1. Hawks get the message
The last time Hawthorn ventured to the city of churches, it faced a first-quarter onslaught from a rampant Port Adelaide, which piled on eight goals to one and created a lead the Hawks could not reel in. It was evident early against the Crows there would be no such home team domination. The Hawks were simply ferocious, tackling and chasing all while winning more of the footy. At the end of term, a potent Hawthorn led on the scoreboard (by 13 points, with six individual goalkickers), and the tackle (25-12) and inside 50 (18-9) counts.
2. The beautiful Danger man
Another week of 'will he or won't he' surrounding the future of Patrick Dangerfield intensified on the back of news fellow midfield stars Rory Sloane and Richard Douglas had put pen to paper with the Crows. If Dangerfield has any thoughts about bidding Adelaide goodbye, he's not showing it. For three quarters, the 25-year-old was at his beautiful and bustling best, finishing with 31 touches, winning first possession all over the ground and driving the Crows forward with four centre clearances and four inside 50s. His third term in particular was inspirational, and included a cracking goal which brought the 19th Man to its feet.
3. Charlie stirs the pot
Charlie Cameron was another third-quarter lightning rod as the Crows stormed back into the match, but by that stage he already had the footy world talking thanks to an interesting goal celebration in the second term. Cameron channelled American basketball star James Harden with what's known as 'stirring the pot,' which we're told he pulls out during a hot streak to tell the world 'I'm cooking'. Cameron again made the gesture after snagging an important goal in the third quarter. It added further evidence of the popularity of NBA showmen among AFL players, six days after another basketball-inspired goal celebration at the same ground by Geelong's Cameron Guthrie. Guthrie later tweeted his appreciation.
4. Back to the future
A weeklong celebration of 25 years since the Crows burst into the AFL gripped Adelaide in the lead-up to the game, with the club's first AFL match in 1991 the main point of reference. That game, kicking off the season on a Friday night at Football Park, saw the game's newest team take on and thrash the might of Hawthorn. Famous names were made as the Crows ran out 86-point winners. The celebration ran right up until game-time, with the 2015 version of the team entering the field of play flanked by a guard of honour of about 60 former Crows.
5. Hit the boundary line
A kicking curse has engulfed Adelaide Oval. Last week, Port Adelaide kicked the ball on the full 11 times, the third most recorded since Champion Data started taking the stat in 1999. A one off? Not so. This week the curse grabbed Hawthorn, considered the competition's best kicking team. By half-time the reigning champs had registered seven 'on the fulls', while the Crows had four. The curse tempered a little after half-time, but the kicking struggles had plenty wondering if the boundary line had been brought in a metre or two.
