The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

fir THE SUNDAY ACT: Adelaide 19.11 (125) defeats St Kilda 13.16 (94) 7 EATING CROW gsg. IFy 4 Ain't It grand: The Ctows obsea-e one of the modern gai ne's rituals by crowding the podium and hoisting the premiership cup aloft. By Les Carlyon metres out from goal. His kick went high into the Ponsford Stand. Adelaide was only a point behind.

Then, under a louring sky, Jarman put the Crows in front. A minute into the last quarter, they turned the MCG lights on. Poetic, this. The lights were about to go out for St Kilda. Jarman kicked his five, including a SAINTS alive? Well, they were for a quarter the second.

For about 12 minutes actually. For 12 minutes they stoned the Crows. Big Barry Hall kicked three goals in three minutes. But it was just an interlude, a tease. The Crows? They were alive all day.

were Picture: RAY KENNEDY probably a minority in the crowd of 99,645. But not now. Now they were the only ones with voices. Thunder rolled out of the Great Southern Stand and echoed and rumbled in the concrete chambers and tunnels underneath. This had been more than a footy match.

It was a tale of two cities. Adelaide took revenge for the loss of the Grand Prix and sundry other Victorian And even at 5:30, as the crowds headed for the car park at the station, Melbourne still didn't get it. Adelaide did. Maybe someone over there even remembered Shakespeare's line: "The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark." So now it's over, all energy spent. But just think.

There's only 51 weeks to go to the next one, iii1 splendid left-footer. Adelaide dominated everywhere. Everything seemed to work for them. Now the Saints looked just as they did in the first four minutes of the game nervous, besieged, as though they had on a mission. They came with a thumping pulse and a big heart.

In the second half, they became just like their namesakes. Hard of played this one too many times in their minds. And Malcom Blight, three times bridesmaid eye. Relentless. Without conscience.

And, in the end, cold killers. Thev nicked the. Saints clean. Adelaide's Andrew McLeod won the Norm Smith Medal but Darren i as coach of Geelong, suddenly had his flag. Afterwards, he put his arm around the shoulders of Stan Alves, the St Kilda coach, in what was just about the most touching sight all day.

The Crows sprayed themselves with champagne and the Saints cried, for Nicky Winmar and for everything else that was lost. And the most boisterous sports arena in the Jarman won the game, kicking five goals in the last quarter in a burst so magical it has already become part of grand-final folklqre. The game was even, gritty but not pretliy, until halfway through the third quarter. Tiiis was the turning point. The Crows' Shane Ellen was allowed to mark alone two or three i.ii jiij i iTi' I'll i i.ii i i t.iTi,.-fv.ry-iHj world erupted.

The Crows supporters were.