Crows crush Port Adelaide by 70 points

Adelaide reigned in the rain in the South Australian showdown, crushing Port
Adelaide by 70 points in a physical AFL affair at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.
The Crows began a little sluggishly to allow the Power an early lead, before
sweeping their opponents aside in the third quarter and romping home in the last to
win 19.18 (132) to 9.8 (62) in front of a crowd of 46,859.
Following a heavy loss to St Kilda last week, the Crows regained plenty of
confidence and poise by registering such a comfortable victory, and will take
satisfaction from also dealing a hefty blow to Port's hopes of squeezing into the
finals.
Among numerous influential performers for Adelaide, Nathan Bock played a dominant
game at centre-half back and was justly rewarded with the showdown medal.
He had plenty of support from midfielders Michael Doughty, Bernie Vince, skipper
Simon Goodwin and Brent Reilly, while Brett Burton proved his value up forward with
a lively four-goal performance.
Veteran Andrew McLeod (two goals) responded to questions about his place in the side
with one of his strongest games of the year.
Power captain Domenic Cassisi was one of few Power players to put in a sustained
effort across the four quarters.
The pre-match withdrawal of Dean Brogan - with flu and a thigh, shoulder, back or
rib injury depending on who described it - halved Port's notional ruck advantage
over an inexperienced Adelaide tall brigade.
His offsider Brendon Lade managed to get his palm to plenty of early ball to help
the Power attack from the outset.
Burton made a sprightly start to his second game back from a knee reconstruction for
the Crows, and was paid the compliment of being matched with Port's lead defender
Troy Chaplin after Paul Stewart spent more time under Burton than on him in the
first 20 minutes.
The Power had been decent value for their seven-point quarter-time lead, but they
were swamped in the second, as helpless in the face of Adelaide's run and structure
as the spectators caught in the open were when a snap downpour drenched the ground.
In all the Crows threaded seven goals without reply, two from the rapier-like boot
of skipper Goodwin, and two from defensive midfielder Doughty, the second of which
arrived at the end of a chess-like passage when the Crows pushed methodically
through the Port Adelaide zone.
Clear by 33 points at the half, Adelaide fought out a final wrestle with a desperate
Port in the third.
A trio of majors to Jason Davenport, Justin Westhoff and Cassisi - after some
excellent lead-up work by Lade - provided some faint hope for the Power.
But McLeod bobbed up deep in time-on for the goal that allowed Adelaide to win the
term and so hold a sturdy 34-point advantage that they more than doubled in the last
against flagging opposition.