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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Howcroft

Adelaide Crows beat Geelong Cats in AFL first preliminary final – as it happened

Adelaide celebrate a comprehensive 51-point preliminary final victory over Geelong.
Adelaide celebrate a comprehensive 51-point preliminary final victory over Geelong. Photograph: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Here’s your full match report:

That’s as comprehensive as preliminary finals come. That early blitz sent the Crows on their way and despite the Cats fighting hard they could never get the deficit much below 30-points. A late flurry added some gloss to the scoreboard.

It’s the latest chapter in an incredible campaign for Adelaide, one that takes them to their first grand final in 19 years next week, against either Richmond or GWS.

Charlie Cameron shone and his five goals were critical while Rory Laird and the Crouch brothers continued their excellent seasons. There’s a slight chance Rory Sloane’s second quarter hit on Patrick Dangerfield could be assessed by the MRP but otherwise a perfect night all round in front of a full house.

For Geelong it’s another offseason of wound licking. Joel Selwood was magnificent, Dangerfield tried his heart out and there was a standout performance from Steven Motlop, but there were too many passengers around them, especially up forward. Tom Hawkins, Daniel Menzel and Rhys Stanley in particular were anonymous.

It’s a sad way for two champions of the game to bow out but Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan can look back on stellar premiership-winning careers.

Just two more games to go then this season, be sure to join us here for all the action.

Charlie Cameron and Rory Sloane celebrate an historic night for the Adelaide Crows.
Charlie Cameron and Rory Sloane celebrate an historic night for the Adelaide Crows. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Updated

Adelaide win by 51 points

Adelaide 21.10 (136) v Geelong 10.15 (75)

Taylor Walker
Taylor Walker will captain Adelaide in next week’s AFL grand final after a comprehensive preliminary final victory over Geelong. Photograph: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Updated

Q4: 04:38 remaining Adelaide 21.10 (136) v Geelong 10.14 (74)

Into the closing stages now and more neat play from Motlop goes unrewarded. His probing twice fails to provoke an attack. Quick as a flash Adelaide retake possession, the ball is shifted at speed and Jenkins bags another simple goal.

Q4: 07:12 remaining Adelaide 20.10 (130) v Geelong 10.13 (73)

Menegola kicks a lovely goal on the run with his left foot - it’s been a night full of excellent goals - but he barely celebrates, knowing it’s too little too late.

Talking about excellent goals, Walker responds immediately with a spectacular snap hook from the left forward pocket, launching the ball high into the night sky and watching it curve gloriously between the big sticks.

Just before that Dangerfield missed an easy opportunity giving the crowd and his former teammates a prime opportunity to remind the star Cat how his career choices may not have worked out how he imagined.

Q4: 08:55 remaining Adelaide 19.10 (124) v Geelong 9.12 (66)

Joyous scenes around the Adelaide Oval now. Carnival atmosphere with fans hugging, crying, laughing, sharing looks of disbelief. A huge week awaits them, sourcing tickets, booking flights, organising road trips. Good times.

Q4: 12:05 remaining Adelaide 19.10 (124) v Geelong 9.11 (65)

Five for Cameron. This is a rout.

The Cats fought hard for two quarters in the middle of this match but either side the speed and precision of the Crows has torn them to shreds.

Q4: 13:33 remaining Adelaide 18.10 (118) v Geelong 9.11 (65)

Knight responds instantly, taking advantage of more good work from Betts and an undermanned Cats backline.

Before anyone has chance to draw breath Walker marks powerfully in front of Mackie, jogs back and larrups home from 50m. Comprehensive.

Q4: 15:23 remaining Adelaide 16.10 (106) v Geelong 9.11 (65)

A soft deliberate out of bounds hands Geelong a consolation opportunity and Henderson makes no mistake with a highlights reel banana from the right forward pocket in front of the old scoreboard.

Q4: 17:03 remaining Adelaide 16.10 (106) v Geelong 8.11 (59)

53,817 here tonight to witness Adelaide’s best night of footy in 19 years. The majority are on their feet and cheering another Jenkins finish after unselfish work from Betts.

Q4: 18:57 remaining Adelaide 15.10 (100) v Geelong 8.11 (59)

The last quarter of AFL action in Adelaide this season is underway, and it should be party time for Crows fans.

