Crows fourth after 76-67 win over Dogs

Adelaide rode the luck of the draw and the umpires to scramble into fourth spot on the AFL table by beating the Western Bulldogs at a sodden AAMI Stadium.
The Crows trailed for most of the first three quarters but drew level with the Dogs
at the last change and kicked fortunately clear in the last to win by nine points,
10.16 (76) to 9.13 (67).
Adelaide can only be tipped out of fourth spot if St Kilda beat Essendon by enough
to close a five-point percentage deficit.
The all-important first goal of the last term was awarded to winged forward Jason
Porplyzia after a goalmouth scramble, but replays showed it clearly travelled
through from the fist of Jason Akermanis.
Nathan van Berlo (two goals) was outstanding for Adelaide after a quiet day last
week against St Kilda, and he received plenty of help from the likes of Michael
Doughty, Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards (three goals).
Edwards' duel with Akermanis was one of the most engrossing aspects of the match,
while Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Cross and Lindsay Gilbee were also prominent for the
visitors.
A wave of pre-match optimism swept the stadium with the news that Port Adelaide had
done a quite unreasonably generous favour for the Crows by beating North Melbourne
and so opening up fourth spot.
Adelaide were given added impetus by the late withdrawal of former Crows ruckman Ben
Hudson from the Bulldogs 22, his place taken by Wayde Skipper.
A pea soup of a day at West Lakes made precision football difficult, but the
Bulldogs' extra touch of cleanness was rewarded with a narrow halftime break.
For periods of the second Adelaide laid siege to the Dogs' defensive 50m zone, but a
series of shoddy kicks prevented them from making the inroads their territorial
advantage demanded - a failing epitomised when Nick Gill's mark of the week
contender was spoiled by a behind.
The rain eased in the third and there was even a spot of sunshine, but the game
remained a slog as Adelaide scrapped to draw level.
Edwards' two goals evened matters up a tad in his engrossing battle with Akermanis.
Never far from the headlines, Akermanis was to again be the centre of attention when
Porplyzia was credited with the pivotal first goal of the last term when the ball
had in fact gone through off Akermanis' wrist.
Goal umpire Darren Trengove appeared to overrule the opinions of the boundary
umpires before signalling six points.
Kurt Tippett's strong mark and goal gave Adelaide a 14-point gap, but a reply from
ex-Crow Scott Welsh and then Ryan Griffen's uncanny long range torpedo - after
noting the goal square was unguarded - set up a frantic conclusion.
A behind cut the margin back to a point, before Edwards' soccered finish, this time
correctly judged a goal, settled the affair.