Match

Adelaide Crows vs Western Bulldogs

Commentary / 18 May 2018

Pre Game

59:30

Welcome to Adelaide Oval for the Adelaide Crows v Western Bulldogs Round 9 clash.

59:33

Outs for Crows: L.Brown, M.Crouch, M.McGovern, T.Walker

59:34

Ins for Crows: S.Gibson, D.Fogarty, K.Hartigan, L.Murphy

59:35

Outs for Bulldogs: A.Naughton, L.Young, M.Honeychurch

59:36

Ins for Bulldogs: J.Trengove, E.Wood, J.Roughead

59:40

Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.

00:00

Adelaide has won the time in possession differential by three minutes and 52 seconds this season, ranked No.1 in the competition.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:23

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Eddie Betts)

03:45

Territory is going to be important tonight in the wet conditions. Adelaide, despite having 10 fewer disposals so far have gained 70 more total metres in the early stages of this match.

07:08

The Western Bulldogs lead uncontested possession by virtue that they have 18 handballs to Adelaide's five. The Crows will be encouraged by the fact that they lead the tackle count 11 to five.

10:10

Bulldogs Interchange - Lukas Webb off due to the blood rule.

11:58

The Bulldogs are dominating the disposal count 61 to 27, which includes a 29 to 19 advantage in contested possession and 23 to six advantage in uncontested possession.

15:40

In what will be a highly contested game, Cam Ellis-Yolmen leads the game for contested possession, with all six of his disposals to date coming via a contested possession. Five of Jack Macrae's six disposals have also come via a contested possession.

16:42

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Tom Lynch)

21:19

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Ed Richards)

21:34

The Western Bulldogs lead the inside 50 count 12 to seven and have enjoyed 59 per cent time in forward half in the opening term.

22:00

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)

24:10

Crows Interchange - Tom Lynch off due to an injury.

26:00

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Darcy Fogarty)

27:24

Despite having had 41 fewer disposals, the Crows have been far more direct, generating over 100 more metres with their disposals. They have three goals from nine inside 50s, the Bulldogs have no goals from 14 inside 50s.

29:18

Crows Interchange - Darcy Fogarty off due to the blood rule.

29:54

Coming into tonight's game, The Western Bulldogs' season-high for tackles came in Round 7 against Gold Coast when they recorded 80 tackles. They have 28 at quarter time, one fewer than their season best for a quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

00:20

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Patrick Lipinski)

06:36

Jack Macrae is continuing his rich vein of form leading all comers for disposals with 13 and contested possessions with 10. He has also laid five tackles, better than everyone bar his direct opponent Sam Gibson who has six.

08:24

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)

08:43

The Bulldogs have the only seven inside 50 entries for the quarter, but have scored just 0.2.2 from this territorial dominance. They have enjoyed 86 per cent time in forward half for the quarter.

10:21

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Paul Seedsman)

13:27

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)

14:40

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Lukas Webb)

14:58

The Bulldogs have kicked the opening goal of the second quarter and their first for the game. They are going at a kicking efficiency of 54 per cent for the quarter, compared to Adelaide's 38 per cent.

20:53

After the Western Bulldogs got the first seven inside 50s of the quarter, Adelaide responded with the next six. The Bulldogs have now followed with the next nine inside 50s.

21:15

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lukas Webb)

25:56

The Western Bulldogs remarkably lead this incredibly tight encounter by 66 in uncontested possession and have 71 more disposals than the Crows, more than doubling the Crows in handballs with 110 to 51.

26:39

Adelaide leads contested possession by 12 at the half, a good barometer for them this season. Cam Ellis-Yolmen has 12 contested possessions for the Crows, while Hugh Greenwood has 10. Remarkably, 73 per cent of Adelaide's possessions have been contested.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

00:51

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)

01:59

Interestingly, the Bulldogs only goal in the first half came via a kick-in, representing just their third goal of the season from this score source.

02:55

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Myles Poholke)

07:32

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

08:22

Adelaide has launched 31 chains from its defensive 50, but has failed to generate an inside 50. The Bulldogs have not fared much better with 26 defensive 50 chains resulting in two inside 50s, highlighting how difficult it is to move the ball in the wet.

10:12

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Paul Seedsman)

12:36

Crows Interchange - Darcy Fogarty off due to an injury.

12:46

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Bryce Gibbs)

13:50

The tackle count is 82 to 81 in Adelaide's favour, representing season-best tallies for both sides already. Hugh Greenwood and Jack Macrae lead their sides with 10 tackles apiece.

14:53

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Eddie Betts)

16:28

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)

18:33

Importantly, Adelaide has kicked 3.4.22 to 0.3.3 from chains launched from the attacking midfield zone.

22:23

Adelaide has won clearances 14 to six for the term and has importantly kicked the only two goals for the term, both via stoppage chains. They lead inside 50s 13 to 4 for the term, enjoying 67 per cent time in forward half.

24:20

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Lachlan Murphy)

24:41

All three Adelaide goals this quarter have come via forward half stoppage chains. The Crows have outscored the Bulldogs 4.1.25 to 0.3.3 for the match from clearances.

26:21

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

30:08

In a losing side, Jack Macrae has continued to compile some impressive numbers. He has 27 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 11 tackles and seven clearances which are game-highs or equal-game-highs in all areas.

32:18

The Bulldogs came into tonight's game averaging six more clearances than their opposition, ranked No.1 in the AFL. Tonight, the Crows are in front in this area by 14 and have outscored the Dogs by 22 points from this score source.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

00:25

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Josh Jenkins)

02:30

As he does so often, Rory Laird again leads Adelaide with a match-high 13 intercept possessions. Bailey Williams, Easton Wood and Jackson Trengove all have 10 intercept possessions apiece for the Bulldogs.

06:24

SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Matthew Suckling)

09:42

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Billy Gowers)

10:53

It has taken until the 10-minute mark of the final quarter for Adelaide to generate an inside 50 from a defensive 50 chain, its 39th such chain for the match. Coming into tonight, the Crows averaged an inside 50 from 19 per cent of defensive 50 chains.

11:30

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Jordan Gallucci)

12:05

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)

13:48

Paul Seedsman is ranked No.1 in the AFL for metres gained this season and he leads both sides in this area again tonight with 596 metres gained from his 21 disposals.

17:58

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Eddie Betts)

18:43

Adelaide has kicked 7.8.50 from forward half chains tonight, compared to 1.6.12 from the Bulldogs.

20:07

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Eddie Betts)

21:11

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

22:41

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Matthew Suckling)

23:39

SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)

24:38

Both teams have recorded their greatest ever tackle counts with the Bulldogs laying 115 tackles and Adelaide recording 109 tackles. Both teams' previous best was 108 tackles.

27:43

Adelaide is winning the contested possession count by 20 tonight. The Crows have won every game this season when they have won the contested possession count.

28:16

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Lachlan Murphy)

30:18

Adelaide's victory came about through a dominance at the stoppages, winning clearances by 18 and kicking six of its nine goals from this score source. Bryce Gibbs and Hugh Greenwood had 10 clearances apiece for the Crows.