If it wasn’t before, it is now. Jenkins slugs home the ton in a goalmouth scramble after trademark forward pressure.

Adelaide lead by 35 points at three quarter time

3QT Adelaide 14.10 (94) v Geelong 8.11 (59)

The Cats continue to fight but since that early blitz the Crows have nursed a healthy advantage. Hard to see this one slipping from their grasp now.

Geelong have refused to lie down but Adelaide have enjoyed the upper hand throughout their preliminary final.
Geelong have refused to lie down but Adelaide have enjoyed the upper hand throughout their preliminary final. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

Q3: 02:27 remaining Adelaide 14.10 (94) v Geelong 8.11 (59)

Scrappy few minutes for the Crows ends in a Geelong goal. Jenkins burns a couple of golden opportunities first before Parfitt capitalises on some defensive insecurity to set up Motlop who seals a terrific individual performance with a well struck goal from a narrow angle.

Cats deserve plenty of credit for not giving up.

Q3: 05:57 remaining Adelaide 14.10 (94) v Geelong 7.11 (53)

Menegola sums up Geelong’s night, shanking a 10m kick on a slight angle that only just sneaks behind for a point.

Remarkable how such an even season has blown out at the business end.

Q3: 08:35 remaining Adelaide 14.9 (93) v Geelong 7.10 (52)

Another Geelong turnover, another Adelaide goal. And another from the superb Charlie Cameron, his fourth. After excelling at ground level the Crow takes to the skies this time to pull in a pack mark on the edge of the goal square. Superstar performance from the 23-year old.

Q3: 10:35 remaining Adelaide 13.9 (87) v Geelong 7.10 (52)

Geelong are upping the tempo and taking risks and after much huffing and puffing they’re rewarded with a Hawkins set shot from 30m. Selwood in particular has lifted this quarter to drive his team forward. Still a mountain to climb for the Cats though.

Q3: 13:45 remaining Adelaide 13.9 (87) v Geelong 6.8 (44)

The rain that started in the second quarter and continued through half time has stopped but conditions are slick. Perfectly suited to Matt Crouch to read a pack and snap truly to extend Adelaide’s lead.

Q3: 16:25 remaining Adelaide 12.8 (80) v Geelong 6.8 (44)

Cameron extinguishes any momentum with a classic Adelaide end-to-end beauty. The finish was superb, a full-blooded long-iron draw from the left forward pocket. Cameron has three.

Q3: 17:15 remaining Adelaide 11.8 (74) v Geelong 6.8 (44)

As has been the case for much of the night Geelong enjoy good territory without looking threatening. Until out of nothing Lang snaps a beauty to bring the margin to 30-points.

Q3: 18:15 remaining Adelaide 11.8 (74) v Geelong 5.8 (38)

Back underway at the Adelaide Oval, contemplating an unlikely Geelong comeback. Cameron makes that a point more difficult with the opening score of the half.

The retiring Scott Thompson enjoying a well deserved lap of honour during half time.

While I wet my whistle, something for you to enjoy before tomorrow’s blockbuster.

Adelaide lead by 35 points at half time

HT Adelaide 11.7 (73) v Geelong 5.8 (38)

Superb ball movement from Geelong, led again by Motlop, they must score, but they don’t when two Cats get in each other’s way in a marking contest. Dangerfield picks up the scraps until he’s smashed by Sloane and sent flat on his back - is he out cold?

Adelaide slingshot up the other end and Otten marks in the square to add some gloss to the quarter for the home side.

It was a tough first half at the Adelaide Oval for Geelong.
It was a tough first half at the Adelaide Oval for Geelong. Photograph: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Updated

Q2: 02:52 remaining Adelaide 10.6 (66) v Geelong 5.8 (38)

Geelong are right back in this contest. the last ten to fifteen minutes of this quarter they’ve shored up their defence and managed to smuggle the ball forward to at least enjoy territorial advantage, even if they’ve struggled to convert that into goals. Forwards Hawkins and Menzel have four touches and no goals between them.

Q2: 05:49 remaining Adelaide 10.4 (64) v Geelong 5.7 (37)

Two in quick succession for the Cats. Joel Selwood this time after being scragged high by Sloane 30m out. A goal out of one of the seven centre clearances won by Geelong this quarter - to just the one to Adelaide.

