Adelaide returned to the winners’ list with a comprehensive 32-point victory against Richmond at IKON Park on Saturday night. 

The Crows were in control for the vast majority of the contest, as they overwhelmed the Tigers with their class and pressure to come away with an important 9.8 (62) to 4.6 (30) victory. 

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

A complete team performance

Adelaide bounced back strongly from the disappointment of last week’s Showdown, as it tidied up a number of key parts of its game. 

Davis said he was proud of how his group responded to its shortcomings and played together as a unit. 

“I thought it was a well-rounded performance, we played the right way from the start,” Davis said.

“We really asked them for contest and physicality, and then some of that mid-forward connection that wasn't quite working for us last week.

“I think we really addressed it this week and were able to hit the scoreboard, it was a really good win across the park and we had a lot of good contributors, which was really pleasing.”

Marinoff the maestro

Adelaide Skipper Ebony Marinoff showed her class with a prolific 39-disposal performance through the midfield. 

The four-time Club Champion was a presence throughout the match, working hard defensively to finish with 13 tackles and pushing forward to hit the scoreboard with a major. 

Davis spoke glowingly of both his Captain and how she was supported throughout the night.

“I didn't realise she had 39 (disposals), I just had a look at the stat sheet afterwards, but she was superb and supported really well through there,” Davis said. 

“I think with Sarah (Goodwin), Grace (Egan) and Teah (Charlton) rolling through there, with some really good numbers, we had a great mix around the ball tonight. 

“It wasn't just left to one; we had a really good spread of contributors.”

Improvement ahead of the ball 

Adelaide showed great improvement in its ability to score against the Tigers on Saturday night, with its connection going inside-50 a highlight of its comprehensive victory. 

Davis was full of praise for his forward mix, and how they were able to consistently impact the game and most importantly, hit the scoreboard. 

“It's fantastic to see how the girls went tonight, the game really is now a transition game, and how often you can keep the ball in your front half,” Davis said.

“For our forwards to stay engaged with the contest, get back to the feet of the talls, and be able to put that relentless pressure on was really good, and ended up getting us the result that we're after. 

“Richmond were, I think, the best in the competition for actually keeping the football off the opposition, so that was a big thing for us to be able to get after and force those turnovers.”

Midfield dominance 

Adelaide was clinical in its efforts around the contest, as its midfielders were able to consistently get their hands on the ball and get it moving forward. 

The Crows won the inside-50 count by 20 (43-23) and contested possession by 23 (136-113), which allowed them to play on their terms for the majority of the night.

“Richmond was the number one scoring team out of center bounce, so it was a real area of the ground that we had to address,” Davis said. 

“I thought our midfield group, led by Noffy (Ebony Marinoff), was fantastic and got the ball going our way, and we were able to play the game in our front half for the majority of the night.”

Defenders stand tall 

Adelaide showcased its class and experience behind the ball, as it only conceded four goals on the night. 

Led by experienced duo Chelsea Biddell and Sarah Allan, the Crows were constantly able to stifle the Tigers in attack, and generate a lot of attacking flair from the back half.

“I thought our shape, our shifting, and our sliding defensively was really strong,” Davis said.

“Chelsea Biddell, she's having an outstanding season, along with Sarah (Allan), and they did some really big jobs down there. 

“I thought our debutant Ava Stewart really had some great moments as well. Some big contests, and she had a great first game.”

Adelaide will now turn its attention to its home match against Gold Coast at Unley Oval next Saturday at 12.35pm.

Tickets available here.