After recording the Club’s second win of the season, Adelaide sits third on the AFL ladder.

Adelaide’s 49-point win was its eighth straight against St Kilda, equalling the Club’s second-longest streak of wins against a team. The Crows’ longest stretch of wins against an opponent is a current streak of 10 against Gold Coast.

The Crows rank third for points scored (309) behind Melbourne (317) and Greater Western Sydney (315). Adelaide has conceded the fifth-fewest points (236) of any team.

Adelaide ranks No.1 for time in front (70 per cent) in games so far this season.

The Crows have won all of their third quarters this season, outscoring their direct opponents by 65 points in third terms in the opening three rounds.

Adelaide scored 74 points from turnovers against St Kilda on Saturday night. Only Richmond scored more points (80) from turnovers on the weekend.

Once again, Rory Laird was his team’s prime interceptor. Laird finished with a game-high nine intercept possessions and ranks second in the AFL in this statistic (31) behind only fellow All-Australian Alex Rance (35) of Richmond this season. Crows full-back Daniel Talia is equal-sixth overall with 25.

For the third straight game, Laird amassed 30 or more disposals. He collected 32 touches at 81 per cent efficiency against the Saints to be Adelaide’s leading ball winner. The creative backman also had a team-high six rebound 50ms, six tackles and seven marks at Etihad Stadium.

Laird has chalked up 114 disposals in the opening three games – ranked second in the competition behind prolific Hawthorn onballer Tom Mitchell (136).

Wingman Paul Seedsman also continued his strong start to the season. Seedsman gained 710 metres with his 26 disposals on Saturday night – ranked No.1 for the round. He’s second behind Mitchell (2,018m) for metres gained after three rounds with 1,994. Laird is fifth overall with 1,704 metres gained while teammate Bryce Gibbs is 10th (1,539m).

Seedsman recorded an equal-team high eight marks and eight inside 50ms against St Kilda. He won four clearances, kicked two goals and had a League-high 11 long kicks.

Gibbs applied 10 tackles on Saturday night – four more than the next-best player. The Carlton recruit, who finished with 26 disposals, was also the leading clearance winner on the ground (eight).  

He also snapped a goal to keep his streak of kicking a goal in every game as a Crow intact.

Adelaide had eight individual goalkickers against the Saints: Eddie Betts and Taylor Walker (three apiece), Mitch McGovern, Seedsman and Rory Atkins (two) and Richard Douglas, Gibbs and Josh Jenkins (all one).

In his return from suspension, Douglas kicked his 150th career goal and assisted in two other Crows goals. Douglas notched up 22 disposals at 82 per cent efficiency, and had an equal-game high 12 contested possessions.

Ruckman Sam Jacobs also had 12 contested possessions and collected 20 disposals for the second-consecutive week. Jacobs was involved in more scores (10) than any other player on the ground and took a team-high three contested marks to go with 37 hit-outs.

Small forward Lachlan Murphy had a game-high 64 pressure points.

After not taking a single bounce in his first 34 AFL games, defender Jake Kelly has bounced the ball four times in the opening three matches of the season.

Kelly, who finished with 19 disposals, was one of two Crows to operate at 100 per cent efficiency in Round Three. Tom Doedee (15 disposals) also had a perfect record for the second straight week.

Fellow defender Luke Brown was at his reliable best against St Kilda’s dangerous small forwards. Brown didn’t concede a goal to his direct opponents and was just one disposal-shy (26) of equalling his career-high. He also generated an equal-team high six rebound 50ms and took six marks.

All Australian backman Talia effected nine spoils – ranked equal-fourth in the AFL for the round.

Line-breakers Atkins (22 disposals) and David Mackay (21 disposals) were also efficient with ball in hand, operating at an elite 86 per cent efficiency.

Match statistics
Disposals
Adelaide – 397
St Kilda – 377

Disposal efficiency
Adelaide – 79%
St Kilda – 74%

Kicks
Adelaide –236
St Kilda – 220

Handballs
Adelaide – 161
St Kilda – 157

Clearances
Adelaide – 34
St Kilda – 31

Inside 50ms
Adelaide – 51
St Kilda – 54

Contested possessions
Adelaide – 134
St Kilda – 135

Uncontested possessions
Adelaide – 255
St Kilda – 257

Tackles
Adelaide – 79
St Kilda – 51

Hit-outs
Adelaide – 42
St Kilda – 22