They couldn’t, could they?

Q2: 06:45 remaining Adelaide 10.4 (64) v Geelong 4.7 (31)

Point after point for Geelong with shot after shot grazing the post or leaking wide late in flight. Finally their improved showing tells - but only just. Parfitt has a set shot from 45m but doesn’t make the journey, Dangerfield is alert and snaffles the pack mark in the goal square. It was an opportunity created by some terrific play from Motlop.

John Linn with an excellent point. Following last year’s suspicion of the pre-Finals bye, Adelaide’s performance tonight is exactly what AFL HQ would have wanted to see. No sign of any ring rustiness.

Q2: 09:29 remaining Adelaide 10.3 (63) v Geelong 3.6 (24)

Geelong have enjoyed their best few minutes of the match but they’re laboured going forward and inaccurate in front of goal compared to the deadly Crows.

Q2: 12:29 remaining Adelaide 10.3 (63) v Geelong 3.5 (23)

This is great fun. Helter-skelter end-to-end stuff at the Adelaide Oval. Geelong attack but Stewart misses his target with the handball and Adelaide kick a goal within milliseconds. Cameron with a monster that dribbles through courtesy of some nifty Betts shepherding.

From nowhere, it’s raining!

Q2: 13:52 remaining Adelaide 9.3 (57) v Geelong 3.3 (21)

Oooh, hang on a minute. Two in a minute for Geelong, Duncan this time with a solid thump into the Cathedral End goal.

Q2: 15:11 remaining Adelaide 9.3 (57) v Geelong 2.3 (15)

This is awesome from Adelaide. Geelong seem certain to clear their lines on a number of occassions but tackles and smothers keep coming like waves. Eventually Walker hooks a ball into the danger zone out of nothing that the Cats’ defence can’t deal with and Seedsman is Johnny on the spot to grubber through yet another goal.

Dangerfield stems the bleeding with a much needed goal for the visitors after good build up work from Cockatoo.

Q2: 17:17 remaining Adelaide 8.3 (51) v Geelong 1.3 (9)

Dangerfield doing that thing he does where he tries to win the game single-handedly and it looks good for the most part but he screws his shot for a behind.

As with almost every Geelong error tonight Adelaide make them pay. Matt Crouch the latest to profit from more monstrous pressure.

Q2: 18:44 remaining Adelaide 7.3 (45) v Geelong 1.2 (8)

The second quarter begins in the manner of the first. More superb ball movement through the corridor from Adelaide finds its way into the hands of the leading Jenkins and he wallops the Crows’ seventh from just inside 50.

This could get very very ugly indeed.

Adelaide lead by 31 points at quarter time

QT Adelaide 6.3 (39) v Geelong 1.2 (8)

Adelaide flew out of the blocks and blitzed Geelong in that opening quarter. The Cats resisted for a few minutes but turnovers and the relentless pressure of the irrepressible Crows mounted on the scoreboard.

This is famliar territory for Geelong who have struggled in opening quarters in big games in recent years and they have left themselves a mountain to climb again. One they may well have to do without the hamstrung Scott Selwood.

Q1: 01:06 Adelaide 6.2 (38) v Geelong 1.2 (8)

32 marks to 16 and 77% to 47% kicking efficiency a good indication of how the quarter has developed in the home side’s favour. Everything going Adelaide’s way.

A point proven further with Seedsman leading out of the goal square to take a mark, but he butchers a makable set shot.

Q1: 04:48 Adelaide 6.1 (37) v Geelong 1.2 (8)

The Crows have their tails up and things are going from bad to worse for the Cats with Scott Selwood leaving the ground clutching his hamstring.

Lang hits the post from a narrow angle for Geelong and seconds later Betts shows him how it’s done with a trademark snap from the boundary.

Adelaide racing away with this one.

Q1: 07:33 Adelaide 5.0 (30) v Geelong 1.1 (7)

Dangerfield into the middle now as the Cats try to wrestle back control but Adelaide have all the momentum, hassling and harrying Geelong into mistakes and stemming any fluent ball movement.

When the visitors look to build an attack mistakes are creeping into their game, and that was a 12-pointer from Scott Selwood. After marking just outside attacking 50 his handball is smothered by the man on the mark and from the turnover Lynch kicks his second in no time at all. Huge moment in the match.

