Last week, the Crows - although beaten by a better team on the day - were left to rue what might’ve been in the Qualifying Final loss to Sydney. The home team won the inside50m count in a landslide (59-37) but failed to convert on the scoreboard, kicking 5.12 including 1.7 from set shots.
The match started in similar fashion on Friday night. Despite the Dockers getting the jump with two early goals to Chris Mayne, the Crows were in the contest. But two misses to Taylor Walker and another to Jared Petrenko had the restless locals pleading, ‘not again’.
It took Jason Porplyzia, who rose to every challenge in a brilliant Semi-Final display, to kick Adelaide’s first goal at the 17-minute mark of the opening term. Then Taylor Walker found his range, goaling from a strong mark inside 50m. Walker wouldn’t miss again for the night, adding another four straight goals.
A Rory Sloane attempt that flew out of bounds on the full close to quarter time suggested the Crows’ yips weren’t completely conquered. But a second goal to Porplyzia and clutch shot by Patrick Dangerfield kept the margin to a respectable 20 points. And when Walker coolly slotted his second after the half-time siren, the deficit was only 13 points and the momentum belonged to Adelaide.
After half-time, the Crows kicked 8.2, including four goals without miss in the tense final term.
“It was certainly Déjà vu in the first quarter-and-a-half when we had enough of the ball, but couldn't convert on the scoreboard,” Porplyzia told afc.com.au after the game.
“But to the boys’ credit, we just hung in there and continued to grind away. Eventually, the forwards took their opportunities and the crowd really started to get behind us which gave us a bit of momentum. We carried that into the second half on the back of Tex’s goal at half-time.
“We were really able to work to the top in the second half. Even in the last quarter when Freo kicked the first two goals, we were able to fight back. It’s just a great win.”
Porplyzia was instrumental throughout the game, collecting 23 possessions, a game-high 11 marks, five tackles and kicking 3.0.
His clean hands and calmness under pressure were highlights, as was his mark in the second quarter, where he stopped himself from toppling backwards to take the most unlikely of chest marks inside 50m.
“I was pretty disappointed with my performance last week and wanted to atone for that this week,” Porplyzia said of his influential game against Fremantle.
“To get on the end of a few goals was nice. I thought we worked really well as a forward group tonight. To be part of that and chip in where I could tonight was really pleasing.”
Porplyzia was also pleased with the team’s overall response to a disappointing display against the Swans.
“We copped a bit of a battering (in the media) during the week, but to respond like that shows there’s a fair bit of character amongst the group,” he said.
“The game against Sydney was a good experience for the guys who hadn’t played a final before to see what the intensity was like. During the week, we just looked at the things we didn’t do well in terms of our structures and game plan.
“We knew our intensity would be up this week, it was just a matter of fine tuning a few things.”
The Crows will continue their September campaign against premiership favourites Hawthorn at the MCG in a twilight match next Saturday.
Adelaide and Hawthorn have only met once this season - way back in Round Three, when the Hawks cruised to a comfortable 56-point win.
“That game was a long time ago now, but we’ll certainly learn a few lessons from that,” Porplyzia said.
“Hawthorn is the benchmark team of the competition. We’re going to have to improve on tonight’s performance to be in the game against them.
“That game starts now for us. We’ve got to recover and then bring the same intensity we had tonight at the MCG on Saturday.”
