ADELAIDE have produced a final-quarter fightback to keep their AFLW defence barely alive with a draw against Greater Western Sydney – who were without the services of Nowra’s Maddy Collier.
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Both teams battled hard in teeming rain at Blacktown, in Sydney’s west, where the Crows trailed for most of the game which finished 2.7 (19) to 2.7 (19).
The Crows are last of the eight teams on percentage behind GWS, with both clubs six points outside the top two with three rounds remaining.
Conditions made it hard to produce flowing passages of play and handle the ball, and especially difficult to take marks.
Much of the action was conducted at ground level, where both teams scrabbled feverishly for possession of the ball in front of 2409 spectators.
Trailing by nine at the last change, Adelaide scored the first 10 points of the final quarter, before GWS notched a behind to square the contest.
Each team scored once in the first quarter, with Rebecca Beeson hitting the target for GWS and returning vice-captain Courtney Cramey replying for Adelaide as the teams went to the break at 7-7.
Lively GWS forward Cora Staunton kicked the only goal of the second quarter from a free-kick, with the Giants leading by eight at the long break.
Scoring became even tougher in a goalless third quarter in which the Giants added two behinds to the Crows one.
Ruth Wallace slashed the gap to two early in the last quarter with a goal from an opportunistic snap followed by a behind, as the Crows dominated the early minutes of the term.
Alicia Eva tallied 22 touches for GWS and Angela Foley 19 for Adelaide, with the Crows Ebony Marinoff laying 19 tackles.
