ADELAIDE has produced a blistering final quarter to avert a boilover against Gold Coast at People First Stadium on Sunday night, overpowering the SUNS to win by 16 points.
The Crows trailed by 15 points at the final change, but piled on six consecutive goals to blow the contest open and win their fourth game of the season, 7.8 (50) to 5.4 (34).
In a performance reminiscent of their round two runaway against Geelong, where they kicked seven final quarter goals to win, Matthew Clarke’s team overwhelmed their opposition with superior ball winning and run when the game was on the line.
After a quiet opening three quarters, Anne Hatchard put her stamp on the victory with three final terms goals, while Eloise Jones, Ebony Marinoff and Niamh Kelly also kicked truly.
Marinoff finished with 32 disposals, including a whopping 14 in the fourth.
Sarah Goodwin (27, including nine clearances and 10 tackles) was exceptional in all four quarters, even when her team was being outplayed, as was Madison Newman (25) who caught the eye with her work-rate.
The SUNS looked winners for much of the contest, leading by three points at quarter-time, eight at the half and 15 at the final change.
Their intensity through the second and third quarters was through the roof, led by Charlie Rowbottom’s best performance of the season with 29 disposals, seven clearances and 12 tackles.
Meara Girvan was a brick wall in defence, finishing with 16 intercepts, seven of which came in the third quarter when Gold Coast looked like springing the biggest of upsets.
Havana Harris continued to shine in the sixth game of her young career, kicking a freakish goal from the right forward pocket and delivering perfectly for one of Jamie Stanton’s two goals.
But after dominating clearances for much of the night, Gold Coast noticeably ran out of legs as its more proven opponents got to work in the fourth quarter.
Adelaide’s win moves it to 4-2 and well inside the top eight, while despite being stuck on one win near the bottom of the table, the SUNS can take plenty of heart from their performance.
Havana’s highlight goal
After missing a set shot from point-blank range early in the second quarter, young Gold Coast star Havana Harris made up for it, and then some, with a spectacular finish moments later. Roving a forward 50 stoppage to perfection, the No.2 draft pick somehow curled her right foot snap from the right forward pocket right through the middle. It was an incredible finish from a player showing new tricks every week.
Hatchy’s final quarter heroics
Adelaide ace Anne Hatchard was struggling to influence through the first three quarters, gathering just 11 disposals that included a horror miss from right next to the goals. However, like stars do, Hatchard poured it on when the game was up for grabs, kicking three goals in the final quarter to help get her team over the line.
Up next
Gold Coast has just a five-day break before taking on Melbourne at Casey Fields on Friday from 1.05pm AEST. Adelaide will hope to solidify its spot in the right and give Sydney a third straight loss when it hosts the Swans at Thomas Farms Oval on Sunday (2.35pm ACST).
GOLD COAST 2.1 3.3 4.4 5.4 (34)
ADELAIDE 1.4 1.7 1.7 7.8 (50)
GOALS
Gold Coast: Stanton 2, Harris, Rowbottom, Dupuy
Adelaide: Hatchard 3, Ponter, Jones, Kelly, Marinoff
BEST
Gold Coast: Girvan, Rowbottom, Harris, McLaughlin, Whitfort, Stanton,
Adelaide: Goodwin, Newman, Ponter, Prowse, Marinoff, Hatchard
INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Adelaide: Nil
Reports: Nil
Crowd: 1252 at People First Stadium
