Adelaide’s self-belief has risen to another level through a gritty 17-point win against flag fancies Brisbane, Crows coach Matthew Nicks says.
Nicks is hailing Adelaide’s 14.11 (95) to 10.18 (78) victory on a rain-soaked Adelaide Oval on Sunday as another watershed moment for his club.
“When you come off a win like that, the belief goes to another level,” the fourth-year Crows coach said.
Taylor Walker slotted three goals and boom recruit Izak Rankine had two and was involved in 13 scores as Adelaide snapped the Lions’ seven-game winning streak.
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Dayne Zorko will attract match review scrutiny after an incident with Luke Pedlar in which the Brisbane stalwart’s fingers grappled the young Crow’s eye area.
Adelaide rises to seventh on the ladder, with Nicks saying the Crows played a finals-like brand to beat Brisbane, which enters its bye round in third spot.
The Crows had fewer inside-50 entries (47 to 66) and scoring shots yet prevailed largely due to stout defence, Nicks said.
“We showed grit, we showed resilience … and that is what we believe, as a coaching group, gets it done in finals footy – the ability to defend when you’re under pressure,” he said.
“In the same breath, when we had our moments … we were able to convert. We showed some real composure, some polish.”
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While Nicks sang the praises of his defence, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan lamented his team’s waste in attack.
In the third quarter, the Lions dominated but scored just 1.9 before conceding two late goals which gave the Crows a 15-point buffer at three-quarter-time.
“We played an enormous quarter and kicked 1.9,” Fagan said.
“You haven’t got momentum for the whole game. You have got to be able to get a score on the board when you have. And we failed to do that.
“And Adelaide made us pay. They didn’t get many chances but the ones they got, they nailed them.”
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Adelaide’s captain Jordan Dawson (32 disposals), Rory Laird (27) and Ben Keays (28 disposals, one goal) were chief ball winners while halfback Wayne Milera (22 touches) and Rankine were standouts.
Walker’s three-goal haul was supported by two majors each by Pedlar, Riley Thilthorpe and Rankine, whose 23 touches included 16 contested possessions and a freak left-foot snapped goal from near a boundary line.
His teammate Josh Rachele rivalled that feat with his own stunner, an accurate checkside snap when hemmed in a forward pocket.
Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron kicked four goals, Joe Daniher scored two, while Josh Dunkley (29 disposals), Lachie Neale (24), Zac Bailey (24) and veteran Daniel Rich (24, one goal) were prominent.
-AAP
