Veteran lifts sizzling Crows despite injury blow; brave Roos fall amid ‘interesting’ move — 3-2-1

Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker wound the clock back to produce an inspirational third term and lead the Crows to a hard-fought 36-point victory over North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

It was a high-pressure, fast-paced contest for the majority of the four quarters with both sides suffering spurts of errors and unable to gain any major ascendency.

A gutsy North Melbourne side would eventually succumb to the Crows’ quick ball movement, the hosts running over the Roos in the latter part of the third term and through the fourth quarter to win 17.12 (114) to 12.6 (78).

FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.

The visitors refused to lay down for much of the game, with stars Tristan Xerri and Harry Sheezel, forward talisman Nick Larkey, swingman Caleb Daniel and budding star Luke Davies-Uniacke all stamping their print on the contest in the third term to cut a four-goal Crows lead to just two kicks.

It was not enough for the improved Kangaroos however, as Adelaide’s usual suspects stood tall.

Rory Laird was enormous in his 250th game, amassing 32 touches off of half-back, Mitch Hinge provided important run and damaging disposal, while Izak Rankine and Jake Soligo were both key through the midfield, but it was champion veteran Walker who took the game by the scruff of the neck.

First, halfway through the third term, Walker showed strength to beat out North Melbourne defenders, collect a ball on the half volley and set-up Keays with a crafty kick to extend the lead back out to 15 points.

Following two big contested ‘get out of jail’ marks, Walker again stepped up with just two minutes remaining in the third term to outmuscle Xerri in a ruck contest and snap a game-breaking major to put the Crows up by four goals, and the floodgates would then open in the fourth quarter.

The young Roos gave their fans a lot to be happy about and matched the Crows in most statistical categories but were second in the contest when it mattered most and outdone in contested possessions 138 to 125.

While Adelaide would be feeling positive with three strong wins to begin the season, the club will be sweating the fitness of livewire small forward Josh Rachele, who was subbed off in the second quarter after receiving a Tristan Xerri knee to his ribs.

THE 3-2-1 (what we learned) via Will Faulkner …

3. CROWS’ UNBEATEN RUN CONTINUES… BUT NORTH SHOW FIGHT

It wasn’t as pretty a win as some pundits had envisioned, but the Crows managed to sneak past a valiant North Melbourne side to keep their unbeaten streak in 2025 alive.

The clash began as one filled with uncontested marks, with only one sole contested mark taken between the two sides after the first break. In that same period, Adelaide took 35 marks in their attempt to keep the game on their terms at all times.

Momentum swung after half time, with the Kangaroos giving the vast majority of Adelaide Oval patrons a scare amid their four-goal third term. But Matthew Nicks’ Crows ultimately palmed off any worries to finish with a nine-goal second half to leave them sitting in second on the ladder after Round 3.

The home side were far from their best throughout the contest, with inaccurate kicking through open play leaving the door ajar for a Shinboner comeback after the main break – despite success in conversion from turnovers.

“It’d be great to sneak in and have a look at some of the assessments that are going on Adelaide Crows rooms, because they’re in control, but they’re having periods where they’re allowing North Melbourne to have a bit of momentum,” Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson told Fox Footy at half time.

In the second quarter, Adelaide has eight forward-half intercepts to North Melbourne’s two, kicking 4.1 (25) off turnover to the Roos’ 2.1 (13).

Adelaide are just one of four teams left undefeated so far this season, with Hawthorn (four wins), Brisbane (three) and Gold Coast (two) also yet to drop a game.

Nick Larkey proved himself the Kangaroos’ sharpest shooter for the afternoon, kicking four goals from set shot to lead the Coleman Medallist after four rounds of football. At the other end of the ground, six of Adelaide’s eight goalkickers converted multiple times in an evenly spread performance.

The young Roos gave their fans a lot to be happy about and matched the Crows in most statistical categories but were second in the contest when it mattered most and outdone in contested possessions 138 to 125.

2. ROOS’ ‘INTERESTING’ MOVE THAT ALLOWED VETERAN OFF CHAIN

Alastair Clarkson and his coaching staff went into Sunday afternoon’s clash prepared to take a risk of sorts against Adelaide’s three-headed monster – and it paid off, somewhat.

While Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty and Riley Thilthorpe still kicked nine goals between them in the 36-point win, the Kangaroos key defenders made life hard for the trio who are usually dominant in the air.

After a monster third quarter intercept marking last week against Melbourne, Clarkson chose to let Charlie Comben roam free again.

“This is interesting … (Comben) is not standing on any of the big men, and he’s probably their biggest defender,” Ricciuto said on the Fox Footy broadcast in the second quarter.

“They’re trying to get (Luke) McDonald onto (Darcy) Fogarty, we’ve got (Toby) Pink on (Taylor) Walker, and (Aidan) Corr on (Riley) Thilthorpe, (meaning) Comben is the one trying to do some intercepting here.”

Dal Santo added some context, noting: “He got a little bit exposed in Round 1, Comben, one on one, and then last week they tried to free him up to be that intercept defender, rather than just a one-on-one defender.”

McDonald and Corr had patches throughout where they were able to nullify their respective opponents, in what would have been a daunting matchup heading into the encounter.

“He’s had a good game, McDonald, he’s really worked hard,” Healy said of the former club captain on the cusp of full time.

But as Thilthorpe and Fogarty hung lower than they have in the opening two rounds, 34-year-old Walker once again reminded the competition he’s still more than capable of breaking the game wide open.

Finishing with 4.3 in front of the big sticks, Walker, in his 18th season as an AFL player, unsurprisingly led the match for score involvements – also contributing with four inside 50s and two contested marks.

“He’s been immense today; he could’ve actually kicked another couple, but he’s had big influence,” Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy told Fox Footy after Walker’s third goal.

While ultimately Adelaide’s talls still hit the scoreboard, the output from North’s defenders was about as well as they could have hoped for given their stocks.

Emerging utility Daniel Curtin – who stands at 197cm tall – also made the most of his time inside forward 50 for two goals of his own.

1. CROW COPS ‘REALLY BAD’ KNOCK FROM GINGER ROO

Having maintained a fully fit list throughout pre-season, the Crows were dealt their first in-game injury of 2025 at the expense of Josh Rachele.

The 21-year-old was kneed by opposition ruck Tristan in the back amid a marking contest during the first quarter, leaving the livewire clutching his ribs.

So hard was the knock, that play stopped for over a minute as Rachele received attention before very slowly walking off the ground, a trainer either side of him.

As Crows legend Mark Ricciuto told Fox Footy at quarter time, Rachele attempted to return briefly before being taken out of the game for good.

“We saw Josh Rachele cop a really bad knock in his back or ribcage area as well … this is a really hard hit, and he was in pain,” Ricciuto said.

“This is a really hard hit, and he was in pain.”

Ironically, Xerri himself took a while to warm into the Sunday afternoon clash as a hamstring concern saw him undergo close medical attention during the first half of the opening term.

“He came off, he came back on, and I saw him grab it a couple of times afterwards … usually that means you’ve had a little nibble there, or hamstring awareness,” Ricciuto said.

“He had a big influence in that (first quarter), North Melbourne got back into it.

Xerri ended the match seemingly injury-free, engaging in a game-long battle with Reilly O’Brien to finish with 17 disposals 28 hitouts and six clearances.

Re-live Crows-Roos in our blog below!