Joel Amartey bagged a career-best nine goals to help Sydney complete a comeback win over Adelaide to run away 42-point victors, 16.13 (109) to 10.7 (67).
Adelaide led by as much as 23 points late in the second term before the Swans, Amartey in particular, flipped the script, with the gun forward kicking eight goals in the second and third quarters alone.
It continued the ominous Swans’ hot form in 2024, improving to 12-1 on the season in a scary run from John Longmire’s side. Adelaide meanwhile fell to 4-1-9.
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ADELAIDE v SYDNEY – LIVE UPDATES
There were no late changes, with Sam Berry (Adelaide) and Matt Roberts (Sydney) named the starting subs.
Will Hayward missed an opportunity to goal in the first 30 seconds before nearly taking a huge hanger — kneeing the returning Nick Murray’s head in the process.
Adelaide got off to a hot start, with Darcy Fogarty kicking the opening goal followed by Josh Rachele after a brave mark.
“Outstanding start for the Crows,” Channel 7 caller Jude Bolton noted.
Taylor Adams finally kicked Sydney’s opening major, but the red-hot Crows responded with great finishes from Lachie Sholl and Jordan Dawson in an ideal start for the home side.
Chad Warner kicked an important goal to get Sydney within 11 points before instantly giving away a free kick in an unusual sequence, but Adelaide couldn’t capitalise at the other end.
Adelaide led 4.2 (26) to 2.3 (15) at the first break.
Joel Amartey kicked the important first goal of the term for Sydney to bring it back to a 12-point game.
The Crows went into their shell from there and weren’t playing with the same freedom as in the opening term.
That was until Izak Rankine stepped up with a goal out of nothing from a boundary throw in as the Adelaide Oval crowd went off to regain some much-needed breathing space for the home side.
Within the blink of an eye, it was game on again after Joel Amartey kicked two goals in 30 seconds late in the second term to reduce Adelaide’s lead to 10 points.
Amartey wasn’t done there, kicking his best goal yet — a freakish snap around his body — his fourth major of the term to get the Swans within three points.
It meant Adelaide, who led by as much as 23 points in the period, took just a four-point advantage into half-time, 7.4 (46) to 6.6 (42).
It was an arm wrestle to start the third term, with neither side giving an inch.
Fogarty eventually took a big mark inside 50 and kicked his second goal of the night before Jake Soligo followed with another to push Adelaide’s lead back out to 16 points.
Amartey continued his hot form though, kicking three more goals in the third term — to make it an outright career-best seven — to give the Swans the lead.
Taylor Adams drew a free kick in front of goal after getting shoved by Mitch Hinge and kicked truly to continue Sydney’s run.
Amartey added a fourth goal — his eighth for the match — to give Sydney a 21-point lead at the final change, 12.9 81) to 9.6 (60).
The rest of the Swans joined in the party in the fourth quarter with goals to Isaac Heeney and Tom Papley to open up a 34-point lead.
Amartey further added to his tally though with a ninth goal after Hayward pinpointed a pass to him.
The gun forward bizarrely spent the last few minutes on the bench as Sydney cruised to a comprehensive victory.
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