1. A Saturday at Bernie's
There was no love lost between Melbourne midfielder Bernie Vince and his former teammates – in particular Patrick Dangerfield. Vince went to the explosive Crows star at almost every stoppage and annoyed him – pulled his jumper, held his arm and after laying a tackle he'd let Dangerfield know who had brought him to ground. His tactics led to the crowd booing him whenever he took possession and they also led to an all-in scuffle at three-quarter time. Vince was one of the most popular Crows at West Lakes during his time at the club but on Saturday he was enemy No.1. After the match, Phil Walsh said he was proud of his players to remain focused and bank the four points despite Vince’s tactics.
2. Lesson learned
Melbourne's opening blitz on Saturday would have had many a Crows' fan remembering last year's embarrassing three-point loss to the Demons in round seven. It was a devastating loss made so much worse by the Crows' heavy favouritism at home. It took until the 21st minute for Adelaide to kick its first goal, by which point Melbourne had three. The home side quickly got its act together and hit the lead. Pouring rain made it difficult for the Crows to break away – as did Melbourne's fighting spirit – although they managed to hold strong this time and secure a third-straight win.
Read the full match report from Saturday’s win
3. Howe's the confidence?
One of the first lessons you get taught as a footballer – whether by a coach or through experience – is that trying to take hangers in defence is not on. Melbourne's Jeremy Howe clearly never learned that lesson. Late in the second term and with Crows' skipper Taylor Walker charging towards the contest deep in Adelaide's forward 50, Howe took flight over teammate Heritier Lumumba and held onto the likely mark of the round.
4. Down but not out
Brodie Smith appeared in serious trouble last weekend when he was knocked out against Collingwood. Smith was slung into an opponent's knee and was out for the count, convulsing on the Etihad Stadium turf. His recovery has been remarkable though. He was able to sing the Club's song after the win and trained during the week. Smith was much quieter against the Demons than he was in the opening two games of the year but hardly shied away from the contest, laying five tackles, collecting 18 disposals and booting a classy goal in greasy conditions.
5. No Bull
In typical fashion for a player nicknamed ‘The Bull’, Crows debutant Jake Kelly finished his first AFL game with more tackles than possessions in what he described as an “incredible” experience. The competitive defender, who is the son of Collingwood premiership player Craig Kelly, did not shy away from the physical nature of Saturday’s contest in soggy conditions at Adelaide Oval. After singing the song and copping a compulsory Gatorade shower from his teammates, the popular 20-year-old shared his first AFL victory with his father who was one of the first to congratulate his son after the game.
