Adelaide finally claimed the big scalp it needed to quiet criticism about its stop-start season with Thursday night’s one-point thriller against Geelong in a game Jordan Dawson starred.
But Matthew Nicks knew his side was good all along.
The injury-hit Crows held on for a gutsy one-point win against the Cats at Adelaide Oval to halt a run of six losses against Chris Scott’s side.
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It was their third one-point win of a season that has also featured four frustrating losses of nine points or less against quality opponents that cast doubt on Adelaide’s finals credentials.
“We’re all going to want to talk results, and it’s obviously nice to finish on this side,” Nicks told reporters after the match.
“We’ve played so many games against them that have been tight, so to get a (win) is really pleasing.
“Geelong has been such a great side for so long, I think it’s 2021 the last time we beat them, but for me, it’s more about the way we did it, the way we got it done.
“Deep down I just know how good we are, and it’s hard sometimes to sort of walk in here and talk to that, but I will today.
“The boys executed under immense pressure, and I’m incredibly proud of the way they went about it, and they deserved the result.”
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Dawson was the driving force of the impressive performance and shrugged off a bruising blow to a hip in the third quarter to play a vital role late in the victory that moved Adelaide to a 7-5 record.
“He’s a warrior, he’s not the only one, but incredibly he just kept going,” Nicks said.
“We had a brief chat, it might have been three quarter time, about how he might be best forward, and he said, ‘Give me five minutes (on the ball)’ and he did an unbelievable job.
“It was quite a collision, but probably one that doesn’t surprise me, it doesn’t surprise us, that’s why he’s our captain.
“Our group has worked on that scenario so often that they were just so well drilled at the end, and that’s the pride piece that comes in because you watch them get it done.
“I think we’ll take a hell of a lot of belief from this because of the way we went about it.”
Dawson finished with 22 disposals, three goals and nine tackles to continue his brilliant season as the sixth-highest rated player in the AFL.
The Crows skipper was seen in an emotional state as he walked off Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, having bravely battled recent tragic family circumstances with the death of his brother.
An emotional Jordan Dawson post-match.Source: FOX SPORTS
“It’s one of the more remarkable individual seasons what he’s done in every game he’s played this year, but the emotional toll that he is carrying,” Saints great Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy post-match.
“To still come out and perform and lead his team the way that he has … it has been incredible.
“Amazing that so many people have done their All-Australian mid-year teams and not many had Jordan Dawson in it. He’s an absolute lock.
“His leadership was on display tonight with his courage. Even some moments might not have been captured – when Geelong had the set play from a kick in and they opened it up to (Mark) Blicavs, he was the one who came forward to get the fist in.”
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Kangaroos legend David King declared it was “as good a game as you’ll see” from Dawson.
“You look at this season – five times he’s been in the top four rated players on the ground and the other three prior to tonight he’d been six or seventh. He’s been amongst the best every week,” King said.
“Tonight, when you had to have it, he was huge. He stepped up when it was required.”
The win came at a cost with Callum Ah Chee (hamstring) and Jordon Butts (calf) unable to play out the game.
Ah Chee played an instrumental role, shutting down Geelong playmaker Tom Stewart, but faces another stint on the sidelines after suffering his fourth hamstring injury since switching from Brisbane.
“It was a really important job, and we said, ‘Guys, just trust that Cal’s going to get it done, he’ll be where he needs to be at the right times’,” Nicks said.
“It wasn’t a full tag, it was just enough respect and attention because of how good Stewart is.
“So, we’ll miss that, hopefully not for too many weeks, hopefully it’s a minor injury.
“It’s really tough for him because the first thing he says about it is that he doesn’t want to let the group down, that’s the sort of person he is.
“We’re really confident we’ll get that right, and he’s going to be super important for us in the latter part of this year.”