Adelaide’s SANFL side fell short in its clash against reigning premier Glenelg by 28 points at Glenelg Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Only percentage separated the two sides before the match - with Glenelg sitting in second place and the Crows in third.

But it was Glenelg who controlled the momentum for longer periods, to prevail 17.9 (111) to 13.5 (83).

Here are the five key takeaways from the match.

Borlase delivers one-on-one 

Defender James Borlase was given the task of locking down Glenelg forward and three-time Ken Farmer Medallist Liam McBean.

Despite giving up 10cm in height, Borlase limited McBean’s opportunities inside-50 when one-on-one.

SANFL Senior Coach Matt Wright was impressed with how he held his own.

“(In) the genuine one-on-one’s where he could impact, I thought he was good,” he said.

“We know the quality of their forward line and we exposed our backs a bit which was due to Glenelg’s pressure.”

Borlase finished with 20 disposals, nine marks and seven rebound 50s.

Strachan impacts in front of goal

Ruckman/forward Kieran Strachan continued his strong form impacting both inside-50 and around the ground.

Splitting his time between ruck and forward, Strachan proved to be a threat in front of goal, booting Adelaide’s first two majors of the game - making it eight goals from his past three matches.

“He’s one that continues to build and it’s good that he is hitting the scoreboard because that is a part of it as well,” Wright said.

“But his contest stuff, his ability to compete ahead of the ball and get the ball to ground. There aren’t too many intercept marks being taken when he’s in the contest.”

Strachan amassed 14 disposals, four marks, 14 hit-outs and three rebound-50s.

Determined Pedlar

Forward/midfielder Luke Pedlar showed his tenacity in the contest, bursting from stoppage to win the several clearances.

Pedlar's hunt for the ball and determination to win every contest was on display, as he willed the Crows into attack.

“He’s a competitor and he’s got some attributes with that speed and power which we saw last week and we saw it again today,” Wright said.

“His balance between impacting around the stoppage and then ahead of the ball is in a really good place at the moment.”

Pedlar finished with 19 disposals, six tackles, seven clearances, four inside 50s and one major.

Sholl shines

Winger Lachlan Sholl provided Adelaide with class and outside run.

Sholl managed to get himself into the right positions to provide an option for his teammates.

“His game is in a really good space, his contest work has gone to another level in the past month," Wright said.

“His ability to find those uncontested marks for us, which is something we didn’t have a lot of today, is really important.”

Sholl claimed 24 disposals, took 10 marks, made three tackles and recorded seven inside 50s.

Murphy leaves mark

Forward Lachlan Murphy spent the first quarter up forward where he looked dangerous, before being sent into the midfield, where he was equally influential.

Murphy worked hard to provide the Crows with a spark and was strong in the contests.

“We tried to get him around the footy as much as we can, but we also want to get him ahead of the ball because I thought in that first half he was quite dangerous there,” Wright said.

“He is a leader, he knows the level, he plays it well and he is one that found the footy when we put him around it.”

Murphy finished with a game-high 27 disposals, five clearances and three inside 50s. 

Adelaide’s SANFL side will regroup as it looks towards a Round 14 clash against West Adelaide at Richmond Oval next Saturday, with the first bounce at 2:30pm.

SCOREBOARD

ADELAIDE: 2.3  6.3  9.3  13.5  (83)

GLENELG: 4.5  8.6  14.7  17.9  (111)

GOALS

Adelaide: Burgess 3, Drury, Strachan 2, O’Leary, Nankervis, Pedlar, Dowling, Atkinson, Sholl

Glenelg: Hosie 4, McBean 3, Allen, Chandler, Stagg, Bailey 2, Lyons, Reynolds

Best:

Strachan, Murphy, Pedlar, Bond, Borlase