CROWS CRUISE IN
A SEASON-best bag of six goals by big Crow Taylor Walker boosted Adelaide to its first win since the mid-season break but big Tex walked off sore after copping a back injury in the second term against North Melbourne in Hobart.
The Crows took it by 57 points but the Blundstone Arena contest left them licking their wounds as Walker (back), Ned McHenry (concussion), Darcy Forgarty (elbow), Shane McAdam (ankle) and Will Hamill (concussion) were left the worse for wear.
Tex kicked three of Adelaide’s five goals in the first quarter but ended the first half on the bench getting attention on his lower back.
Walker struggled to get off the ground after a marking contest against Kangaroo key defender Josh Taylor late in the second.
He went to ground again shortly after and then rested on the bench, attended to by the doctor and physiotherapist.
It did not hold him back. Tex returned after the long break to kick Adelaide’s first goal of the second half and another from a contentious free kick approaching timeon and spent more time on the seats in the final term.
Hamill was concussed in a clash with Hugh Greenwood forcing Adelaide to sub him out of the game, replaced by hometown Crow Chayce Jones.
Until Darcy Fogarty kicked his fourth on the three quarter-time siren, North Melbourne looked capable of challenging.
It mattered little to Adelaide that the Kangas won hitouts, centre clearances and stoppage clearances as onball ace Rory Laird put them to the sword with his 34 possessions and 11 clearances, along with Ben Keays (30 possessions, seven clearances) and Jordan Dawson (29 possessions, seven marks).
No one had more of the ball than North Melbourne defender, another hometown player Aaron Hall, who had it 38 times and more than a kilometre in metres gained.
North Melbourne started the game with key defender Ben McKay deep in attack alongside Nick Larkey in an attempt to stretch Adelaide’s defence while at the other end Josh Walker was on Taylor Walker.
Big Tex took no time kicking the first of his three firstquarter goals, drilling the opener inside the first two minutes and before the Kangaroos could settle the Crows had three.
The McKay move then paid off, with big “Buckets” kicking his first goal in AFL footy, followed closely by a clever around-the-corner goal to Paul Curtis, who made his debut at the same ground, to make it game-on.
A goal to Walker just before the siren gave Adelaide a nine-point lead at the first break.
And goals to McAdam and Fogarty after a screamer made it 20 at halftime.
Two more goals to Walker and a 4.3 to 2.4 third term saw Adelaide extend its comfort zone and the Crows cruised home for their first win since they rolled West Coast by 31 points in round 12.
OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN
IT was the second time in 15 games that Jy Simpkin had captained the Kangaroos in the absence of skipper Jack Zeibell, who was sidelined with a facial injury.
The first time Simpson led the Kangas also came against Adelaide in the final round last season.
SON OF A GUN
NEWS of Jackson Archer’s debut brought a tear to the eye of his legendary dad Glenn when he broke it to the Kangaroo legend on FaceTime last week.
There was no need for the phone in Hobart on Sunday.
The toughest man to play the game was in the crowd at Blundstone Arena, positioned right behind North Melbourne’s interchange box so he could catch all the action up close and personal.
TAKE THAT
DARCY Fogarty is a tough guy and rubs some teams the wrong way and teammate Rory was on the receiving end of the enforcer in the first few minutes.
Forgarty steamed through a pack.
And instead of impacting an opponent he reminded Laird why it was ideal to stay out of his way.