Crows stun Swans
RORY Atkins loved it, and so did Crows fans last night as Adelaide scored a 10-point win against highly fancied Sydney at the SCG to kick off AFL Round 5. The Crows kicked crucial goals early in the final quarter, then held on for a much-needed win.
AN undermanned Adelaide has held off a late Sydney Swans charge to seize an enthralling 10-point SCG win.
A much-improved Crows outfit shook off the absence of their injured masses and lifted under immense pressure to squeeze and suffocate the Swans throughout a commanding first-half performance last night.
Though they appeared to prematurely release their grip when the hosts suddenly lifted for an utterly dominant third quarter, Lance Franklin’s early fourth-quarter miss allowed under-fire skipper Taylor Walker to lead his side to a 12.13 (85) to 10.15 (75) victory in front of 38,000 fans.
Adelaide’s sharp display drew a line under its sluggish start to the campaign and last week’s shock home loss to Collingwood.
The Swans were unable to hold their nerve in the same manner as last weekend’s escape against the depleted Western Bulldogs.
Sydney tried to pick its moments but wasted several critical chances in the final quarter, while key players Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy and Dan Hannebery found themselves starved of the ball.
The reliance on Franklin didn’t help and the star forward was swarmed at nearly every touch.
Franklin’s only goal did add to his extensive highlights reel when he pounced on a secondterm turnover from prolific ball-winner Rory Laird and launched a kick from about 70 metres that took a bounce and continued through the main posts. Moments later Walker responded in kind, unloading from long range as part of a four-goal performance to silence the critics who’ve circled this week.
By halftime, his team should have engineered a buffer far more handy than the 16 points it had established, as another sloppy mistake allowed Kieren Jack to goal with 16 seconds on the clock.
It spurred the Swans to life, and snaps by Harry Cunningham and the returned Gary Rohan closed the gap to four points in the third quarter.
The Crows led by nine points going into the final quarter and extended their lead before Franklin missed a set shot and Isaac Heeney spurned another couple of shots at goal.
Rohan and George Hewett ensured Sydney wasn’t dead but it needed late goals and, when a score review went against, the boilover was sealed.