- The crows were trolled before the ball had bounced
- Players are forced to run away to the sound of the rival club’s song
- The Lions advanced to the sixth AFLW grand final
The Adelaide Crows made a shocking start to their AFLW preliminary final after being forced to abandon the Port Adelaide club song.
Brisbane have advanced to a record-extending sixth AFLW grand final after absorbing an early blow to beat Adelaide by 18 points at Brighton Homes Arena.
But one of the biggest talking points occurred before the ball bounced, when the Crows’ most hated song played as they ran.
‘Mind games now at Brighton Homes Arena. The Port Adelaide theme song plays as the Crows take the field,” one X user posted.
‘Oh dear. The entire Port Adelaide team song played as Adelaide ran towards Brighton Homes Arena. Then followed the song of the Crows. Oops,’ another responded.
“It had to be deliberate,” wrote a third.
The Crows were on the defensive even before the ball bounced in the preliminary final.
Crows players forced to run to Port Adelaide club song
The Lions were dictated in the first half on Saturday night before turning the tide after the long break, scoring five goals in a row to prevail 7.8 (50) to 4.8 (32).
Brisbane will face unbeaten North Melbourne in next Saturday night’s decider at Ikon Park.
Orla O’Dwyer and Ally Anderson had 24 disposals each for the Lions, while powerful spearhead Dakota Davidson kicked 2.3 with her 14 touches.
“(I’m) really proud of the way we held firm in the second half and kept plugging away and got the lead,” Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich said after the game.
“It seemed like we were running the game in the last half, which was fantastic.”
Usual suspects Ebony Marinoff (30 disposals), Anne Hatchard (25) and Chelsea Randall (18 touches, two goals) were prolific for the Crows, who came out of the blocks quickly.
Adelaide’s forward pressure was relentless from the start, but the visitors could only muster three points in the first 10 minutes despite the ball living exclusively within their forward line.
Against the tide, Brisbane drew level with three deficits in just a minute, before Randall gave Adelaide a six-point break in the fourth.
Brisbane advance to a record-extending sixth AFLW grand final with victory
It was the Crows’ third straight preliminary final loss.
Continuing to dominate the territory in the second period, the Crows went ahead by 13 points when Caitlin Gould truly converted after flying to grab a wonderful packet.
Davidson claimed the Lions’ first major after taking a powerful mark against Sarah Allan and scoring, before her accidental ‘hawk’ bounced off Cathy Svarc, who linked through hands with Evie Long for a magnificent six-pointer Courtney Hodder, closing the gap with one point.
Randall, arguably the player of the final series, caught a strong one-handed bag against Natalie Grider and kicked her second major eight seconds before halftime to give the Crows a seven-point lead.
Brisbane turned the tables on Adelaide in the third term, matching them in the pressure at play, while generating tremendous momentum on the outside.
Jade Ellenger’s great goal in the 11th minute, after Crows fullback Chelsea Biddell was called on to play after receiving an interception mark in the top corner and being tackled by Sophie Conway, gave her gave the Lions their first lead of the night.
From that point on, Brisbane slammed the door on Adelaide.
Cathy Svarc scored a free kick and Davidson scored her second to give the Lions complete control in the third, before Isabel Dawes’ electric fourth quarter goal iced the victory and condemned Adelaide to a third consecutive preliminary final defeat.
“We just couldn’t keep up the intensity,” Crows coach Matthew Clarke said after the game.
‘The pressure from Brisbane increased and we couldn’t go with them.
“It’s bitterly disappointing.”