It was a grim night in Adelaide in more ways than one for the Western Bulldogs, as the visitors went down on a cold and soggy Friday night by 37 points at Adelaide Oval.
The city of churches had already copped a soaking before the 39,407 fans started to file into the ground in the early evening, but it was just before the first bounce that it started coming in sideways, setting up a night of scrappy, contested, tackle-heavy football.
The Dogs dominated the disposal count and won the territory game for most of the first half but were unable to convert where it mattered.
It wasn’t until 15 minutes into the second term that the Dogs would register their first major - via a Lukas Webb free kick - but it was the Crows who would take a lead into the main break with a lead despite two less scoring shots.
Though the stands at Adelaide Oval may have been a sea of ponchos no one was leaving, the game promising more than it would ultimately deliver as the Crows spent the second half inching further ahead while the Dogs scorecard remained relatively stationary.
In the conditions, Eddie Betts’ four goals were worth double that, and the Crows were able to absorb the Dogs early pressure – both sides broke their all-time tackling records – to run away with the four points.
Jack Macrae continued is purple patch of form, just missing out on a third straight 40-touch game, finishing with 36 including 25 contsted, and this time adding 10 clearances and 13 tackles in another classy all round performance.
Like Macrae, Marcus Bontempelli (28 disposals, nine clearances, seven tackles) was one of the Dogs’ better players, spending most of his night in the midfield, while Toby McLean (22 disopals), Lachie Hunter (23) and Luke Dahlahus (23) also saw a bit of the football.
The nature of the game meant the Dogs were never really out of it, but Lachlan Murphy’s goal at the 24 minute mark of the third quarter that extended the lead to 27 effectively ended any hope of a Bulldog comeback.
The Dogs return to Etihad Stadium next Friday night to face Collingwood.
ADELAIDE 3.1 3.3 6.6 9.9 (63)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.3 1.7 1.10 2.14 (26)
GOALS
Adelaide: Betts 4, Fogarty, Lynch, Poholke, Murphy, Jenkins
Western Bulldogs: Webb, Suckling
BEST
Adelaide: Betts, Laird, Ellis-Yolmen, Seedsman, Lynch, Greenwood, Jacobs
Western Bulldogs: Macrae, Dahlhaus, Hunter, Bontempelli, Williams
INJURIES
Adelaide: -
Western Bulldogs: -
Reports: -
Umpires: Stevic, Williamson, Fleer
Official crowd: 39,407 at the Adelaide Oval
