The Adelaide Crows have put the Gold Coast SUNS away in the final quarter to cruise to a 45-point victory at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Despite being within touching distance at the final break, Adelaide took control of the game in the fourth quarter to win 19.11 (125) to 12.8 (80)
The day started in an ugly manner for the SUNS with captain Gary Ablett suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee in the opening quarter that ended his day.
The dual Brownlow medallist is expected to miss four to six matches in the latest injury to cruel his season.
Ablett, who missed 10 games earlier in the season because of shoulder surgery, hobbled off after his knee buckled after contact with teammate Matt Shaw.
The Suns, despite the absence of their superstar midfielder, were plucky until being over-run in the last term with Tom Lynch (four goals) and Charlie Dixon (three goals) threatening to inspire an upset.
The tall attackers dominated an Adelaide defence depleted by the late withdrawal of key back Daniel Talia due to illness.
And Gold Coast onballer Harley Bennell collected a remarkable 38 disposals on return from a club-imposed suspension after serving a club-imposed suspension.
But Adelaide's vaunted midfielders Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield and Richard Douglas overwhelmed the Suns to create enough opportunities for a fluent forward line.
Small attacker Charlie Cameron recorded a career-best haul of four goals while Eddie Betts and a strong-marking Josh Jenkins slotted three each in a win in front of 42,656 spectators.
Adelaide led by only nine points at three-quarter time but booted eight goals to two in the last term.
The win sees Adelaide leapfrog Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs into sixth place.
The Bulldogs can snatch the position back with a win against Collingwood on Sunday.
ADELAIDE 4.1 9.5 11.10 19.11 (125)
GOLD COAST 4.1 7.4 10.7 12.8 (80)
GOALS
Adelaide: Cameron 4, Jenkins, Betts 3, Walker, Douglas, Sloane 2, Dangerfield, Laird, Martin
Gold Coast: Lynch 4, Dixon 3, Matera 2, Day, Russell, Lonergan
BEST
Adelaide: Douglas, Dangerfield, Laird, Lever, Thompson, Jacobs
Gold Coast: Lynch, Bennell, Lonergan, Dixon, Hall, Kolodjashnij
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Gold Coast: Ablett (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Rory Atkins replaced Matthew Wright at three-quarter time
Gold Coast: Joshua Glenn replaced Gary Ablett at quarter time
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Hay, Harris
Official crowd: 42,656 at Adelaide Oval
