Ross Lyon would've thought he was in heaven when the heaven's opened on AAMI Stadium before the match. The wet weather football played into Fremantle's tough and contested favour and their star midfielders looked right at home in the slippery conditions. Michael Barlow was best afield with 32 possessions, 22 of those were contested. He also had eight handball receives, eight tackles and 10 clearances. Fremantle was just relentless with its pressure all afternoon and Barlow was well supported by Mundy, Fyfe, de Boer and Mzungu. It was a big statement from the Dockers after Adelaide had won the past three match-ups including last year's semi-final.
2. Forward misfire
Adelaide dominated inside 50's from the opening bounce but its inefficiency cost it the match. At quarter-time the Crows went inside seven more times and by three-quarter time they led the ledger 43-28. The Crows blazed away too often and kicked to the advantage of the Dockers defenders on too many occasions. Brenton Sanderson will be happy with the amount of supply but disappointed with the use of the ball. Luke McPharlin, Paul Duffield and Michael Johnson were also outstanding with their rebounds out of the defensive 50. On the flipside, Fremantle's forward entries were much more direct and were a huge part in its win. In the last quarter the Dockers won the inside 50's 16 to nine which was crucial after Adelaide's mid-term comeback.
3. Crowley v Dangerfield
Ryan Crowley's the tagger's tagger and he was given the all-important job on Adelaide livewire Patrick Dangerfield. Dangerfield was electric from the start kicking two goals in the first quarter. Crowley easily lost the battle in the first half but wrested back some ground in the third quarter when Dangerfield played deep in the forward line. The Crows superstar produced a moment of brilliance in the last with a left-foot snap while being tackled that put Adelaide in front and looked like being the game-changing moment. In the end Dangerfield won the contest but it wasn't enough for the Crows. Unfortunately their multi-faceted forward line couldn't produce a supporting role for their superstar.
4. Jacobs hits his way back into form
After being subbed last week against North Melbourne Sam Jacobs was tipped to bounce back by his coaches and he responded. He dominated the ruck with a whopping 50 hit-outs and it played a big part in helping the Crows win the clearances. His overwhelming performance in the air forced the Dockers midfielders to try and read his ruckwork to win first use. His effort was even more impressive considering Shaun McKernan was a late exclusion due to the wet weather.
5. Goal reviews
Patrick Dangerfield had a set shot from 30m out midway through the final term that looked to have snuck through for a goal. The umpire agreed and paid it but the boundary umpire was certain it hit the post. After what seemed like an eternity, the umpires finally decided to call for a review. The evidence was thankfully conclusive and the ball did in fact shave the post. Most importantly the right decision was made in the end but there was no need for it to take so long. If there is any doubt, a review should be called immediately rather than let it drag on for five minutes. These stoppages in play can change momentum and it's not a good look for the game having to wait so long for a decision that should take only 30 seconds.
