Adelaide may have wanted a comfortable win over Richmond on Saturday night, but the nine-point victory at Adelaide Oval could ultimately prove more valuable because of the way it was earned.
The Crows were pushed hard, fell 13 points behind in the third quarter and struggled to find fluency as heavy rain turned the contest into a scrappy battle. Yet when the game threatened to slip away, Adelaide produced the moments that good sides need to find when the pressure is at its greatest.
The 9.9 (63) to 7.12 (54) result keeps Adelaide firmly in the fight for a top-four finish. The Crows moved to 56 premiership points and remain fifth, just 0.2 per cent behind Brisbane in fourth, with Melbourne also sitting on 56 points.
The bigger story, however, was the growing influence of Izak Rankine.
Rankine produced arguably the clearest statement of his season, collecting a career-high 37 disposals, winning 12 clearances and kicking a goal. While the conditions made clean football difficult for almost everyone on the ground, Rankine seemed to thrive in the chaos.
His third-quarter goal from 50 metres, launched on the run, was one of the defining moments of the match. It came at a time when Richmond appeared to have control and helped shift the momentum back towards Adelaide.
Jordan Dawson was again influential with 35 disposals and a goal, but Rankine is increasingly giving Adelaide another genuine match-winner around the midfield. Since round 17, he has ranked inside the top five players in Champion Data’s player ratings, alongside some of the competition’s biggest names.
His latest performance only strengthens the feeling that Adelaide could be entering September with Rankine at the peak of his powers.
That could be particularly important given the Crows’ ambitions. Adelaide already possesses Dawson’s leadership and experience, but finals are often decided by players capable of producing something unexpected when a game becomes tight. Rankine’s ability to win the ball and immediately turn defence into attack gives Adelaide precisely that.
Callum Ah Chee also played an important role in the comeback, kicking two goals in the third quarter. His first was a superb 55-metre finish in the driving rain before he added another shortly afterwards to put Adelaide back in front at three-quarter-time.
Taylor Walker then extended the margin early in the final term, but Richmond refused to disappear. Hugo Ralphsmith’s goal brought the Tigers back into contention, and Sam Lalor had an opportunity from close range to put Richmond in front.
When Lalor missed, Adelaide was given another chance to close the door, and Zac Taylor eventually did so with a 50-metre set shot inside the final four minutes.
For Richmond, the result was frustrating because the Tigers had done enough to put themselves in a winning position.
Seth Campbell was a constant threat inside forward 50, finishing with three goals, while Mykelti Lefau continued what has been one of the more encouraging individual stories of Richmond’s season.
Lefau, 28, has had to fight his way back from consecutive ACL ruptures and has emerged as a reliable option in a Richmond forward line still searching for consistency. His two goals were another reminder of the value he has provided during a difficult season.
With Tom Lynch struggling for form and fitness, Lefau’s contribution has become increasingly important. Richmond may finish near the bottom of the ladder, but the emergence of players such as Lefau and Campbell gives Adem Yze some genuine building blocks for the future.
The Tigers’ problem against Adelaide was not effort. It was execution.
Richmond had opportunities to extend its advantage, most notably through Lynch, who missed three gettable chances. Lalor’s late miss was even more costly because it came with the Tigers within striking distance of reclaiming the lead.
Yze was right to point towards execution and discipline after the game. His players showed plenty of spirit and fight, but competitive performances need to eventually turn into victories if Richmond’s rebuild is to accelerate.
Adelaide, meanwhile, leaves Adelaide Oval with something more important than four premiership points.
Reilly O’Brien has given Matthew Nicks another selection headache.
O’Brien has played only once under Nicks this season, with the younger Lachlan McAndrew preferred in the ruck. But against Richmond, the experienced big man worked tirelessly against Toby Nankervis and finished with 11 disposals, six marks and 35 hit-outs.
After dominating regularly in the SANFL, O’Brien has been waiting for another opportunity. He may now have made it difficult for Nicks to overlook him.
“He’s been ready to go for the whole year,” Nicks said.
That could be one of the more significant developments to emerge from an otherwise difficult night of football.
Adelaide will not necessarily want to change a winning structure with finals approaching, but selection pressure is usually a healthy problem for a team heading into September. O’Brien’s experience, physicality and ability at stoppage give Nicks another option when the games become more contested.
The Crows still have work to do if they are to secure a top-four position, but Saturday night’s performance provided another indication that they are capable of surviving the kind of games that finals football often produces.
It was not polished. It was not dominant. It was not comfortable.
But Adelaide found a way.
And with Rankine continuing to rise, O’Brien forcing his way back into the conversation and the Crows remaining within touching distance of the top four, Saturday night’s escape from Richmond may prove to have been more significant than the nine-point margin suggests.