If you want to see good footy, you should be watching the Adelaide Crows, because they play the most attractive football in the AFL.
Saturday night’s clash with the Swans was one of the games of the season – a high-scoring, free-flowing contest that lacked nothing for intensity around the footy.
Sydney coach John Longmire saw it that way too: “It was a fierce game of footy. It was two pretty handy teams going hard at it, flat-out for four quarters.”
The Crows’ Round 1 loss to the Roos was pretty easy on the eye for neutral supporters too; and as long as you don’t support their opponents, there was plenty of entertainment as they put Richmond and Port Adelaide to the sword in the weeks between.
Not that it should come as a surprise, Adelaide played in two of best and most memorable games of 2015 – the elimination final against the Dogs and the Round 16 Showdown.
It certainly helps that their first four games this season have been split between Etihad Stadium and Adelaide Oval – the two fastest tracks in footy. Both grounds are well-suited to the Crows’ aggressive defensive work and bold ball movement.
Don Pyke’s team is a talented and well-balanced one, and boasts a frightening amount of firepower up front – they should prove a handful for any opponent. Friday night’s clash with the Hawks at the MCG looms as another cracker.
There was a lot to like about Sydney in defeat as well, as they notched 100 points for the third time in four games. The dour team of recent times appears no more. Not lacking for firepower themselves, the Swans are averaging 115 points a game through the first month of the season and young gun Isaac Heeney seems to be getting better by the week across half-forward – some teams have all the luck.
But there can be beauty in winning ugly too. Neither the Cats nor the Dogs had games they’ll want to remember against inferior opponents on Saturday, but as cliche as it is: four points is four points. There are no style points in the AFL, and come the end of the home-and-away every win counts the same – it didn’t hurt that both teams boosted their percentage.
The Gold Coast could well rue not pinching an ugly victory at the Gabba on Saturday night. Like the Dogs and Cats they were below their best against an lesser side, but unlike that pair the Suns came away without any points.
Not that the Lions will give a rats’. For the first time since 2013, Brisbane got a win before Round 6. Their wayward kicking for goal certainly made it harder than it needed to be, but they’ll take a win any way they can get one.
Speaking of good things coming from ugliness, could Melbourne’s Round 2 disaster against Essendon end up being the making of them?
The Demons certainly appeared to get ahead of themselves after pinching overrunning GWS in Round 1 and were quickly brought back to Earth by the tenacious Bombers. Since then, though, Melbourne have pushed North Melbourne to the final siren in a shootout in Hobart and on Sunday they comprehensively outplayed Collingwood.
Coach Paul Roos described the past fortnight as “probably the best two [games] we’ve had back-to-back, even though we lost last week”.
“We’re starting to see the type of footy we want to play more regularly,” Roos said after his side squared their win-loss ledger at 2-2.
Melbourne now prepare for one of the few teams who couldn’t take many positives from Round 4 – Richmond – and for the second time this season they will most likely start as favourites. Demons fans will be hoping for a much better result this time.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
I've got a lot of predictions wrong the past two years, but I was pretty confident Waite would be good for North. Great recruiting.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Suns look and play sexier when on.
Josh
Expert
Bah, the whole Adelaide 22 doesn't have half the sex appeal of Jarrad Waite. Good read though AP and I largely agree with your statements.
Michael Huston
Guest
Agree whole-heartedly. The last few years, Adelaide have always looked dangerous and ridiculously clean and skilled going forward, they'd just struggled with implementing that against the best teams. Clearly they've fixed that, given how they trumped our celebrated midfield collective. As for the Swans, the improvement from 2015 is already outstanding. The fact that we ran out this high-intensity game to the final minute was not a trait that was present in our 2015 performances. In fact, even in the easy games against Collingwood and Carlton, we played all four quarters with intensity. I think we are probably the only team this year to be able to say they've played sixteen quarters to the maximum.
bigbay
Guest
A very generous and accurate summary of the game IMHO. I was at AO on Saturday night and I can honestly say it was a privilege to be there. Sydney were brilliant. They've been far too good for us in recent years and during the first quarter it looked like we could have been in for another drubbing. The fact that the Crows held it together for the remainder of the game and actually came out on top was thrilling for the home crowd, of course. But I honestly believe that, even if we'd lost, the fans couldn't have been too disappointed after putting in a performance like that. To see two teams play with such intensity and skill for the whole night was really something special. I thought perhaps that Sydney might slide a bit this year but I couldn't have been more wrong. They're a great club who never give you an easy win. Best of luck this year Swannies and thank you for a memorable game.
Handles
Roar Guru
Melbourne's loss against Essendon is certainly one of the strangest results this season. The Dees win against GWS is now starting to look very good, and they got closer to the Roos than anybody else has, so their form line other than the Bombers game is pretty good. Could this be the first time in history that a team with twelve wins in their last 66 games ever took an opposition too easily? The Richmond game should be very interesting. Melbourne has form on the Tigers, beat them last year and in 2014. Tigers on their way back from a pummeling in Perth. Could be some carnage at Punt Road if it happens again.
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
That was a brilliant game of footy Saturday night. For the Crows sake hopefully Jacobs comes up all right.
EddyJ
Guest
That was one of best games I have seen in a long long time, probably the best since the 2012 Grand Final. It had everything – close match (match high margin was 17 points, but for most of the match +/- 9 points), 11 lead changes, good mixture of attack and defense, excellent skill levels, fast paced, brilliant goals, and the match was decided in the final minute. You cannot ask for much more than that. Adelaide was excellent, but I'd be satisfied if I was a Swans' supporter too – very surprised how quickly they move the ball. It will be hard to beat for the match of the season.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Record crowd at Adelaide ?, the natives know good footy when they see it.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Don Pyke, the good doctors son has a bit to do with it i reckon. Very smart cookie, underrated, unheralded footballer as well. More power to a open, attractive high scoring game.
Michael Huston
Guest
I don't think Adelaide are doing anything prettier than a lot of other teams right now. I'd say that Sydney, Hawthorn, West Coast, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne have all put on masterclasses in "attractive" football at times this year. I think Adelaide - with their multi-pronged forward line and speedy & skilled runners in Smith and Seedsman - are just one of several teams to have benefitted from the way the game's become more about attacking this year. What Adelaide should get credit for - even though they won't, given how formidable their forward line is - was the fact that their midfield defeated ours. In other forums I've seen Swans fans excuse our mids by saying they were due for a down game, or that we didn't have Sinclair to deliver us quality service. But that is an injustice to how hard Adelaide's midfielders out-worked us. Even more impressive when you consider that Sydney probably have the superior midfield. Parker still played excellently and always looked threatening, but could never have much of an impact due to Adelaide's pressure. Kieren Jack couldn't get his signature run on because of how well he was blanketed. Rory Sloane was roving and taking marks better than any of our midfielders were. I said it earlier, but this was the toughest challenge Sydney have faced since I can remember. Tougher than any final, probably since the grand final in 2012. We may have been younger, but it was how our experienced players were bullied. Sydney still performed outstandingly, and it wouldn't even surprise me if Hannebery and Heeney earned Brownlow votes despite our loss, but it was that Adelaide gave us no time or space to make an impact and play our preferred style that won them the game. So yes, they play pretty football, and yes they're forward line is formidable, but they're also very tough. If they continue this form into Friday night, Hawthorn lose.