The Demons have their premiership march back on track following their second consecutive win, this one coming against Adelaide to the tune of 29 points.
The Crows weren’t easy to outlast on Saturday evening and put up a plucky fight, stealing the lead on two occasions throughout the match but ultimately not consistent enough to match it with the best.
Matthew Nicks’ men famously upset Melbourne in Round 10 last year by one point at the same ground in the same timeslot, a clash where Clayton Oliver had 38 possessions and kicked three goals.
He might not have had the scoreboard impact, but the Melbourne star – fresh off a record contract extension – had plenty of influence as one of the most dominant players on the ground.
Oliver finished with 36 disposals (20 contested) and 13 tackles, while Christian Petracca booted three goals from his 33 touches, but Jordan Dawson just about matched them for the home side.
Christian Petracca gets out the back for the easy finish ✅#AFLCrowsDees pic.twitter.com/CnYRo68OMz
— AFL (@AFL) July 2, 2022
Dawson took a few rounds to find his feet at Adelaide when moving home in last year’s trade period, but the 25-year-old was absolutely everywhere in the tight loss.
He even managed to sneak forward for his second goal in the past five weeks, recording 30 disposals at 80 per cent efficiency, along with ten marks.
With Adelaide beating Melbourne last time round, early indications were they were up for the fight to do it again.
After conceding the first three of the clash, the Crows hit back with four on the trot to hit the lead.
A scrap ensued in the following terms as both sides traded blows, but the reigning premiers kicked away late in the third term to set up a three-goal lead at the final change.
The momentum swung both ways in the final term, but Simon Goodwin's men kicked four of the last five goals to record what will go down as a comfortable win.
That's sublime stuff out of the middle!#AFLCrowsDees pic.twitter.com/gEyZTAMefs
— AFL (@AFL) July 2, 2022
Adelaide broke relativley even in all the major stats during the clash, including inside 50s.
However, despite having their kicking boots on, just 17 shots from 47 entries aren't going to cut it against a side with the weapons of Melbourne.
The win ensures Melbourne retains their four-point buffer at the top of the ladder.
If Geelong can defeat North Melbourne and earn a percentage bolster in the process, they’ll play the Demons in what will be the second 1v2 clash on Thursday night in just three weeks.
Meanwhile, Adelaide heads to Marvel Stadium to battle the Hawks next week.
FULL SCORE
Adelaide: 4.0, 6.2, 7.4, 10.5. (65)
Melbourne: 5.1, 6.3, 9.9, 13.10. (88)
GOALS
Adelaide: Keays 2, Walker 2, Fogarty, Thilthorpe, Milera, Dawson, Laird, Rachele
Melbourne: Petracca 3, M. Brown 2, B.Brown, Harmes, Bedford, Pickett, Fritsch, Sparrow, Langdon, Viney
BEST
Adelaide: Dawson, O'Brien, Laird, Keays, Milera
Melbourne: Petracca, Oliver, Langdon, Salem, May
INJURIES
Adelaide: Fogarty (Finger), Butts (Ribs)
Melbourne: N/A