ADELAIDE survived the scare of a lifetime when it overcame a dogged Gold Coast outfit to win by 16 points at People First Stadium on Sunday. The Crows trailed by 15 points at three quarter time having kicked just one major to that point against the young Suns, before flexing their muscles in the last term.

The experienced Crows piled on six goals to one to storm to victory on the road and breathe a collective sigh of relief and move up into fourth spot on the ladder. The Crows took advantage of losses to Sydney and Carlton to secure a place in the double chance range for the first time in season 2025, and it took an “impressive” last quarter effort to do it.

“It was a very impressive last quarter and obviously we were in a bit of a hole,” Crows coach Matthew Clarke said post-game. “I thought the first five or six minutes of the game we played really, really well, but then probably for the best part of three quarters Gold Coast controlled the game. “For the group to stay composed and then obviously find that energy and effort in the last quarter was really impressive.”

If there was any doubting Adelaide’s ability to flick the switch, then it was snuffed out in the final term as the Crows booted five of their six final quarter goals from turnovers and ran at 75 per cent in their forward half. A total of 43-15 was scored from turnovers in the match, while the Suns were able to take control around the stoppages.

Despite the Crows’ experience on-ball, Gold Coast racked up five more clearances (24-19) with the bulk of the differential being around the ground with a plus-eight (18-10) advantage. Clarke said the midfield owed the defenders for holding up in some key instances.

“Centre bounce was alright, but mid-arc stoppage they certainly were getting the better of that, and therefore fortunately our defenders held up really well in that moment,” he said. “I thought across the whole game they held up really well, but then in the last quarter, the ability to get a little bit of drive off half-back was important as well.”

Gold Coast coach Rhyce Shaw was on the receiving end of the result, with his young side performing so well for the majority of the game, but being unable to “finish off” in the last stanza. Though as first he used the word “disappointed” because of the initial result, Shaw quickly changed mid-thought given how well the Suns had played for the most part.

“I think the word’s probably ‘frustrating’, not disappointed,” Shaw said. “We know that we’re capable, and we’ve got a really good group who are really committed to what we want to achieve and we did that so very well for three quarters, and then a quality side showed up in the last quarter and did a pretty good job and we just couldn’t maintain it for that last bit.”

Adelaide has a massive home game at Unley Oval this weekend when the Crows take on fifth placed Sydney, while Gold Coast steps up to the plate against premiership contenders Melbourne down at Casey Fields tomorrow.