ADELAIDE has limped out of a disappointing 2011 season with a 95-point loss to West Coast at Patersons Stadium on Saturday.

The Crows were barely competitive against the finals-bound Eagles, managing just two scoring shots to half-time, but lifted in the third quarter before falling away again in the last term, losing 22.13 (145) to 7.8 (50).

Eagles coach John Worsfold refused to rest key players or let his team flirt with form, despite the match being inconsequential to final ladder position, and his midfield fired.

Ruckmen Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui, who shape as key players against Collingwood in the first qualifying final at the MCG next Saturday, combined to give West Coast a 59-46 edge in hit-outs.

At ground level a long line of midfielders capitalised, with Andrew Embley the pick of a big bunch with 33 possessions (12 contested), eight inside 50s and a goal.

The Eagles had eight multiple goalkickers, and at the other end of the ground captain Darren Glass, who has barely been beaten in a fine season, held Taylor Walker to two goals, both of which came in the final quarter. 

If the Eagles were hoping to fine-tune their forward ball movement, they had plenty of opportunities, building a 59-36 edge in inside 50s against a listless opposition.

The home team's run, superior ball-use and relentless defensive pressure were all features and it would be hard for Worsfold to pick faults in his team entering the finals.

Adelaide winners were few and far between, but midfielder Scott Thompson finished a strong season with another 40 possessions.

However he had little support as the Crows ended their worst ever season with seven wins. 

Skipper Nathan van Berlo fought hard and picked up 25 possessions, while
Richard Douglas and Rory Sloane won plenty of the ball. Graham Johncock gave the team a lift when he went forward in the second half, but overall there were too few contributors.

West Coast       2.5   10.6   14.9     22.13 (145)
Adelaide   0.0   2.0   4.4   7.8  (50)

GOALS
West Coast: Nicoski 3, Lynch 3, S Selwood 3, Naitanui 2, Shuey 2, LeCras 2, Cox 2, Masten 2, Kennedy, Embley, Ebert
Adelaide: Walker 2, Tippett, Petrenko, Vince, Johncock, Thompson

BEST
West Coast: Embley, Shuey, Cox, Masten, Priddis, Naitanui, Glass
Adelaide: Thompson, van Berlo, Douglas, Johncock

INJURIES
West Coast: Smith (hamstring)
Adelaide: Armstrong (groin)

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Ashley Smith replaced by Andrew Gaff in the second quarter
Adelaide: Tony Armstrong replaced by Matthew Wright at half-time

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Farmer, Dalgleish, McInerney

Official crowd: 36,062 at Patersons Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs