Crows Crush Suns with Ruthless First-Half Blitz at Adelaide Oval
What a dominant statement by the Adelaide Crows! In front of a roaring home crowd at Adelaide Oval, the Crows sent a powerful message to the competition with a 61-point thrashing of the Gold Coast Suns. The match was over by halftime, really, with the Crows slamming home 12 goals and keeping the Suns goalless in a jaw-dropping first-half performance. It was clinical. It was fierce. It was exactly the kind of footy that screams finals-ready.
Matthew Nicks was all smiles post-game — and rightly so. He pointed to the relentless pressure and hunger his team brought from the first bounce. “We were hungry,” he said, “and really efficient with the ball.” That’s putting it lightly. Every opportunity Adelaide had, they made count. While the stats may not have told a lopsided story, the scoreboard certainly did. That efficiency, coupled with ferocious pressure, broke Gold Coast early, and the Suns never recovered.
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One standout who simply couldn’t be ignored was Alex Neal-Bullen. The 2021 Melbourne premiership player had his best game yet in the Crows jumper, racking up 31 disposals and slotting three goals, one of which came from deep in the pocket. But Nicks wasn’t just praising his on-field brilliance — he highlighted the leadership and off-field presence Neal-Bullen has brought into the club. “You can't measure what he's added,” Nicks said. “He’s impacted us just as much off the field.”
The match also reignited the growing rivalry between young Crow Riley Thilthorpe and Suns defender Mac Andrew. There was tension from the start and drama to the end, but Thilthorpe had the last laugh — bagging two goals and six marks, despite almost being ruled out pre-game due to illness. Nicks revealed, “He’d been up all night sick, and we didn’t even know if he’d play.” Talk about tough.
With four straight wins now under their belt and a top-four spot firming, there’s plenty of excitement around Adelaide. But the message from Nicks is clear: stay grounded. He emphasized the importance of sticking to the process and not getting swept up in the finals hype. "We play in front of 40,000 every week — the pressure and noise is constant. Our job is to block it out and keep building."
Gold Coast, meanwhile, were left licking their wounds. Coach Damien Hardwick didn’t hold back, describing the loss as a “kick in the nuts.” He lamented missed chances and poor decision-making, but also acknowledged these painful losses are part of a growing team's journey.
For Adelaide, though, this was more than just another win — it was a loud declaration. If they keep this up, September could get very interesting.
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