Q1: 10:03 Adelaide 4.0 (24) v Geelong 1.1 (7)

This is as clean and open a game of footy as we’ve seen all season. And it’s not all unopposed either, lots of precision kicks to advantage and kicks to contests. Both halfback lines are having to read the game well to chop off counterattacks and one interception from Talia turns defence into attack, from which Tom Lynch rattles through a beauty from 50m on the angle.

Q1: 13:43 Adelaide 3.0 (18) v Geelong 1.1 (7)

Both sides have settled well now, transitioning from defence to attack with some beautiful football. This is a high calibre match so far.

A sloppy clearance from the Cats allows Adelaide to load up inside 50 and it’s the big sauce Sam Jacobs who comes down from a pack with the Sherrin. He kicks truly to nail the Crows’ third.

Q1: 15:14 Adelaide 2.0 (12) v Geelong 1.1 (7)

Geelong continue to weather the Adelaide storm and a strong tackle from Cockatoo earns another set shot - and the man under all the prematch scrutiny nails his side’s first of the night.

Q1: 16:24 Adelaide 2.0 (12) v Geelong 0.1 (1)

What does Geelong do in response? Send Dangerfield into midfield? Not yet. The star remains forward, takes a strong contested mark but to a chorus of boos slides his set shot just past the far post. This is a frenetic, open start, just as Adelaide would have scripted.

Q1: 18:24 Adelaide 2.0 (12) v Geelong 0.0 (0)

Two in the blink of an eye for the home side and the crowd is on its feet. Eddie Betts this time sharking a pack deep in Geelong territory and snapping smartly.

Q1: 19:09 Adelaide 1.0 (6) v Geelong 0.0 (0)

It’s as hot a start as you’d expect with bodies crashing into each other all over the ground. Dangerfield is starting forward but he takes a bit of buffeting on his way there.

The Cats take first possession after the bounce but intense Crows pressure forces the ball backwards until Charlie Cameron kicks the first of the night with a smart snap following a goalmouth scramble.

Peeeeeeepppppp!

We’re underway in the first Preliminary Final at the Adelaide Oval.

Channel 7 turning the feels up to 11 with a Lleyton Hewitt narrated promo celebrating Adelaide’s resilience. It is a remarkable story considering the tragedy that has befallen the Crows in recent years, not to mention the departures of star players and the lack of early draft picks.

It’s been a balmy spring day in Adelaide, leading to perfect conditions at one of the most picturesque arenas in sport. Lovely.

Adelaide Oval is in pristine condition for its maiden preliminary final.
Adelaide Oval is in pristine condition for its maiden preliminary final. Photograph: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Chris Scott tells Cameron Ling on TV that Dangerfield will start forward, Blicavs and Selwood will put some time into Sloane and Matt Crouch, and Cockatoo is no risk whatsoever and could have played last week. We’ll see...

Courtesy of AAP:

Since winning the 1998 AFL premiership, Adelaide has played in four preliminary finals - and lost them all.

  • 2012: Hawthorn 13.19 (97) bt Adelaide 14.8 (92) at the MCG.

The Crows were pipped in an epic - though Hawthorn’s inaccurate goalkicking kept them in the hunt. Adelaide trailed by 16 points at three quarter-time but produced a late charge and when Graham Johncock goaled in the 21st minute of the last term, they hit the front. But star Hawks Cyril Rioli and Lance Franklin replied to defeat the Crows, despite four goals each to Taylor Walker and Kurt Tippett, in his last game in Adelaide colours.

  • 2006: West Coast 11.19 (85) bt Adelaide 11.9 (75) at Football Park.

Still rated by the Crows as the one that got away. Adelaide were in control at halftime with a 23-point lead on home turf after allowing the Eagles just two goals in the opening half. Ben Cousins and Chris Judd led a second-half Eagles revival, though Adelaide still held an eight-point advantage at three quarter-time. West Coast kicked five goals to three in the last quarter to prevail.

  • 2005: West Coast: 14.9 (93) bt Adelaide 11.11 (77) at Subiaco Oval.

The Crows made a promising start on foreign turf and were only seven points down at halftime. But they were blitzed in the third term - the Eagles scored 5.3 to 1.2 to sap Adelaide’s spirit. The Crows staged a belated final-quarter fightback but paid a price for being unable to grasp their attacking chances - Adelaide led the inside 50 count 57-46 but had less scoring shots than their opponent.

