Inspired yet again by Michael Voss with seven goals, and able to seize on the Crows’ countless errors, Brisbane was always in control.
The Lions had every answer, and premonitions they would remain the competition’s benchmark, and the Crows would struggle, are turning into stark realities.
Adelaide coach Gary Ayres acknowledged Brisbane’s effort, but refused to be too harsh on his players claiming he was encouraged by the fact they produced spirit and effort.
“At least it’s a start to what I did not see last week (against Kangaroos)’” he said. “At least they endeavoured to compete and contest.
“We could not get our hands to the ball. They (Brisbane) were good at making us pay for mistakes.”
Voss won the toss and just about everything else in the first quarter, and led the Lions’ onslaught with four of their eight opening–term goals. It was a remarkable start by the champion, and no one was more frustrated than Adelaide captain Mark Ricciuto, who was suffering from the effects of ‘gastro’. He was often blocked from getting too close to Voss,
Adelaide took almost 25 minutes before it had its first scoring shot, when Scott Welsh marked in the goal-square and goaled.
Brisbane merely responded with two goals, and completed a sensational first quarter to lead 8.5 to 1.1. It meant the Crows had been outscored 29.13 to 7.8 in their last four quarters, including the game against the Kangaroos.
Adelaide improved with its chance with the breeze, but sorely lacked accuracy. And twice into time-on it kicked goals, only to be hurt by Tim Notting, who came on late and gathered the ball unopposed out of the square and goaled each time on the run from 50 metres.
Wayne Carey seemed to save himself from being dragged by taking a superb overhead mark and kicking a goal from 50 metres. Until then the Crow full forward had only two disposals to his credit, and was well-covered by Mal Michael, who like Voss, is in magic form. Surprisingly, Ricciuto was rested again, which summed up Adelaide’s poor half.
A telling statistic at half-time was Brisbane’s 152 handballs to 114, a reflection of its ability to take time and work the ball out of trouble, compared with Adelaide’s hurried kicks under intense pressure. Also, Ricciuto did not have, at that stage, a kick. He finished with two.
Despite inaccuracy becoming one of its few flaws, Brisbane went further ahead, but to Adelaide’s credit, it responded late in the third term to reduce the deficit to 35 points, and not without an outside chance. Of course, the hopes of the 41,095 home crowd were later unmercifully dashed.
Brisbane had many winners, including Simon Black, who was presented with numerous easy kicks on his 25th birthday, Nigel Lappin and Shaun Hart. Tyson Edwards, Graham Johncock and youngster Brent Reilly were among the few Crows to make an impact.
BRISBANE: 8.5, 11.7, 14.11, 15.14 (104)
ADELAIDE: 1.1, 6.8, 8.12, 11.17 (83)
GOALS: Brisbane: Voss 7, Bradshaw, Notting 2, McRae, B. Scott, Charman, Keating. Adelaide: Johncock 4, Welsh, S. Stevens 2, Goodwin, Carey, Edwards.
BEST: Brisbane: Voss, Michael, Lappin, Hart, Black, Akermanis. Adelaide: Edwards, Johncock, Reilly, Goodwin, Clarke, McLeod.
INJURIES: Brisbane: White (knee). Adelaide: Ladhams (ankle).
CHANGES: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Dore, Avon.
CROWD: 41,095 at AAMI Stadium
