The Round 8 trip to ACH Group Stadium to face the undefeated Glenelg was always going to be a tough task for Adelaide’s young SANFL team, and the Tigers ran away with an 89-point win.
Andrew McPherson (33 disposals, eight marks) and captain Matthew Wright (29 disposals, 10 marks, five clearances and a goal) were outstanding for the Crows in defensive roles, while Kieran Strachan finished with 41 hitouts and Jackson Hately, 21 disposals, seven tackles and a goal.
Glenelg secured its eighth victory of the season, finishing 20.14 (134) to 6.9 (45).
The Tigers managed to go on pivotal runs of five, seven and five unanswered goals throughout the match, which Adelaide coach Michael Godden said was one of the most disappointing aspects of the performance.
“It was a tough day, they are a good side and we aren’t at that level yet,” he said.
“If you summarised this game, we did 70% of the work well, but the extra 30% was really bad so to develop as a team we need to focus on bridging that gap.
“We are really happy with Macca (McPherson), that’s two weeks in a row where he’s played well.
“Strachan was very good again today and has been working tirelessly on his game, he did everything he could to help us today.”
The Crows started the game brightly and in the first three minutes Josh Worrell, Wright and Tim Baccanello had three disposals each.
Tariek Newchurch juggled a mark from Adelaide’s second inside 50m entry and kicked truly for the first goal of the game at the four-minute mark.
The Bays had two goals in two minutes when former Richmond forward Liam McBean roved his own hitout from a forward pocket boundary throw in to snap his first of four goals for the afternoon.
The game was played in the middle portion of the ground and at the half-way mark of the first term Adelaide had just three inside 50m entries to Glenelg’s five, but both sides looked dangerous when moving forward.
In his 50th SANFL game Elliott Himmelberg slammed a set shot into the post and Glenelg made the Crows pay by booting the next two goals through Michael Virgin and Luke Reynolds (who finished with five goals) to take an 18-point lead into the first break.
With the ball parked in Glenelg’s attacking zone late in the first term Wright finished the quarter with 11 disposals, five marks and two clearances, while McPherson had nine touches and five marks.
Glenelg made it five goals on the trot when McBean nailed a set shot at the two-minute mark of the second quarter.
From a boundary throw in deep in Glenelg’s forward pocket, Adelaide worked the ball from end-to-end and into the hands of Hately who nailed a long running goal.
The 2019 premiers responded instantly with back-to-back Reynolds goals to stretch the margin to 30 points.
With the ball trapped in Glenelg’s forward half (20-6 second quarter inside 50m entries) Adelaide had to attack from defence and for the second time in the quarter went end-to-end for a goal, this time it was Billy Frampton who streamed into an open goal.
Glenelg again had the answers and found the next two goals through Brady Searle and Marlon Motlop.
The Tigers led by 37 points at half time, 9.5 (59) to 3.4 (22), and Wright continued to lead all players on the ground with 18 disposals and eight marks.
Glenelg kicked its 10th goal early in the third term when Reynolds converted a free kick 40m out.
Frampton was providing a strong forward target and Adelaide’s forward pressure was causing problems for the Tigers, but from the early third quarter dominance the Crows could only manage two behinds.
Glenelg led by 61 points at three quarter time and booted six goals to two in the final term, with Wright finishing with a well-deserved late major.
The Crows will next travel to Prospect Oval to take on North Adelaide at 1.35pm next Saturday.
Adelaide: 1.2, 3.4, 4.8, 6.9 (45)
Glenelg: 4.2, 9.5, 14.9, 20.14 (134)
Best: McPherson, Himmelberg, Frampton, Hately, Strachan, O’Connor
Goals: Newchurch 2, Hately, Frampton, Himmelberg, Wright