  • 2002: Collingwood 13.13 (91) bt Adelaide 9.9 (63) at the MCG.

Adelaide fans maintain this final swung when Collingwood’s Jason Cloke knocked out Adelaide midfielder Tyson Edwards with a crude blow in the second quarter. Cloke was suspended for two games and missed the grand final, but the damage on Adelaide was done: the Crows led by one goal at halftime but without Edwards were over-run by the Magpies, who booted eight goals to three in the second half.

The Adelaide Oval will be dominated by Crows but there’ll be a smattering of Cats who have made the trip from Geelong.

Geelong XXII

The Cats also go in as named on Thursday. That means Tom Lonergan and Nakia Cockatoo come in for James Parsons and Zach Guthrie. Expect plenty of scrutiny on Cockatoo’s selection, the youngster has only played 65 minutes of footy in the past 13 weeks.

B - Tom Stewart, Tom Lonergan, Zach Tuohy

HB - Andrew Mackie, Lachie Henderson, Jed Bews

C - Mitch Duncan, Joel Selwood, Mark Blicavs

HF - Steven Motlop, Harry Taylor, Darcy Lang

F - Daniel Menzel, Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins

FOL - Zac Smith, Sam Menegola, Scott Selwood

I/C - Nakia Cockatoo, Jake Kolodjashnij, Brandan Parfitt, Rhys Stanley

Nakia Cockatoo will represent Geelong on Friday night with little football under his belt following a succession of hamstring injuries.
Nakia Cockatoo will represent Geelong on Friday night with little football under his belt following a succession of hamstring injuries. Photograph: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Adelaide XXII

Adelaide’s 22 is as expected with Rory Sloane and Andy Otten replacing the injured pair of Brodie Smith and Mitch McGovern.

The question remains how underdone the Crows are after two weekends off out of the past three. They’ve been on the Gold Coast enjoying a training camp in recent days but Don Pyke will be keen to see his side get off to a fast start to blow any cobwebs away.

B - Rory Laird, Daniel Talia, Jake Lever

HB - Luke Brown, Kyle Hartigan, Jake Kelly

C - Rory Atkins, Rory Sloane, David Mackay

HF - Richard Douglas, Taylor Walker, Charlie Cameron

F - Tom Lynch, Josh Jenkins, Eddie Betts

FOL - Sam Jacobs, Brad Crouch, Matt Crouch

I/C - Riley Knight, Paul Seedsman, Hugh Greenwood, Andy Otten

Andy Otten returns to the Adelaide line-up for the Crows’ preliminary final against Geelong.
Andy Otten returns to the Adelaide line-up for the Crows’ preliminary final against Geelong. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Preliminary thoughts

Good evening and welcome to the purest round of football in the calendar, preliminary final weekend.

The four best teams in the competition in two blockbuster contests, both mercifully free of the corporate fug that suffocates grand final day. The opening bounce roars across the next two days will live long in the memories of those fortunate enough to scream themselves hoarse. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Our focus tonight is drawn to the Adelaide Oval where the Crows host the Cats in the first AFL prelim to be staged at the famous old cricket ground. It pits the sides that finished first and second on the home and away ladder, with percentage the only thing separating two evenly-matched teams over 23 rounds.

For Geelong it’s business as usual. Tonight is the Cats’ eighth preliminary final in 14 years - and 29-year old Joel Selwood’s seventh. However, they’ve lost their last two, and three of their most recent four. Adelaide’s finals form isn’t great either. The Crows have lost five of their seven preliminary finals, including four in a row since 2002.

The Crows triumphed last time these sides met, back in round 18, a result that snapped a five-match Cats winning streak. That defeat was one of two Geelong have suffered at Adelaide Oval, where they have also won on three occasions. This is just the second time the Crows and Cats have met in the finals. The Crows won their only other encounter, a 1997 semi-final.

As always, feel free to join in using the details at the top of the page, it’ll be great to hear from you throughout the night.

Patrick Dangerfield
Patrick Dangerfield will again be the centre of attention for Geelong against his former club. Photograph: Ben Macmahon/AAP

Updated

Jonathan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Greg Jericho on the trials and tribulations of being an Adelaide fan:

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