So how did they win? It helped that they won some of the other key stats - they had 13 more contested possessions, for example, eight more clearances and a couple more marks inside 50. It also helped that Jonathan Brown, Brisbane’s burly centre half forward, was ineffectual. But in my view it was numbers of a different kind that really made the difference on Sunday.
The starting point was a more attacking attitude, aided and abetted by improved decision-making and a sustained four-quarter effort.
The Crows of last year broke lines by running in numbers and bouncing - we were the bounciest team in the league. This year the backs have been caught in the lines like dolphins in a drift net - if they have bounced the ball at all they have done it in desperation while thrashing about for air in the defensive 50. Against Brisbane we saw some of the forward-heading dash come back. Mackay - thankfully returned from injury - started it, but McLeod, Bock and Douglas kept it going.
The stats sheet showed a kick-to-handball ratio skewed towards handball, but it wasn’t obvious when viewed live. There was plenty of quick kicking from the centre breaks and long kicking to the forward line.
For the most part the handballs worked, too, and they worked because players were prepared to back up their under-siege teammates. When they do that, handball becomes a weapon because it generates run. The key is numbers: when the Crows swarm - and they didn’t quite swarm on Sunday, but they occasionally came close - they win.
A more attacking frame of mind probably helped the decision-making. Some of the most underperformed players this year, such as Doughty, Bock, van Berlo and Stevens, seemed to get their groove back on Sunday. They were tough in contests, they supported their teammates, and they used the ball well. And they kept going all day.
They added to the numbers.
After the game, Craigy spoke about the improved competitiveness of the Crows, and this was evident in the one-percenters. These are things like smothers, spoils and shepherds that don’t count as possessions but can be even more useful. Davis is a specialist: his spoils on high-marking opponents are just as effective as those of old-fists like Bock and Rutten.
On Sunday, some of the Crows’ one-percenters precipitated goals. New boy Gunston - who showed enough to suggest he can make it in the AFL - was responsible for one. His spoil in the first quarter caused a spill to Stevens, who handballed to McLeod, who took a cool bounce and slotted a left-foot goal. In the second quarter, two opponents, one of them Petrenko, ran flat out - in opposite directions - towards a spilled ball. Petrenko got his hand to it first, knocking it to Cook, whose quick kick led to a goal from Douglas.
Douglas was the Crows’ most impressive player on Sunday. On occasions in the past he has undone his own good work with poor finishing - he kicked four points, for example, in the game against North Melbourne.
On Sunday I don’t think he made a single mistake (he was pinged once for running too far, but that looked like poor umpiring rather than a mistake by Dougie). He won plenty of hard ball and disposed of it well, and he helped out his mates. He chased, he tackled, he kicked three goals; it was the best I have seen him play.
There has been a noticeable improvement in his game this year. Most importantly he is keeping his feet more - in previous seasons he has gone to ground too easily and been lost to contests. On Sunday, not only did he stay on his feet but he used them to scorch the turf: he has genuine speed, even if we haven’t seen enough of it in the past. He also worked hard to support his teammates, to add to the numbers around the ball.
With his pace, his great hands above his head, his beefed-up body and his penetrating kick, Douglas has the potential to be a top-notch player. If he keeps making decisions with the clear head he showed on Sunday, he might finally realise that potential.
Lest we get too carried away with the win, there were plenty of things the Crows still haven’t got right, as suggested by those deficits on the stats sheet. The weakest link on Sunday was tackling: if any Crow wants to work out how to make his tackles stick he would do worse than watch Brisbane’s Banfield - a 19-year-old in his first season - go about his work.
The long kicking was less successful than it would have been if the Crows’ forwards had been able to take more contested marks. Tippett, Walker, Gunston, Porplyzia and Dangerfield all got their hands to the ball on Sunday but didn’t clunk too many. That might have been due partly to the strong wind; hopefully the clunks will come thick and fast this Saturday. Porplyzia, Douglas and Dangerfield all sharked goals at the feet of the big blokes, but other opportunities went begging.
For the moment, though, there is no need to dwell on the negatives. After a horrible week the Crows won the most important stat of all on Sunday - points scored. As I left the ground it was clear that supporters were savouring what has been a rare treat this year. It’s far too early to say that the Crows are back, but there were unmistakeable signs of improvement. The numbers suggest that the worst might almost be behind us now.
