THE Kangaroos finished their three-game stint at Gold CoastStadium in 2007 on a sour note, suffering a 46-point loss to Adelaide on Saturdaynight.
In a largely defence-oriented match, the Crows got up15.10.100 to 7.12.54, leaving the Kangas with a 7-5 recordahead of the mid-season bye next weekend.
Despite the best efforts of tireless midfielders BrentHarvey, Adam Simpson and ruckman Hamish McIntosh, the Kangaroos were never inthe contest after Adelaide kicked five goals to one in the firstterm.
With a forward line spluttering for much of the match, coachDean Laidley threw all his eggs in one basket in the final term but it madelittle difference.
Glenn Archer, Drew Petrie, David Hale and Aaron Edwards werepushed into the attacking 50, but despite two goals from Edwards, they failed tomake an impact, as Adelaide booted six goals tothree.
Unfortunately for the Kangaroos, they missed some goldenchances to close the 28-point three-quarter time deficit, with Archer and latereplacement Eddie Sansbury missing gettable shots.
It was a theme that plagued the Roos all night, with ShannonGrant and Hale also culprits.
Simpson and Harvey were inspirational in the middle, whileMcIntosh was effective both in the ruck and around the ground in a grippingcontest with Adelaide ruck Ben Hudson.
The Kangaroos suffered a blow before the first bounce, withclassy midfielder Daniel Wells failing pass a fitness test on his injured knee and beingreplaced in the 22 by Eddie Sansbury.
Adelaide started thematch without Simon Goodwin, who also failed to come up from a kneeproblem.
It was Adelaide who was quickest out of the blocks,slotting five goals to one for a 22-point quarter-time lead.
With both teams playing a spare man in defence, it was theCrows’ ability to take marks in the forward 50 that proved the earlydifference.
Shannon Watt was having difficulties with Nathan Bock, whobooted two goals, while majors from Scott Thompson, Ken McGregor and JonathonGriffin inflated the score.
The Kangaroos’ only success came from a strong mark byLindsay Thomas and goal from 30m.
Adam Simpson had a mountain of ball in the first quarter,but the Kangas could not capitalise.
Despite an increase in intensity and creating more shots ongoal, the Kangaroos saw the lead extend to 27 points byhalf-time.While looking lively up forward, Shannon Grant was wasteful in front of goal, missing two relatively easy set shots.
Gold Coast product David Hale also missed a set shot on thestroke of half-time, leaving Adelaide leading 8.4. (52) to3.7 (25).
Perhaps the moment that summed up the Kangas first halfwas Bock’s third goal, which came after Michael Firrito and Jesse Smithspoiled each other in a marking contest only to watch the Crow clean up thecrumbs and run into an open goal.
The third quarter was an arm wrestle with both teams kickingjust a goal apiece.
Corey Jones grabbed the Kangaroos’ fourth goal of the matchwhen he soccered off the ground at the seven-minute mark.
It was to be the final goal of theterm before the Crows ran away with the game in the last term.
ADELAIDE 5.1 8.4 9.7 15.10 (100)
KANGAROOS 1.3 3.7 4.9 7.12 (54)
GOALS - Adelaide: S Welsh 5, N Bock 4, K McGregor2, M Mattner, S Thompson, J Griffin, M Ricciuto. Kangaroos: L Thomas 2 A Edwards 2 LBrown S Grant C Jones.
BEST - Adelaide: N Bock, S Welsh, M Ricciuto, KMcGregor, K Massie, S Thompson. Kangaroos: A Simpson, B Harvey, H McIntosh, LThomas.
UMPIRES: R Chamberlain, S McInerney, TPannell.
CROWD: 11,178 at Gold CoastStadium.
INJURIES - Kangaroos: D Wells (knee) replaced inselected side by E Sansbury. Adelaide: S Goodwin (knee) replaced in selected sideby L Jericho.
