Adelaide blew Round 10 wide open on Sunday afternoon at Adelaide Oval. The Crows piled on 20.13 (133) to North Melbourne's 9.11 (65) for a 68-point win, kicked 11 goals in the second quarter to lead by 66 at half-time, and ran out of one of the more lopsided Sunday matinees of the season. Adelaide are now 6-4 and back in the finals conversation. North slip to 4-6 and have the GWS Giants in Sydney next round with their season slipping out of their hands. The Crows did this without All-Australian forward Riley Thilthorpe, who pulled out on Saturday with the back complaint that has dogged him since the Showdown win, and without Taylor Walker, who remains sidelined.
The Second Quarter That Decided It
Adelaide kicked 4.2 in the first quarter to North's 3.4, then 10.4 to 0.2 in the second, the kind of game-decider that does not happen often at AFL level. Eleven goals to none. The score read 14.6 (90) to 3.6 (24) at the long break. Darcy Fogarty returned to the side after his hamstring layoff and kicked early. Jordan Butts was named for ruck-forward duty and added another. Nick Murray came in for Thilthorpe and held a marking presence. Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele combined through the centre with the Crows midfield, led by Jordan Dawson and Rory Laird, winning clearances comfortably. The third quarter went 4.5 to 2.2 in Adelaide's favour. The fourth was an exhibition with the result already booked, North getting two consolation goals through the late stretches and one bright cameo from defender Aidan Corr.
The Eight Looks Different on Sunday Night
Adelaide are level on wins with Carlton, Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and GWS Giants, all at four wins or six wins, but the Crows now have the percentage to climb. The Showdown 59 win seven days earlier was the Adelaide-Port game that started the engine. Sunday's result against an opponent that came in 4-5 has put the Crows on the cusp of the eight by percentage with eight rounds remaining. North have a soft draw stretch (West Coast, Hawthorn, Richmond) in coming weeks that they will need to make count. The Kangaroos travel to Sydney to face GWS at Engie Stadium in Round 11 with the season's mid-point arriving. Adelaide head to Marvel Stadium next Saturday afternoon to face St Kilda, both 5-5 and 6-4 respectively, in a finals-relevant clash.
Where the Markets Land
Adelaide opened around $1.38 head-to-head on Saturday's markets and the line had drifted to -9.5 after the Thilthorpe and Walker confirmations. The result cleared by 58 points. Top-eight markets shorten on Adelaide, with our reviewed bookmakers dabble, Ladbrokes and bet365 all moving them in toward $1.80 to play in September. Wooden spoon markets continue to trade Richmond and West Coast as the only realistic two-way race, with North Melbourne drifting back out after the Saints' win on Sunday. Rankine Brownlow markets shorten, the Crows midfielder now putting up the kind of touch-and-disposal lines that consistently feature on the Sunday vote sheet. Dawson, Adelaide's captain, racked up his usual 30-plus disposals and the leadership markets for All-Australian co-captain candidacy have firmed too. AFL Round 10 full scoreboard and ladder via AFL.com.au.