Adelaide fell to a polished Carlton outfit at IKON Park on Sunday afternoon.  

The Crows were made to rue a slow start, as the Blues took control of the match and didn’t give up their lead to ultimately come away 7.8 (50) to 3.5 (23) winners. 

Adelaide AFLW Senior Coach Ryan Davis spoke to the media after the match, and delivered five key takeaways. 

Where the match was won and lost 

An inability to stop Carlton’s spread from transition was the key reason behind the Crows’ defeat according to Davis. 

He said his team found itself on the back foot early, and on too many occasions was unable to stop the Blues’s ability to move the ball from one end of the ground to the other. 

“They started very fast, and we were chasing our tail, we did turn the tide in that third quarter and thought we got the game back on our terms, but in the end, they ran away with it.

“I think their ability to spread from the contest and our ability to snap and seal and force them into more of a long down the line game was probably where they got us. 

“So we definitely need to get to work during the week on our ability to find and locate opposition on turnover.” 

Tough day for the Crows’ forward

Adelaide managed to win its fair share of the ball and dictate field positions for large periods of the game, but struggled with its ability to put its hard work on the scoreboard. 

The Crows won the inside-50 count by 12 (41-29), but were unable to make the most of their entries.

Davis said a mix of inexperience ahead of the ball and poor delivery inside-50 were factors behind the problem, and touched on Vice Captain Eloise Jones’ move to defence.

“We were plus 12 for inside-50s in the end, but I think they (the entries) were still a little bit too shallow, and their defensive unit gets back and covers really well, so definitely a hard day for our forwards,” Davis said. 

“We do need to look forward and get some better entries to their advantage, to give them the best look that they can get.”

“Eloise has started the season fantastically down back, but there's certainly things that we spoke about in the box: how do we find the best balance for us to get the best bang for buck (with her game)? 

“We'll continue to work through that as the season goes, and certainly through this week.”

Newman’s career-best day

The skill of Maddi Newman was well and truly on show on Sunday afternoon, as she recorded a career-high 30 disposals in a more prominent role. 

Utilised as the Crows’ main distributor, Newman was relentless throughout the four quarters, as she consistently drove her team forward and impressed with her ability to hit targets. 

She capped off her impressive day with a classy finish in front of the sticks, as Davis lauded her influence on the contest. 

“Her pre-season has been unreal, and through the practice and pre-season games, she's really, really been performing,” Davis said. 

“In the last couple of weeks, she's been unreal, so being able to have such a good ball user going inside 50 is such a bonus, she was able to connect and actually hit the scoreboard. 

“She's been huge for us, and I can’t wait to see her continue to improve.”

Young Crows continue to show positive signs

Adelaide unveiled its fourth AFLW debutant of the season against the Blues, with pre-season recruit Jemmika Douglas showing positive signs in defence. 

Douglas forms part of a young group that includes first round draftee Chloe Bown, Olivia Gorman and Juliet Kelly, as the Crows embark on a new era in their AFLW program. 

Davis said it was exciting to see this group have their moments at the highest level, and was bullish on their scope for improvement. 

“We've got nine new players this season and we’re at our fourth debutant with Jemmika, but the kids are so good,” Davis said. 

“Like with Chloe, Olivia, Juliet and Meeks (Jemmika) rolling through there, there's so much talent to be had and we're very excited for what we've got. 

“They're getting better and better each week, and they've settled into the program extremely well.”

Reinforcements on the way

Adelaide could be bolstered by the return of first choice players Grace Kelly and India Rasheed for its clash against West Coast at Unley Oval next week. 

Kelly has been recovering from a hamstring strain suffered in pre-season and is tracking well according to Davis, while Rasheed is in the midst of a conditioning block and took the field in a scrimmage on Saturday and kicked seven goals. 

“We thought we'd err on the side of caution (with Grace), being Round Two this early in the season, but she's tracking fantastically well,” Davis said. 

“(India) played on the weekend (in a scrimmage) and was able to kick seven goals, so she's building nicely.”

Adelaide will return to Unley Oval for a home clash against West Coast next Saturday afternoon.