For the opening two and a half quarters, St Kilda could not be faulted for their endeavour against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.

But like last week, they were eventually made to pay for their tardy execution and wastefulness in front of goal, with the Crows running out 49-point winners, 15.14 (104) to 7.13 (55) in front of just 19,324 fans.

The Crows (2-1) have now won their last nine against St Kilda (1-2).

The Saints dominated contested possessions and inside 50s in a fairly uninspiring first half and went in at half-time trailing by 10 points.

But the Crows blew them away in a six-goals-to-one third term, turning the tables in the clinches, using the ball more cleanly and getting the ball to their tall forwards, Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins, who started feasting on the tiring St Kilda backmen.

Also notable for the Crows was Eddie Betts finally hitting the scoreboard after a barren opening fortnight to the season. He kicked his first goal for 2018 12 minutes into the second quarter after some crafty work and snap for goal from deep in the pocket and finished with three goals for the night.

With Walker (three goals) Mitch McGovern (two) and Jenkins also hitting the scoreboard, it ended up a pleasing enough night for the Crows. 

Not so for the Saints, who followed up their 5.12 last week with just seven goals and 23 shots on goal from 54 scoring entries this time around. Last year’s accuracy woes continue to plague them, while most worryingly, key forwards Josh Bruce (1.0) and Paddy McCartin (0.1) continued to battle.  

Adelaide once again received excellent service from midfielder Bryce Gibbs, who with 26 possessions and eight clearances must be pinching himself at his good fortune at arriving in Adelaide after a decade of largely unrewarded toil at Carlton.

Rory Laird (32) and Paul Seedsman (26) also providing plenty of drive. Sam Jacobs eventually got right on top in the ruck.

Seedsman appears to have fitted seamlessly into the rebounding half-back role while Brodie Smith recuperates from his ACL injury, while last week’s NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Tom Doedee was again impressive with his intercept work across half-back.

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Jack Newnes, Jack Sinclair, Seb Ross and Jack Steven all won a bit of the ball for the Saints at varying stages and Steven in particular, battled hard after spending off the ground for treatment on a leg injury.

Debutant Nick Coffield did some nice work, while ruckman Rowan Marshall looked good early and showed signs that he could soon leapfrog Billy Longer and Tom Hickey in the club’s rucking depth list.

But the confidence seems to have evaporated at Moorabbin and coach Alan Richardson faces a huge task in righting the ship with flag fancies Geelong, Greater Western Sydney, Hawthorn and Melbourne to come.

ST KILDA         2.6       3.9       4.12     7.13 (55)
ADELAIDE       3.2       5.7       11.10   15.14 (104)

GOALS
St Kilda: Sinclair, Acres, Coffield, Bruce, Gresham, Geary, Armitage
Adelaide: Betts 3, Walker 3, Seedsman 2, McGovern 2, Atkins 2, Douglas, Jenkins, Gibbs

BEST
St Kilda: Sinclair, Dunstan, Ross, Newnes, Steven
Adelaide: Gibbs, Laird, Jacobs, Seedsman, Douglas, Betts

INJURIES
St Kilda: Membrey (knee soreness, replaced by Wright)
Adelaide: Nil 

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Brown, Findlay, Ryan 

Official crowd: 19,324 at Etihad Stadium

More to come.