Adelaide has punished North Adelaide with a ruthless run of nine unanswered goals on its way to a commanding 74-point victory at Prospect Oval on Saturday.
The Roosters kicked the opening two goals of the contest before the SANFL Crows went on a scoring spree, effectively ending the game by half-time.
Conditions worsened the longer the match went on, but it did little to slow the SANFL Crows. Adelaide piled on eight goals to three after half-time to notch the convincing 17.7 (109) to 5.5 (35) win.
The result was Adelaide’s highest score and biggest win of the SANFL season, lifting the Crows back inside the top five on the League ladder for the first time since Round Two.
Debutant Tom Pinyon slotted his maiden SANFL goal with his first kick to get Adelaide on the board at the four-minute mark of the opening term.
North Adelaide could only manage five behinds against the Crows’ nine-goal avalanche by the time Jonathon Beech booted his second goal of the match at the 25-minute mark of the second term.
The visitors were 41 points clear at the main break and were never challenged in the second half.
Crows SANFL coach Ryan O'Keefe praised the players' ability to respond after a sluggish start.
“We took a little while to get going, but after that we hit our straps and started to play the way we’ve been training and coaching for the last few weeks,” he said.
“It was not so much playing flashy footy but just getting the basic fundamentals right.
“A winning culture is a good culture and it creates good habits. When you can have a good win like that, it shows reward for the effort and reward for the process."
Reigning Crows State League Club Champion Beech continues to put his hand up for a senior debut. He led the way with a season-high 30 possessions, eight marks and three goals in a clear best-on-ground display.
Tough onballer Dean Gore relished the wet conditions to produce his best performance as a Crow. The 20-year-old was aggressive at the contest to win 27 possessions, eight inside 50ms and six clearances.
Development player Matthew Leigh backed up his three-goal effort against West Adelaide with another bag of four to be the leading scorer on the ground.
Young key-position forward Elliott Himmelberg impressed with his second three-goal haul of the season. Ruckman Reilly O’Brien and Alex Keath were Adelaide’s other multiple goalkickers.
Defensive duo Tom Doedee and Kyle Cheney were sublime across half-back and locked the ball in Adelaide’s forward half for extended periods. The pair’s power in the air was a highlight, as they combined for an incredible 10 intercept marks.
Riley Knight (19 disposals, five marks) showed his speed, skill and class in his return from a glute injury, while Scott Thompson (24 possessions including 16 contested) buried into each pack with trademark strength.
The win continued Adelaide’s recent dominance over the Roosters. The SANFL Crows have won their past four encounters with North Adelaide.
Adelaide heads to Gliderol Stadium to confront sixth-placed Glenelg in a crucial contest next Saturday afternoon.
ADELAIDE 5.0 9.4 14.7 17.7 (109)
NORTH ADELAIDE 2.4 2.5 3.5 5.5 (35)
GOALS
Adelaide: Leigh 4, Himmelberg 3, Beech 3, O’Brien 2, Keath 2, Pinyon, Wigg, Signorello
North Adelaide: Ryswyk 2, Hender 2, Barns
BEST
Adelaide: Beech, Gore, Leigh, Thompson, Doedee, Knight
North Adelaide: Thring, Dixon, Craig, Barns
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
North Adelaide: Nil
