two losses.
Adelaide’s score of 14.13 (97) was its biggest against Fremantle since Round 20, 2012, when the Crows booted 17.17 (119) to record a 28-point win.
The attendance of 47,423 at Adelaide Oval on Saturday was the highest-ever for a match between the Crows and Dockers, and the biggest home and away crowd Fremantle has played in front of.
Rory Sloane amassed a team-high 31 possessions against Fremantle. Sloane also topped Adelaide’s tackle count with eight. He took seven marks, won four clearances, generated four inside 50ms, kicked a goal and assisted directly in two others in another influential display.
Reliable defender Luke Brown displayed the continual improvement in his offensive game on the weekend, gathering a career-high 27 possessions.
Brown also generated a career and game-high eight rebound 50ms. Only Sydney Swans defender Dane Rampe (12) and Greater Western Sydney’s Heath Shaw (nine) had more rebound 50ms for the round.
Brown also gained more metres (523) than any other Crow, and collected 10 intercept possessions – level with fellow backman Jake Lever as the most on the ground.
In one of the best performances of his 33-game AFL career, Kyle Hartigan laid five tackles in defensive 50m – the equal-most of any player for the round.
Hartigan also took four marks from opposition kicks – ranked equal-fourth on the weekend, and won a season-high 18 possessions – at 88.9 per cent efficiency.
All Australian full-back Daniel Talia, who led the League in spoils prior to the weekend, effected another eight spoils against the Dockers – a game high.
Scott Thompson and Jarryd Lyons each won five clearances. Thompson had 21 handball receives – more than any other player in the AFL on the weekend.
Tom Lynch generated a team-high six inside 50ms.
Eddie Betts (four), and Lynch and Josh Jenkins (two each) were the only Crows to kick multiple goals.
Jenkins, who kicked Adelaide’s opening goal, has now been his team’s first goalkicker in five of the past 23 games – level with captain Taylor Walker.
Betts is fourth in the Coleman Medal race with 20 goals from six games this season.
Ruckman Sam Jacobs was involved in more scores (11) than any other player in the match at Adelaide Oval. Jacobs also finished with a season-high 21 touches.
Paul Seedsman and Brodie Smith took an equal team-high nine marks on Saturday afternoon.
Match statistics
Disposals
Adelaide – 430
Fremantle – 376
Disposal Efficiency
Adelaide – 73%
Fremantle – 72%
Kicks
Adelaide – 222
Fremantle – 200
Handballs
Adelaide – 208
Fremantle – 176
Clearances
Adelaide – 30
Fremantle – 35
Inside 50ms
Adelaide – 52
Fremantle – 52
Contested Possessions
Adelaide – 152
Fremantle – 145
Uncontested Possessions
Adelaide – 287
Fremantle – 225
Tackles
Adelaide – 61
Fremantle – 73
Hit-outs
Adelaide – 38
Fremantle – 34
