South Australian side on the rise again as St Kilda continue to falter.
A stunning third term scoring bust by the Adelaide Crows has propelled them to an important 40-point victory against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium.
The Crows kicked 5.4 after half-time to extended their advantage at the long break to 29 going into the final term as the went on to win and give themselves a 4-4 record this year.
Crows forwards Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch both kicked two goals, while Saints Stephen Milne and Ahmed Saad also booted two in a defensive battle which Adelaide broke open with five goals to two in the third term.
Adelaide midfielders Rory Sloane, Richard Douglas and Scott Thompson were influential while defensive duo Daniel Talia and Ben Rutten kept St Kilda star Nick Riewoldt (one goal) in check.
The Saints, who cruelled their chances with errant kicking at goal, were well served by floating backman Dylan Roberton and industrious on-ballers Leigh Montagna and Nick Dal Santo.
But the visitors sprayed a series of set shots at goal and were made to pay by a more efficient Adelaide, who led 4.8 to 3.5 after a dour opening half.
Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson said his side is starting to play in a rhythm which bode well for their tough schedule ahead.
“Three weeks in a row, I’ve been happy with our output, we’ve been more consistent,” Sanderson said.
“The Saints are a frustrating side to attack through. After half-time we lowered our vision and took the game on a bit better.
“We’re getting fantastic output from our younger players, and players are starting to get back in form.
“North Melbourne (next week) are playing better footy than 3-5, so it’ll be a cracking game against a quality opponent.
“We’ve got four more games before the bye. This period will really shape our season so we have to continue the good form we have hit.”
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