Star on report as Crows handed reality check

With a midfield led by Bailey Smith running rampant in regional Victoria, the Bulldogs set the tone with a dominant opening term on the way to claiming their fifth win in succession.

Missing several key players including their former skipper Taylor Walker, the Crows kicked the first goal of the match but rarely looked threatening in attack thereafter.

The Crows were restricted to their lowest score since a 63-point loss against Essendon in Rd 17, 2021, with their hold on eighth spot reliant on other results later in the round.

Adding to a testing day for the Crows, forward Izak Rankine was reported for a bump on Bulldog Taylor Duryea in the third quarter of the clash.

The pair were going for the football when Rankine, who kicked a second term goal, barrelled into the Bulldog, making high contact with his right shoulder.

Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli had his knee assessed by trainers in the third term but kicked a last term goal when finishing with 29 disposals.

Jason Johannisen, the 2016 Norm Smith Medallist, injured a hamstring in the third term and is unlikely to travel to Darwin to play against the Gold Coast Suns next week.

RANKINE REPORTED

Adelaide goalsneak Izak Rankine will be hoping to escape punishment after being reported for forceful front-on contact against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat on Saturday.

Rankine was cited when he collided with Taylor Duryea at a loose ball during the third quarter.

Fox Footy’s Gerard Healy believed the former Gold Coast Sun had a pretty good case.

“Was he competing for the ball or in the act of bumping?” Healy said.

But colleague David King leaned the other way, saying the AFL needed to legislate aggressively to protect the head.

“I think he’s in trouble,” King said.

“If you choose to bump or brace, you cannot hit the head.”

King said Rankine’s alibi might be that he had his hands close to the ball.

Duryea remained on the field and kept playing.

CROWS PLUCKED AND FEATHERED

The absence of Walker, who proved the match-winner in a thriller between the two clubs in Ballarat in the corresponding match last year, was a significant blow for the Crows.

With the former captain and fellow tall Riley Thilthorpe injured, and defender Tom Doedee also missing, they were undermanned.

This was exacerbated when Mitch Hinge was substituted in the opening quarter with concussion sustained in a heavy collision when spoiling forward Aaron Naughton.

Critical to the Crows success in Ballarat a year ago was their ability to cramp the Bulldogs for room. This led to a dour struggle before a final term shootout.

But from the infancy of Saturday’s clash, it was clear the Crows would be chasing the Bulldogs all day, with the home side having twice as many handballs in the first term.

At every stoppage Smith appeared off the leash and was able to help himself to 15 disposals for the quarter, 12 of them claimed in uncontested fashion. He finished with 37 touches.

Crow Rory Laird also gathered 15 possessions in the first term, but the majority of his were earned in the contest, with the Bulldogs earning far more of the footy all day.

BULLDOGS BACKS WITH BITE

Liam Jones is proving one of the recruits of the season in his return to the Western Bulldogs.

Jones is less the Prodigal Son than a man who is enjoying a remarkable turn of fortunes after retiring from Carlton due to the Covid vaccination mandate imposed at the end of 2021.

After a season playing in south-east Queensland, the 32-year-old was lured back by the Bulldogs and has proven a key position pillar in one of the competition’s best defences.

The Crows personnel problems were a factor in their struggle to score, with Adelaide recording their lowest score to half-time for the year when restricted to just three goals.

But there is also the quality of the opposition to consider, with the Western Bulldogs defensive efforts again coming to the fore on an occasionally wet day at Mars Stadium.

Heading into the match, the Bulldogs had conceded just 678 points for the year at an average of 75.3 per match, which is the third most miserly behind St Kilda and Collingwood.

SCOREBOARD

Western Bulldogs 4.7 (31), 5.13 (43), 9.19 (73), 11.19 (85)

Adelaide 1.2 (8), 3.4 (22), 4.6 (30), 5.10 (40)

GOALS

Western Bulldogs Scott (2), Macrae (2), Weightman, Gardner, Naughton, Williams, Daniel, Lobb, Bontempelli

Adelaide Rachele (2), Gollant, Rankine, Dawson

BEST

Western Bulldogs Smith, Liberatore, Williams, Bontempelli, Macrae, Daniel, Jones, Duryea

Adelaide Laird, Dawson, O’Brien, Rachele

INJURIES

Western Bulldogs Johannisen (hamstring)

Adelaide Hinge (concussion)

VOTES

3. Smith

2. Liberatore

1. Jones

ANOTHER CONCUSSED CROW

Adelaide’s already-stretched defence has been dealt an untimely blow with Mitch Hinge subbed out in the opening quarter of Saturday’s match against Western Bulldogs.

The Crows went into the top-eight clash in Ballarat without Tom Doedee, who was ruled out due to delayed concussion.

Hinge was replaced by Sam Berry after colliding with teammate Nick Murray while attempting to spoil Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

Hinge had to be helped from the field and was subbed within minutes.

It meant Max Michalanney (190cm) was manned up on Rory Lobb (206cm) as the Dogs tried to use their tall timber to stretch the Crows.

Hinge is the third Adelaide backman to sustain a concussion in three weeks, following Nick Murray and Tom Doedee.