PATRICK Dangerfield has torched his old team as Geelong held off a fast-finishing Adelaide for a gutsy 24-point AFL win on Thursday night.
Dangerfield was a standout with 32 disposals in the Cats’ 14.15 (99) to 10.15 (75) triumph at Adelaide Oval.
Geelong’s third consecutive victory featured a commanding start – with Dangerfield rampant, the visitors took a 23-point lead into halftime.
And despite a third-term scare, the Cats prevailed with newcomer Gryan Miers kicking three goals.
Miers kicked two second-term goals and fellow novices Jordan Clark, Charlie Constable and Tom Atkins all scored in a dominant opening half by Geelong.
But the Crows rallied, with co-captain Rory Sloane and Brad Crouch leading a third-term revival – when teammate Tom Lynch goaled after the three-quarter time siren, Adelaide trailed by just three points.
The Crows snuck within two when a Rory Atkins shot hit the post early in the final quarter – it was the closest they got.
Geelong’s Gary Rohan and Gary Ablett scored clutch goals before Miers capped his influential game with a third major.
Recruit Rohan added another as Geelong added the Crows to their early-season hit-list also featuring Collingwood and Melbourne.
Dangerfield, who played 154 games for the Crows before leaving at the end of 2015, finished with a dozen inside 50s and 10 clearances.
His fellow onballers Tim Kelly (24 disposals), Constable (24 touches and Sam Menegola (23 possessions) were prominent while Mark Blicavs (22 touches) and Harry Taylor ruled in defence.
Blicavs and Taylor kept Adelaide’s key forwards Josh Jenkins and Taylor Walker to one major apiece and Eddie Betts was goal-less
Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch (35 disposals, one goal) was superb and his brother Matt (27 disposals, one goal) Rory Sloane (26 possessions, one goal) battled gamely.
But only Lynch (two goals, 25 touches) could find forward-line space.
The Crows’ defeat further was soured when Paul Seedsman suffered a serious left leg injury only minutes before the final siren – the winger was stretchered from the field.
© AAP 2019
