The slippery conditions at Adelaide Oval would normally take away from the spectacle of a game, but when two top-eight sides collided on Sunday, it only added to a contest that was hot from the outset.
I’ve often been told that the wet weather brings out the best in the best players, whilst dragging the standard players down a notch or two. A quick perusal of the best players on the ground all but confirms it, with the names of Laird, Keays, Neale, Rankine, Cameron, and Rachele topping the list.
It was not a great night to be a key forward, however, as the conditions aided defenders in their efforts. But that, my friends, is where the small forwards come into play. And this game had three of the best on display.
The Lions came hard at the Crows in the third quarter, but failed to capitalise on their opportunities, finishing the quarter with one goal and nine behinds to their name. After Adelaide were the clearly better team in the first half, the Lions had the chance to establish a handy lead, but their inaccuracy cost them dearly.
As seems to often happen, when Adelaide had the chance to make them pay, they did – full fare.
It was a hard, physical game, with plenty of highlights and a few lowlights to get through. Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Talking Points.
Oh, what the hell? A Mongrel paywall? Yep, I own this site and believe my work is worth twenty cents per day. If you don’t, that’s fine. Sometimes, I release these to everyone after a day or two. Sometimes, I don’t. You could join us and access the members’ game reviews, as well as columns like the Wingman of the Year, Recruit of the Year, and other nonsensical stuff HB comes up with each week?
