- Ravens crumble after Taylor Adams taunt
- Adams receives free kick due to shoulder burden
- Swans record 42-point win over Crows
Swans star Taylor Adams helped tip the game Sydney’s way with a cheeky taunt at Crows defenders that sparked wild scenes during Saturday night’s match at Adelaide Oval.
The Crows led by 23 points at the end of the game’s second quarter, and overcame Joel Amartey’s first blitzkrieg to continue leading by 16 points at the end of the third.
However, things got crazy when Amarty kicked his sixth and seventh goals, prompting Adams to rub it at the Crows players by raising seven fingers.
Defender Mitch Hinge responded by knocking Adams down with a hard blow to the shoulder directly in front of the referee.
Taylor Adams mocked the opposition by raising seven fingers, leading to him being crushed moments later.
Adams received a free kick that gave the Swans another shot on goal, and he converted.
“That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Port Adelaide legend Dom Cassisi said on Triple M.
‘If I were Nicks, I’d drag him. That’s a coach killer. That doesn’t help your football club.
It took him by surprise. She shot him. Without reason. She came from 10 meters away. It was not necessary.’
However, many football fans felt that Adams took a dive.
‘A failure. Weak,” one fan posted on X.
‘Is he a former footballer?’, responded another.
Former Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas believed Adams had attracted the opposition.
“There has been a lot of feeling in this competition tonight,” he said on Triple M.
Adams remained writing on the field of play and received a free kick, which he converted
Joel Amartey (pictured) proved too much to handle for the Adelaide Crows
“One thing we know is that Taylor Adams is a pest and he sucked them in and tricked them and got what he wanted, which was a free throw. Really disappointing for the Ravens.”
Amartey’s heroics eventually proved too much for the Crows as Sydney secured victory 16.13 (109) to 10.7 (67).
The victory was Sydney’s ninth in a row and put them three wins clear at the top of the standings with a record of 12-1.
Amartey had no resources in his favor in the fourth half, but scored four goals in the second half and another four in the third to turn the game around.
He added another goal in the final period to give him 9.1 for 10 disposals.
But there was no room for sentiment from coach John Longmire, with Amartey spending the final minutes of the game on the bench despite goal number 10 beckoning.
“It was just my rotation,” Amartey said with a laugh.
“The guys played a great game.
‘It’s a team game. The service I received tonight was phenomenal.
“You don’t know in our forward line who will score the goals each week,”
“I think that’s the beauty of our midfield and our forward line, and that’s why we’re so dangerous right now, because anyone can have their day.”
The 24-year-old’s haul was the biggest by a Sydney player since Lance Franklin kicked 10 against Carlton in round 23 in 2017.
Amartey’s previous personal best was four goals, but his magical night against Adelaide increased his tally for the season to 31 goals and put him in contention for the Coleman Medal.
For rival clubs hoping to take over Amartey, they missed their chance.
Stuck with the 28th pick in the 2018 rookie draft, Amartey re-signed with Sydney last year until 2026 and has no intention of leaving.
‘I love this place, I love Sydney. The kids here are my brothers now,” Amartey told Fox Sports.
