Blood-curdling 90-point win something to Crow about

The Advertiser

31-05-2025

A red-hot Adelaide have asserted their AFL premiership credentials with a 90-point demolition job over Sydney.
On a night celebrating the famed Bloods culture, the Crows mauled last year's beaten grand finalists, slamming through 12 unanswered goals on their way to a 21.5 (131) to 5.11 (41) victory at the SCG on Saturday.
Adelaide rise to third (8-4) on the ladder after holding the Swans to one goal at halftime.
The Crows enjoyed even contributions across all lines, with goal-kicking responsibilities shared among 14 players.
Josh Rachele and Ben Keays kicked three goals, with Alex Neal-Bullen (25 disposals) and Josh Worrell (24) getting plenty of the ball.
It was Matthew Nicks' first win against the Swans as Crows coach.
"In my short time as a coach, we haven't had a lot of fun up here - we've often gone away disappointed," former Swans player Nicks said.
"We knew Sydney would come out hard, and we had to match that.
"I'm trying to think through who our standouts were and from a coaching point of view, that's the most pleasing part of the performance - everyone contributed.
"The first key (takeaway) is we don't start talking about the second half of the season because we've still got a couple of games before the bye, so we just lock in now."
Meanwhile, Sydney are left languishing in 14th (4-8) after falling short of emulating the Bloods ethos that in 2005 netted the club's first premiership in 72 years.
The 2005 winning team did a lap of honour at halftime to mark 20 years since their breakthrough, with legend Adam Goodes among the honorees.
But the celebration could not inspire the home side.
Dean Cox's side lacked composure against Adelaide's pressure and made uncharacteristic errors, unable to bounce back from last round's dismal 53-point loss to Melbourne.
They next face 16th-placed Richmond before they head into their mid-season bye.
Cox was short in his post-match assessment: "It was unacceptable and embarrassing."
Sydney had opened the scoring through Hayden McLean (two goals), but it was all Adelaide from there, the visitors kicking five goals to one in the first quarter.
The Crows' ascendancy continued with little resistance as the home side struggled to get outside their defensive 50.
So poor were the Swans that the 35,229-strong crowd resorted to cheering on their behinds in the second quarter - the home side notched only two points in that term.
Riley Thilthorpe scored his second major of the evening when his boot edged out Swans defenders Tom McCartin and Matt Roberts on the line.
The Swans briefly came alive in the third quarter when Will Hayward ended their goal-scoring drought, but Adelaide snuffed out the challenge.
Justin McInerney led the Swans with 26 touches and five clearances in his 100th AFL game.
A red-hot Adelaide have asserted their AFL premiership credentials with a 90-point demolition job over Sydney.
On a night celebrating the famed Bloods culture, the Crows mauled last year's beaten grand finalists, slamming through 12 unanswered goals on their way to a 21.5 (131) to 5.11 (41) victory at the SCG on Saturday.
Adelaide rise to third (8-4) on the ladder after holding the Swans to one goal at halftime.
The Crows enjoyed even contributions across all lines, with goal-kicking responsibilities shared among 14 players.
Josh Rachele and Ben Keays kicked three goals, with Alex Neal-Bullen (25 disposals) and Josh Worrell (24) getting plenty of the ball.
It was Matthew Nicks' first win against the Swans as Crows coach.
"In my short time as a coach, we haven't had a lot of fun up here - we've often gone away disappointed," former Swans player Nicks said.
"We knew Sydney would come out hard, and we had to match that.
"I'm trying to think through who our standouts were and from a coaching point of view, that's the most pleasing part of the performance - everyone contributed.
"The first key (takeaway) is we don't start talking about the second half of the season because we've still got a couple of games before the bye, so we just lock in now."
Meanwhile, Sydney are left languishing in 14th (4-8) after falling short of emulating the Bloods ethos that in 2005 netted the club's first premiership in 72 years.
The 2005 winning team did a lap of honour at halftime to mark 20 years since their breakthrough, with legend Adam Goodes among the honorees.
But the celebration could not inspire the home side.
Dean Cox's side lacked composure against Adelaide's pressure and made uncharacteristic errors, unable to bounce back from last round's dismal 53-point loss to Melbourne.
They next face 16th-placed Richmond before they head into their mid-season bye.
Cox was short in his post-match assessment: "It was unacceptable and embarrassing."
Sydney had opened the scoring through Hayden McLean (two goals), but it was all Adelaide from there, the visitors kicking five goals to one in the first quarter.
The Crows' ascendancy continued with little resistance as the home side struggled to get outside their defensive 50.
So poor were the Swans that the 35,229-strong crowd resorted to cheering on their behinds in the second quarter - the home side notched only two points in that term.
Riley Thilthorpe scored his second major of the evening when his boot edged out Swans defenders Tom McCartin and Matt Roberts on the line.
The Swans briefly came alive in the third quarter when Will Hayward ended their goal-scoring drought, but Adelaide snuffed out the challenge.
Justin McInerney led the Swans with 26 touches and five clearances in his 100th AFL game.
A red-hot Adelaide have asserted their AFL premiership credentials with a 90-point demolition job over Sydney.
On a night celebrating the famed Bloods culture, the Crows mauled last year's beaten grand finalists, slamming through 12 unanswered goals on their way to a 21.5 (131) to 5.11 (41) victory at the SCG on Saturday.
Adelaide rise to third (8-4) on the ladder after holding the Swans to one goal at halftime.
The Crows enjoyed even contributions across all lines, with goal-kicking responsibilities shared among 14 players.
Josh Rachele and Ben Keays kicked three goals, with Alex Neal-Bullen (25 disposals) and Josh Worrell (24) getting plenty of the ball.
It was Matthew Nicks' first win against the Swans as Crows coach.
"In my short time as a coach, we haven't had a lot of fun up here - we've often gone away disappointed," former Swans player Nicks said.
"We knew Sydney would come out hard, and we had to match that.
"I'm trying to think through who our standouts were and from a coaching point of view, that's the most pleasing part of the performance - everyone contributed.
"The first key (takeaway) is we don't start talking about the second half of the season because we've still got a couple of games before the bye, so we just lock in now."
Meanwhile, Sydney are left languishing in 14th (4-8) after falling short of emulating the Bloods ethos that in 2005 netted the club's first premiership in 72 years.
The 2005 winning team did a lap of honour at halftime to mark 20 years since their breakthrough, with legend Adam Goodes among the honorees.
But the celebration could not inspire the home side.
Dean Cox's side lacked composure against Adelaide's pressure and made uncharacteristic errors, unable to bounce back from last round's dismal 53-point loss to Melbourne.
They next face 16th-placed Richmond before they head into their mid-season bye.
Cox was short in his post-match assessment: "It was unacceptable and embarrassing."
Sydney had opened the scoring through Hayden McLean (two goals), but it was all Adelaide from there, the visitors kicking five goals to one in the first quarter.
The Crows' ascendancy continued with little resistance as the home side struggled to get outside their defensive 50.
So poor were the Swans that the 35,229-strong crowd resorted to cheering on their behinds in the second quarter - the home side notched only two points in that term.
Riley Thilthorpe scored his second major of the evening when his boot edged out Swans defenders Tom McCartin and Matt Roberts on the line.
The Swans briefly came alive in the third quarter when Will Hayward ended their goal-scoring drought, but Adelaide snuffed out the challenge.
Justin McInerney led the Swans with 26 touches and five clearances in his 100th AFL game.