Adelaide and Brisbane drew in perhaps the best match of 2024, with both sides tied at 90-90 after the final siren.
With no team leading by more than 18 points during the match, each side was in the match for the entire match – with the match almost fittingly ending with shared points.
Neither side led by more than three points through the first three intervals, which speaks highly of what was an incredibly close battle.
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Both clubs remain at 12th and 13th on the ladder and are now stuck on a tricky 14 points.
The match was the third draw in Adelaide’s 33-year history, while it was the Lions’ first draw since 2009.
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TheThe subs for the evening are Luke Nankervis (Crows) and Shadeau Brain (Lions).
Speaking on Fox Footy’s pre-match coverage of the match, Dwayne Russell gave some context to the importance of this match.
“Perfect conditions for what is still a bit early in the season for an elimination final, but this feels like one – both teams have each recorded three wins and five losses,” said Russell.
“Both teams come in in pretty good form, both with wins last week.”
Much attention will be paid this match to Crows Jake Soligo, Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele, with their youthful speed and pace a much-needed point of difference for Adelaide after a stagnant start to the season from their engine room.
Charlie Cameron kicked off the game with the first goal of the match, quickly playing football along the goal line in traffic.
Crow Elliott Himmelberg weaved through traffic in response just a few minutes later, kicking beautifully from deep 50 to take an early one-point lead.
In his second game, Logan Morris ran behind a contested pack to score his second AFL goal from close range – and give the Lions back a four-point lead.
Himmelberg provided Izak Rankine with silver serve in response, finding the star from the center of the ground with a spur shot from a kick.
Rankine then converted from the 50 meter arc to create the fifth lead change of the match.
Not to be outdone, former Crow Charlie Cameron Callum found Ah Chee not long afterwards with a piercing kick at his side’s 50-metre cross, putting the Lions back into the lead… again!
Ah Chee kicked his second not long after, finishing a throw-in with class to give the Lions their biggest lead of the match: nine points.
“The second gamer in Curtin unfortunately doesn’t see Ah Chee out, and it’s especially important on a forward 50 break that you have to do your job at that point,” Jack Riewoldt, three-time Richmond premier, said in his commentary.
Darcy Fogarty’s magnificent blast from the boundary brought the Crows back within one kick of the Lions, kicking his first of the evening into the front right pocket.
The Lions lead the hosts by three points at quarter-time in what has been a shaky affair.
Rory Laird leads the number of disposals for both teams with eleven disposals, while Dayne Zorko has continued his form from last week with nine strikes in the first quarter.
After a hectic run of play, Josh Rachele kicked the first goal of the second quarter with a brilliant banana 30 meters from goal.
Cameron fired a set shot on target a few minutes later, failing to make the cut from within range – but a Crows brain-kick saw the kick go to ground, with Morris sweeping up the crumbs for his second of the half.
“The Crows just went to sleep there on the goal line,” Riewoldt said of the Adelaide blunder.
Eric Hipwood joined the goal-kicking party after a quiet first quarter and took advantage of an Adelaide error inside the defensive 50 to extend the lead to nine points.
Hipwood had a chance to score his second goal from the exact same spot within a minute, but faded his set shot to the left of the goals.
Suddenly a ball magnet, the key Lions forward had a third shot on target within three minutes – this time also from the opposite angle to his previous one.
However, like his most recent kick, he kept the ball to the left of the goals and recorded Brisbane’s fifth deficit for the match.
A clean passage of play gave the Crows their final response, with the ball from end to end from a turnover eventually finding its way into the hands of Taylor Walker, who reaped the rewards of a great Ben Keays contested points deep inside the forward 50.
Logan Morris had the chance to score his third goal with his third clearance but, like his teammates, his shot faded to the left of the goals.
Lachie Sholl scored his 17th career goal to give the Crows their narrowest lead late in the first half.
Former Lion Ben Keays kicked from outside the 50 after the siren to extend the lead but could only manage a small score, giving his side a two-point lead at the main break.
Jordan Dawson and Reilly O’Brien ran the Crows’ engine room, while Harris Andrews and Jack Payne kept the Lions in check in defense – despite their opponents being ahead at half-time.
“Both (teams) are not deviating from their style of football, I think that’s clear,” Jack Riewoldt said during the break.
“I think both parties find it difficult; I think the pressure has been really good,” added Jordan Lewis.
In a surprise tactical switch, the Crows removed Daniel Curtin from the match during the main break, while Luke Nankervis was injected for the second half.
Kai Lohmann scored his first of the evening in the opening minutes of the third term, giving the Lions their fifth lead for the match.
In a horror development, Josh Worrell left the ground just minutes after the Crows made their sub with an arm injury, and looks unlikely to play the rest of the match – leaving Adelaide down to a man.
Dead-eye set shot Fogarty kicked his second for the match at a 45-degree angle into the left front pocket, forcing another change of leave and a new-found three-point lead for his side.
Walker doubled his goal tally for the evening from distance after a quiet few minutes for both sides, extending his side’s lead to a team-high seven points.
Izak Rankine pushed the lead to two goals after Harris Andrews’ unforgivable kick from the goal area in open play, insinuating the Crows had finally gained the real upper hand.
Brisbane had other ideas though, with Hugh McCluggage and Joe Daniher both scoring good goals late on, sending the scores straight back to a deadlock.
Fogarty had the chance to give the Crows their cushion back, missing – you guessed it – the left side of the goal, meaning Adelaide led Brisbane by just one point heading into the final quarter.
Jarrod Berry opened the goalscoring book last term with a blistering kick from outside the 50, just minutes after teammate Charlie Cameron missed a shot from the boundary to go behind.
Callum Ah Chee followed suit and snapped at the striker 50 under pressure, giving the Lions an early 12-point lead with 16 minutes to play.
Josh Dunkley kicked his first of the evening and gave his team the largest margin of the game: 18 points.
Elliott Himmelberg eventually responded by running into an open goal and giving Crows fans some reason for optimism with just over half of football left to play.
A brilliant centering ball from Walker onto his left foot from the boundary saw Rankine run forward to an open goal and reduce the deficit to just six points!
Fogarty really kicked off another set shot for this third of the evening, leveling the score at 83-83 with just under eight minutes to play.
‘The Fog’ made it four of the night with his most crucial play yet: absolutely threading the needle into the left front pocket with a drop point at a tight angle.
The Crows lead became six points with five minutes to go.
In a match that seemingly never ends, Callum Ah Chee scored his fourth goal of the match to level the score with three and a half minutes to play!
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