MELBOURNE has received another reminder of how much work lies ahead in its rebuilding process with a 76-point loss to a classy Adelaide Crows outfit at AAMI Stadium.
The Demons were fighting in a different weight division to the Crows from mid-way through the first quarter in the 22.18 (150) to 11.8 (74) loss.
Adelaide’s multiple-pronged forward line again functioned superbly if inaccurately at times, with the virtuoso Brett Burton bagging five goals, pack-smasher Kurt Tippett four, and Jason Porplyzia and skipper Simon Goodwin three each in front of a crowd of 35,649.
It was Melbourne’s eleventh successive loss at AAMI Stadium, a streak dating back to April 2001.
There were some good signs for the Demons in what turned into a hard afternoon. Clint Bartram did a fine tagging job on Crows great Andrew McLeod, while Simon Buckley found plenty of the ball and Shane Valenti showed good signs in his debut match.
Cale Morton also continued to show great promise, leading Melbourne’s goal-kicking with three.
Melbourne started brightly, carrying the confidence from the win over Fremantle into the first quarter to go goal-for-goal with the Crows through the first 15 minutes of the match, highlighted by an assured goal to Morton and Colin Garland’s first goal in the AFL.
As the quarter progressed, however, Adelaide assumed greater control, and four goals on the trot to the Crows – shared among Porplyzia, Tippett and Burton – saw the home side out to a 21-point lead.
The Demons weren’t to be denied though, and hit back through goals to Brad Miller and Austin Wonaeamirri, both created by excellent pressure and lead-up work from debutant Valenti.
With four goals on the board and the young Demons within nine points of the Crows it was looming as Melbourne’s best first quarter for the year. But with coach Dean Bailey already on the sidelines to congratulate his troops the Crows took advantage of late lapses, and goals to Burton and Chris Knights on the siren saw the margin blow back out to 21 points at the first break.
The Demons again started the second quarter with intent, a goal to Brent Moloney after a smart Morton crumb providing early reward.
From that point though, it was one-way traffic.
Another string of four goals to the Crows – including Burton’s third and fourth, and an embarrassing turnover goal to Bernie Vince after Jeff White was caught flat-footed with the ball – saw the margin blow out to 43 points.
The good early work of the Demons was going to waste, and when Russell Robertson declined to have a set shot from 25 metres out and turned the ball over, it seemed Melbourne had retreated back to the poor habits of the first few rounds.
Only a late goal from Morton – a young player not afraid to take responsibility in front of goal – provided respite.
The third term started ominously for Melbourne, with Adelaide simply dominating possession, but wasting chances by adding six behinds in a row. That run was broken by a Scott Stevens goal from 55 metres (among his 12 possessions for the quarter), but a further two behinds would have had Adelaide coach Neil Craig tearing his hair out.
The Crows’ wayward generosity didn’t last though, and it was Porplyzia who showed the way with a classic run-and-carry goal (his third) which started from the centre of the ground. Tippett followed soon after with his third, and the margin was out to 62 points.
Only another late goal to Morton – set up by Buckley and Wonaeamirri – provided any consolation for Melbourne, and the question was whether the Demons would be completely overrun. The answer was no. At least not at first.
Three goals in four minutes to Melbourne at the start of the last quarter showed fighting spirit, brought the margin back to 38 points, and had the home crowd starting to shift nervously. Two of those were to Robertson, while Bartram was rewarded for his efforts with a well-deserved six-pointer.
That just seemed to rev the Crows, who then replied with five goals in six minutes, sparked by a hanger from Burton.
The gigs don’t get any easier for the Demons, who now meet the red-hot Hawthorn at the MCG next Sunday, just eight rounds after their round one clash at the same venue.
Adelaide 8.1 12.6 15.15 22.18 (150)
Melbourne 4.4 6.5 7.7 11.8 (74)
GOALS
Adelaide: Burton 5, Tippett 4, Goodwin, Jericho, Porplyzia 3, Stevens, Knights, van Berlo, Vince
Melbourne: Morton 3, Robertson 2, Wonaeamirri, Miller, Moloney, Garland, Bartram, Bate
BEST
Adelaide: Burton, Vince, Tippett, Porplyzia, van Berlo, Goodwin, Bock, Knights, Shirley
Melbourne: Bartram, Buckley, Jones, Morton
INJURIES
Adelaide: Massie (hamstring tightness) replaced in side by Jacky
Melbourne: Rivers replaced in side by P. Johnson
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Fila, Meredith, Ellis
Official crowd: 35,649 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
