Adelaide Captain Jordan Dawson had plenty of praise for a trio of teammates following his side’s 39-point win over the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
The Crows stunned the Bulldogs with a five-goal-to-one opening quarter and continued that momentum to prevail 17.9 (111) to 9.18 (72) at Adelaide Oval.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Dawson commended Darcy Fogarty’s five-goal performance in what was his 100th AFL game.
“We know he’s (Fogarty) capable of it, he’s a beautiful kick, he’s a competitive beast, you just have to give him the opportunity, try and get it to his advantage and he’ll make the most of it more often than not,” Dawson said.
“I’m super proud of him.
“His development this year has been massive and I love playing alongside him, so it was good to see him get the reward on the scoreboard.”
The second-year Skipper also spoke glowingly of ruckman Reilly O’Brien’s game and Izak Rankine’s.
O’Brien dominated the hit-outs, finishing with 58 hit-outs, while Rankine, in his return after a four-game suspension, recorded 15 disposals, three clearances and a goal.
“ROB’s (O’Brien) follow up and his aerial stuff, especially since the bye, has been awesome and you know what you’re going to get with him,” Dawson said.
“He’s a big unit and he can run the whole game out. He’s massive for us and he definitely set the tone the past month with his follow up in games.
“To have Izak out there is unbelievable for us to watch him go about his thing. Everytime he touches the ball he seems to create something and he’s been itching to get back out there.
“You can see the joy he has when he’s out there with us and the joy we get from seeing him go about his business.”
The Crows will now turn their attention to the Showdown against crosstown rival Port Adelaide this Saturday night.
Adelaide recorded a 30-point victory against the Power in Round Eight and are hoping to make it two from two this weekend.
“It’s definitely the biggest rivalry I’ve been a part of and they’re the most enjoyable to play,” Dawson said.
“Both teams are super competitive and the head-to-head battles between individuals as well are massive.
“We love playing them, they love playing them and the fans love it, so it’s definitely a finals-like atmosphere and hopefully we can thrive in that and get a win.”
Adelaide plays Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday at 7pm.