Adelaide’s SANFL finals hopes have been dealt a severe blow following a 52-point loss to Port Magpies at Alberton.
The SANFL Crows trailed the league leaders all afternoon and failed to kick consecutive goals at any stage of the contest. Adelaide only managed three goals in the second half to slump to their ninth loss of the season.
A string of seven successive Port Adelaide goals from midway in the third term set up the 15.16 (106) to 7.12 (54) victory, consigning Adelaide to ninth position on the SANFL ladder with four rounds remaining.
Veteran forward Jason Porplyzia was Adelaide’s best player and the Crows’ only multiple goalkicker with three majors, 21 possessions and 13 marks.
Young left-footer Matt Crouch and dynamic midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen also battled valiantly with 28 possessions apiece.
Crows rookie James Battersby was another who worked tirelessly and finished with a season-high 27 possessions, 10 marks and six inside 50ms.
Click here to see the full list of stats from Saturday’s SANFL clash.
The result was Adelaide’s heaviest SANFL loss of the season, and was further soured with key defender Kyle Hartigan helped from the field following a heavy knock in the third quarter.
Shaun McKernan was a late withdrawal from the matchup with general soreness. Goodwood Saints product Addison Burns was his replacement.
Crows SANFL coach Heath Younie said his young side would take a lot out of the clash with the top-of-the-table Magpies.
“It was a really great lesson for our SANFL team today,” Younie told afc.com.au.
“I thought Port Adelaide was outstanding and they played at a real AFL intensity. It was a great learning opportunity for many of our young players to be exposed to that standard and get a taste of it.
“Hopefully they go away and learn from it and come back better players.
“But today, I just felt they outworked us. They were able to get some really clean uncontested footy and hurt us from there.”
Many of Adelaide’s senior players led by example, with Younie praising the efforts of retiring defender Ben Rutten and dangerous forward Jason Porplyzia in trying to lift the side.
“I thought Ben Rutten was pretty good today,” Younie said.
“He did a great job on John Butcher and kept him goalless, plus he has a great ability to help our other young defenders out and help them develop.”
“Porplyzia was another senior guy who stood up for us, but unfortunately we just didn’t have enough contributors on the day.”
Cam Ellis-Yolmen showed great class in the opening term with nine possessions, four clearances and a goal, sidestepping opponents at will in transition.
But it was the Magpies who drew blood early. The home side notched back-to-back goals from forward stoppages late in the quarter to assume the early ascendency.
A courageous chase and smother from Crows debutant Sam Tharaldsen late in the term stemmed the flow to keep the Crows within 15 points at the first change.
Both sides traded blows with three goals apiece in the second quarter. Crows veteran Jason Porplyzia slotted two majors to keep Adelaide in touch, as the Magpies squandered several opportunities in the dying stages of the term.
Ellis-Yolmen was involved again in a coast-to-coast goal to Jared Petrenko. In his first game since May, the 24-year-old baulked several opponents on his way to goal as the Crows edged to within 19 points midway through the third quarter.
Adelaide could not maintain its momentum however, as Port responded with a five-goal run to take a match-winning 47-point lead into the final break.
The SANFL Crows now confront the Eagles in a must-win match next Sunday afternoon at Woodville Oval.
ADELAIDE 1.2 4.5 5.8 7.12 (54)
PORT ADELAIDE 3.5 6.10 12.13 15.16 (106)
GOALS
Adelaide: Porplyzia 3, Ellis-Yolmen, Burns, Petrenko, Callinan
Port Adelaide: Moore 3, Neade 3, M. Shaw 2, Krakouer 2, Amon, Slattery, Harvey, Johansen, Mitchell
BEST
Adelaide: Porplyzia, Rutten, Knight, Battersby
Port Adelaide: Moore, Mitchell, Summerton, Neade, Stevenson
INJURIES
Adelaide: Hartigan (back), McKernan (general soreness) replaced in selected side by Addison Burns
Port Adelaide: Johansen (ankle)
ATTENDANCE
6,196 at Alberton Oval
