FOR THE first time in Adelaide’s history, the Crows have beaten Essendon in Melbourne.

Adelaide has kept its top four intentions well and truly alive with a comprehensive 56-point win over Essendon at the Telstra Dome on Saturday afternoon.

It was an arm wrestle early on but the Crows broke free after half time to boot 12 goals to Essendon’s six, and claim their fourth win in a row 19.15 (129) to 10.13 (73), cementing their position inside the top eight in the process.

It wasn't the way Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd planned to celebrate his 250th game, as his side butchered the ball in the first half before feeling the full effects of a bench compromised by injury.

Courtenay Dempsey went off in the first quarter with a suspected broken leg, key defender Dustin Fletcher was sidelined with a groin in the second, and Jason Laycock suffered a heavy knock in the second that hampered him for the rest of the game.

To make matters worse for the Bombers, the Crows took full advantage of their situation and rapidly shifted through rotations once they gained ascendency after the main break.

And, with Nick Gill stepping up to boot three of the Crows' six final term goals (and 5.3 for the day) while the Bombers were held to four between them, it was lights out for the red and black as the South Australian side made a statement to the rest of the competition with its fifth-biggest win for the year three weeks out from September.   

Brad Symes was terrific for Adelaide with 26 possessions while Gill top-scored, Robert Shirley laid seven tackles and Scott Thompson was handy with 31 touches.

For the Bombers, Damien Peverill put in another solid performance while Paddy Ryder was imposing as a forward option before the injury to Fletcher forced him to move back and mind Gill.

However, despite determined efforts from Jobe Watson and Peverill, the Bombers were simply not capable of stemming the work of Nathan van Berlo, Brent Reilly and Tyson Edwards at the stoppages.

The Crows led by 14 points at the first break after snaring three goals to the Bombers' one in the opening term. Laycock had a chance to get his side six points closer shortly before the siren but shanked the kick and missed the lot.

In the second, Essendon lifted its work rate to get the scores back level at the 14-minute mark. However, Adelaide went on to kick four goals to one for the rest of the term, including a goal to debutant Patrick Dangerfield after the siren.

The third quarter is where Neil Craig's men asserted their authority the most. By the end of the term, the Crows were leading the clearances 37 to 17, and had slammed through six goals to two to lead by as much as 56 points.

Late majors to David Hille and Adam McPhee stemmed the flow before the final change, with Adelaide taking a 42-point lead into the fourth term.

In the final stanza, the Crows kicked off proceedings with Graham Johncock booting his third goal, before Gill entered the fray and presented all throughout the quarter in a dominant display.  

With the sting out of the game for Essendon, it was all Adelaide as the visitors went on to convincingly win just their second game in six attempts at the waterside venue. 

Essendon has a short week before facing the Western Bulldogs on Friday night at Telstra Dome, while Adelaide will come back over the border to play St Kilda, also at Docklands, on Sunday in the second last home and away round.

Essendon  1.2 4.7  6.10    10.13 (73)
Adelaide   3.4 7.8  13.10 19.15 (129)

GOALS
Essendon: Lloyd 3, Hille 2, Ryder, McPhee, Lovett-Murray, Magin, Laycock
Adelaide: Gill 5, Goodwin 3, Stevens 2, Johncock 2, Douglas 2, Moran, Thompson, Dangerfield, Maric, McLeod,

BEST
Essendon: Peverill, Dyson, Ryder, Watson, Hille
Adelaide: Symes, Thompson, Van Berlo, Doughty, Gill, Edwards, Reilly

INJURIES
Essendon: Hocking (leg) out of selected side, replaced by Magin, Dempsey (broken leg), Fletcher (groin), Hille (broken hand), Slattery (groin), Laycock (heavy knock)
Adelaide: Nil

Umpires: Margetts, Rosebury, Kamolins

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.