Adelaide secured its second straight Elimination Final win on Saturday night, accounting for the eighth-placed North Melbourne by 62 points.
It was the Club’s fourth-biggest win in a final. Adelaide’s largest-ever finals win was 96 points over Essendon in the 2009 Elimination Final at Football Park.
Adelaide’s score of 21.15 (141) was the Club’s third-highest in a final. The Crows were the only team to score in excess of 100 points in the opening week of finals.
The Crows now have a record in finals of exactly 50 per cent – 16 wins and 16 losses.
Eddie Betts booted a finals career-high six goals against North Melbourne, surpassing his previous best effort of five goals in Adelaide’s Elimination Final win over the Western Bulldogs last year.
The brilliant forward was only one goal-shy of equalling the most goals by a Crow in a final. Adelaide and AFL legend Andrew McLeod holds the record with seven goals in the 1998 Preliminary Final against the Bulldogs.
Hard-working Crow Tom Lynch also achieved his best goal haul in a final on Saturday night, kicking four goals from 21 disposals.
In his return from injury, Brodie Smith amassed a season and equal-game high 29 possessions at 86.2 per cent efficiency.
Smith generated more forward 50m entries (eight) than any other player on the ground, and kicked two of his trademark long-range goals.
The All-Australian defender also gained an incredible 927 metres – 200 more than the next-best player in the first week of finals.
Young midfielder Matt Crouch also collected 29 disposals and a goal in his third AFL final.
Creative backman Rory Laird chalked up 26 touches at 92.3 efficiency to go with seven marks and four rebound 50ms.
Wingman David Mackay operated at an elite 95.5 per cent efficiency with his 22 possessions.
Captain Taylor Walker presented strongly, hauling in a game-high 11 marks, including four inside 50m. Also collected 20 possessions (11 contested), five inside 50ms, four score assists and two goals.
Walker’s first goal against the Kangaroos was also his 300th AFL goal. The skipper sits second overall in the Club’s all-time goalkicking (301 goals) behind star forward Tony Modra (440 goals).
Rory Sloane, Brad Crouch, Scott Thompson and Jarryd Lyons each won six clearances against the Roos. Lyons also applied a game-high nine tackles.
Despite recording a 10-goal win, the Crows laid 23 more tackles than the Kangaroos.
Eddie Betts booted six goals against North Melbourne, surpassing his previous best return in a final of five goals in Adelaide’s Elimination Final win over the Western Bulldogs last year.
The brilliant forward finished one goal-shy of equalling the most goals by a Crow in a final. Adelaide and AFL legend Andrew McLeod holds the Club record with seven goals in the 1998 Preliminary Final against the Bulldogs.
Betts has now kicked a remarkable 72 goals for the season behind only Coleman Medal winner Josh Kennedy (82) and Swan Lance Franklin (74).
Ruckman Sam Jacobs finished with 40 hit-outs – more than any other player over the weekend. Of his total hit-outs, 13 were to advantage – ranked equal-first in the opening week of finals.
Adelaide’s tall defenders kept North Melbourne’s key forwards, Drew Petrie, Ben Brown and Majak Daw, to four combined goals – all to Daw.
Of the eight clubs that contested the first week of finals, Adelaide fielded the second-least experienced team. The Crows 22 had an average experience of 105.1 games played. Only the Western Bulldogs (84 games) were less experienced.
Adelaide had an average age of 25 years and five months – the fourth youngest, just behind this week’s opponents, the Sydney Swans (25 years and four months).
Match statistics
Disposals
Adelaide – 385
North Melbourne – 350
Disposal efficiency
Adelaide – 76%
North Melbourne – 74%
Kicks
Adelaide – 219
North Melbourne – 171
Handballs
Adelaide – 166
North Melbourne – 179
Clearances
Adelaide – 45
North Melbourne – 37
Inside 50ms
Adelaide – 68
North Melbourne – 40
Contested possessions
Adelaide – 142
North Melbourne – 130
Uncontested possessions
Adelaide – 239
North Melbourne – 218
Tackles
Adelaide – 65
North Melbourne – 43
Hit-outs
Adelaide – 49
North Melbourne – 41
