Adelaide kicked off its 2023 pre-season campaign on Friday evening, playing the Fremantle Dockers in a match simulation at Victor George Kailis Oval in Western Australia.
The Crows used a squad of 42 players which also included four ‘top-up’ players from Peel Thunder. The clash comprised of six, 25-minute periods, plus one, 20-minute period.
Here are the five takeaways from the match:
Sloane fit and firing
Rory Sloane looked imposing in his first hit-out against an AFL side since Round Five last season.
Spending most of his time on the wing, Sloane showed he can still have a large impact on games with his footy smarts and will to win the ball on display.
Known for being a bull around the contest, Sloane lived up to this by getting in and under, laying some feracious tackles to cap off a strong performance.
The highlight of the game came late in the first period when Sloane snapped home a goal from 40 metres - to the delight of his teammates - with the Fremantle dominant crowd applauding his efforts.
Rankine stars
New recruit Izak Rankine was an excitement machine for the Crows, being a point of difference up forward with his ability to kick goals from anywhere.
The 22-year-old starred in the second period booting two goals, first slotting one from the boundary before weaving through a sea of players to snap home an impressive goal.
Rankine also showed he could split his time between forward and midfield, able to give Adelaide an x-factor and extra speed when he spent time further up the ground.
Adelaide fans will be counting down the days until they get to see Rankine in person, with the excitement he brings sure to rock Adelaide Oval this season.
Midfielders make their mark
Following a slow start to the match, Adelaide were able to turn their fortunes around thanks to their midfield brigade winning multiple clearances.
Rory Laird and Sam Berry led the way with the pair prolific around the contest, amassing posessions while applying their trademark tackling pressure.
Laird also made his impact felt on the outside, running hard all game to link up play while making repeat efforts to launch the Crows forward.
They were well supported by the likes of Matt Crouch - who played in six of the seven periods - as well as young players Jake Soligo and Harry Schoenberg.
Himmelberg shows versatility
Key forward Elliott Himmelberg had a strong first four periods of the match, spending time forward and pinch-hitting in the ruck.
Himmelberg gave the Crows a new dimension in the ruck with his ability to win the ball on the ground.
He made sure to have a presence up forward and hit the scoreboard when opportunities presented, finishing with two goals including a massive bomb from outside 50 at the start of the third period.
Young star Riley Thilthorpe also played a similar role throughout the second half of the match, able to showcase a similar skill set finishing with two goals himself.
Dominant periods
There were plenty of positive signs and moments to like from the game for Adelaide fans, with the Crows able to control the momentum for large periods of the match.
Following a close first two periods, Adelaide were able to get on top in the third period kicking the first five goals.
The goal scoring duties were shared around with five different players hitting the scoreboard during the period, giving Adelaide a 16-point advantage.
Both teams made multiple changes heading into the fifth period with players getting their first run of the afternoon, however it was Adelaide’s depth which proved superior.
The Crows were able to keep Fremantle goalless through the fifth period while kicking four of their own to extend the lead to 36-points.
Goals:
Adelaide: Rankine, Sholl 3, Fogarty, McAdam, Himmelberg, Gollant, Thilthorpe, McHenry 2, Sloane, Pedlar, Dawson, Newchurch, Dowling, Jones, Harmelin
Fremantle: Fyfe 3, Taberner 2, Schultz, Jackson, Banfield, Treacy, Switkowski, Kuek, Emmett, Corbett, Tregenza-Cashell
Adelaide: 3.1 6.2 11.3 12.5 16.8 20.11 25.15 (165)
Fremantle: 4.3 6.5 8.5 10.6 10.8 11.9 14.9 (93)
