TonyK
CibbuanoCrows too good for Dockers
September 9th 2006 07:28
The Adelaide Crows have secured a home preliminary final with a comfortable 30-point win over the Fremantle Dockers at AAMI Stadium this afternoon.
In only their second final since their inception in 1995, Fremantle started the match in ideal fashion and had the first major on the board courtesy of Ryan Crowley in the opening minutes.
Ruckman Aaron Sandilands was proving to be a handful for his counterpart Matthew Clarke and when Jeff Farmer kicked his first the Dockers had jumped out to a two-goal lead.
The Dockers were getting plenty of run off-half back, with Michael Johnson and Heath Black prominent early.
A direct brand of football was paying dividends for Fremantle and when Black slotted home a reverse torpedo from outside 50 the Dockers had raced out to a four-goal lead to leave the capacity Adelaide crowd stunned.
Adelaide was struggling to find a consistent marking target inside 50, and it took some individual brilliance from Rhett Biglands who showed a clean pair of heels to snap truly from 5 metres out to give the Crows their first.
The Crows steadied in the latter stages of the first term as Fremantle took a handy 17-point lead into the first change.
When Matthew Clarke converted a free-kick from 40 metres out the Crows had kicked their second in succession to cut the margin to less than two-goals.
After an early onslaught from Fremantle the Crows were starting to gain ascendancy and were smashing the Dockers in the clearances.
Despite all their dominance through the midfield Adelaide could manage only one goal for the remainder of the second term as they wasted several gettable opportunities in front of goal.
A goal against play to Farmer in the dying minutes of the first half allowed Fremantle to take a six-point advantage into the main break.
The Crows woes in front of goal continued in the third termn when Ian Perrie kicked his second poster for the afternoon and Scott Welsh missed a gettable opportunity from 40 metres out seconds later.
Adelaide was dominating through the midfield with Scott Thompson and Simon Goodwin running rampant, but failed to finish off their good work.
Dockers hard-man Troy Cook made the Crows pay with his first to stretch Fremantle's lead to ten points at the 13-minute mark.
Black was continuing to provide plenty of run off half-back and when Matthew Pavlich kicked his second courtesy of a dubious head high free-kick Fremantle was out to a handy 16-point break.
Adelaide duly responded with the next two through Nathan Bock, with his second on replay appearing to have been touched by Fremantle defender David Mundy.
The Crows held firm in the dying minutes admist a final barrage from Fremantle to trail by four points at the final change.
Adelaide had the crucial first goal of the last term when Scott Welsh marked uncontested in the goalsquare and converted to put the Crows in front for the first time in the match.
The Dockers were struggling to find a target up forward after dominating in the opening term, and when Jason Torney kicked his first Adelaide were out to a 10-point lead at the halfway mark.
The rot continued when Ian Perrie kicked his first after a woeful day in front of goal to extend the lead to 16-points.
Adelaide was finishing with greater run and with Nathan Bassett solid down back and Graham Johncock consistently providing run across half-back all day the Crows piled on the next two goals to run out easy winners.
The Crows will now have a much needed week off to get some of their injured stars right for a preliminary final, while Fremantle will host Melbourne next week in a semi-final at Subiaco Oval.
ADELAIDE 1.3 3.8 5.12 10.16 (76)
FREMANTLE 4.2 5.2 7.4 7.4 (46)
Goals: Adelaide: N Bock 2 R Biglands 2 J Torney 2 M Clarke B Reilly S Welsh I Perrie. Fremantle: J Farmer 2 M Pavlich 2 T Cook R Crowley H Black.
Best: Adelaide: B Reilly S Thompson N Bassett J Porplyzia G Johncock M Mattner T Edwards J Torney. Fremantle: H Black M Johnson P Bell J Carr D Headland S McManus.
Umpires: R Chamberlain M Ellis S McInerney.
Crowd: 42,208 at AAMI Stadium.
In only their second final since their inception in 1995, Fremantle started the match in ideal fashion and had the first major on the board courtesy of Ryan Crowley in the opening minutes.
Ruckman Aaron Sandilands was proving to be a handful for his counterpart Matthew Clarke and when Jeff Farmer kicked his first the Dockers had jumped out to a two-goal lead.
The Dockers were getting plenty of run off-half back, with Michael Johnson and Heath Black prominent early.
A direct brand of football was paying dividends for Fremantle and when Black slotted home a reverse torpedo from outside 50 the Dockers had raced out to a four-goal lead to leave the capacity Adelaide crowd stunned.
Adelaide was struggling to find a consistent marking target inside 50, and it took some individual brilliance from Rhett Biglands who showed a clean pair of heels to snap truly from 5 metres out to give the Crows their first.
The Crows steadied in the latter stages of the first term as Fremantle took a handy 17-point lead into the first change.
When Matthew Clarke converted a free-kick from 40 metres out the Crows had kicked their second in succession to cut the margin to less than two-goals.
After an early onslaught from Fremantle the Crows were starting to gain ascendancy and were smashing the Dockers in the clearances.
Despite all their dominance through the midfield Adelaide could manage only one goal for the remainder of the second term as they wasted several gettable opportunities in front of goal.
A goal against play to Farmer in the dying minutes of the first half allowed Fremantle to take a six-point advantage into the main break.
The Crows woes in front of goal continued in the third termn when Ian Perrie kicked his second poster for the afternoon and Scott Welsh missed a gettable opportunity from 40 metres out seconds later.
Adelaide was dominating through the midfield with Scott Thompson and Simon Goodwin running rampant, but failed to finish off their good work.
Dockers hard-man Troy Cook made the Crows pay with his first to stretch Fremantle's lead to ten points at the 13-minute mark.
Black was continuing to provide plenty of run off half-back and when Matthew Pavlich kicked his second courtesy of a dubious head high free-kick Fremantle was out to a handy 16-point break.
Adelaide duly responded with the next two through Nathan Bock, with his second on replay appearing to have been touched by Fremantle defender David Mundy.
The Crows held firm in the dying minutes admist a final barrage from Fremantle to trail by four points at the final change.
Adelaide had the crucial first goal of the last term when Scott Welsh marked uncontested in the goalsquare and converted to put the Crows in front for the first time in the match.
The Dockers were struggling to find a target up forward after dominating in the opening term, and when Jason Torney kicked his first Adelaide were out to a 10-point lead at the halfway mark.
The rot continued when Ian Perrie kicked his first after a woeful day in front of goal to extend the lead to 16-points.
Adelaide was finishing with greater run and with Nathan Bassett solid down back and Graham Johncock consistently providing run across half-back all day the Crows piled on the next two goals to run out easy winners.
The Crows will now have a much needed week off to get some of their injured stars right for a preliminary final, while Fremantle will host Melbourne next week in a semi-final at Subiaco Oval.
ADELAIDE 1.3 3.8 5.12 10.16 (76)
FREMANTLE 4.2 5.2 7.4 7.4 (46)
Goals: Adelaide: N Bock 2 R Biglands 2 J Torney 2 M Clarke B Reilly S Welsh I Perrie. Fremantle: J Farmer 2 M Pavlich 2 T Cook R Crowley H Black.
Best: Adelaide: B Reilly S Thompson N Bassett J Porplyzia G Johncock M Mattner T Edwards J Torney. Fremantle: H Black M Johnson P Bell J Carr D Headland S McManus.
Umpires: R Chamberlain M Ellis S McInerney.
Crowd: 42,208 at AAMI Stadium.
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