ADELAIDE has held off the Western Bulldogs with a late surge to post an 18-point victory in Saturday night's AFL match at AAMI Stadium.
The Crows were headed early in the final quarter but rallied for an 11.16 (82) to 9.10 (64) triumph thanks to forward Taylor Walker's two late goals.
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The Bulldogs, still winless under new coach Brendan McCartney, were brilliantly led by captain Matthew Boyd (two goals), while young spearhead Liam Jones also booted two.
Adelaide's players ran out for their first home game accompanied by fireworks, and streeted to a four-goal lead inside 25 minutes.
With Jared Petrenko kicking two goals, and Walker booting one and setting up another, the Crows prospered despite losing on-baller Richard Douglas to injury.
The Adelaide midfielder, who missed chunks of the pre-season with a hamstring strain, left the ground in the 11th minute.
Douglas was substituted with Tom Lynch, and it wasn't until the 27th minute that the Bulldogs kicked their first goal, an instinctive 55m torpedo by Nathan Djerrkura.
Djerrkura had earlier thought he snapped a goal, only for a video review to overrule for a point.
Adelaide led 4.4 to 1.4 at quarter-time but the Dogs lifted and crept to within 13 points, only for the hosts to steady with two goals to Lynch which created a 25-point half-time lead for the Crows.
But the Bulldogs responded in style after the break, with Boyd snaring two goals as the Dogs booted four goals to Adelaide's none in a third-quarter fightback.
The Bulldogs trailed by just two points at three quarter-time, and hit the front early in the last when Jones kicked his second major.
But Adelaide's Walker helped snap a tense 10-minute scoring stalemate, kicking two goals in five minutes to help the Crows to consecutive victories to open their season.
Adelaide's Scott Thompson was brilliant in his 200th game, finishing with a game-high 34 disposals.
ADELAIDE 4.4 7.8 7.11 11.16 (82)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.4 3.7 7.9 9.10 (64)
GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 3, Petrenko 2, Lynch 2, Callinan, Sloane, Porplyzia, Dangerfield
Western Bulldogs: Boyd 2, Jones 2, Djerrkura, Picken, Giansiracusa, Grant, Roughead
BEST
Adelaide: Thompson, Vince, van Berlo, Doughty, Dangerfield, Jacobs
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Murphy, Griffen, Lake, Hargrave, Dahlhaus
INJURIES
Adelaide: Douglas (hamstring)
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Bannister, Hay, Schmitt
Official crowd: 34,021 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
The Bulldogs, still winless under new coach Brendan McCartney, were brilliantly led by captain Matthew Boyd (two goals), while young spearhead Liam Jones also booted two.
Adelaide's players ran out for their first home game accompanied by fireworks, and streeted to a four-goal lead inside 25 minutes.
With Jared Petrenko kicking two goals, and Walker booting one and setting up another, the Crows prospered despite losing on-baller Richard Douglas to injury.
The Adelaide midfielder, who missed chunks of the pre-season with a hamstring strain, left the ground in the 11th minute.
Douglas was substituted with Tom Lynch, and it wasn't until the 27th minute that the Bulldogs kicked their first goal, an instinctive 55m torpedo by Nathan Djerrkura.
Djerrkura had earlier thought he snapped a goal, only for a video review to overrule for a point.
Adelaide led 4.4 to 1.4 at quarter-time but the Dogs lifted and crept to within 13 points, only for the hosts to steady with two goals to Lynch which created a 25-point half-time lead for the Crows.
But the Bulldogs responded in style after the break, with Boyd snaring two goals as the Dogs booted four goals to Adelaide's none in a third-quarter fightback.
The Bulldogs trailed by just two points at three quarter-time, and hit the front early in the last when Jones kicked his second major.
But Adelaide's Walker helped snap a tense 10-minute scoring stalemate, kicking two goals in five minutes to help the Crows to consecutive victories to open their season.
Adelaide's Scott Thompson was brilliant in his 200th game, finishing with a game-high 34 disposals.
ADELAIDE 4.4 7.8 7.11 11.16 (82)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.4 3.7 7.9 9.10 (64)
GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 3, Petrenko 2, Lynch 2, Callinan, Sloane, Porplyzia, Dangerfield
Western Bulldogs: Boyd 2, Jones 2, Djerrkura, Picken, Giansiracusa, Grant, Roughead
BEST
Adelaide: Thompson, Vince, van Berlo, Doughty, Dangerfield, Jacobs
Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Murphy, Griffen, Lake, Hargrave, Dahlhaus
INJURIES
Adelaide: Douglas (hamstring)
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Bannister, Hay, Schmitt
Official crowd: 34,021 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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