Adelaide kept their flagging finals hopes alive, while the Eagles’ grip on top spot loosened slightly, after the Crows defeated West Coast by four points at Football Park.

Peter Matera had a chance to win the game with only seconds remaining in the game, but his running shot from deep in the pocket missed narrowly, resulting in the Eagles’ fourth defeat of the season.

For the second time in five weeks, a third-gamer proved to be the Eagles undoing. Matthew Kluzek gave Chris Waterman the run-around after coming onto the ground during the second quarter when Nigel Smart limped off with a hamstring strain. The small forward booted five of the Crows 12 goals and proved a constant threat as part of a pacy Adelaide forward line.

The loss saw Carlton join West Coast at the top of the ladder after the Blues beat Collingwood in a blockbuster clash at the MCG. Carlton’s 43 point win saw them jump up to 12 wins from 16 games, level with West Coast, although the Eagles remained top on percentage. 

North Melbourne climbed back up to third when they easily accounted for St Kilda, passing the Hawks who fell to Melbourne. Like Adelaide, the Demons were able to stay in finals contention with the 38 point victory, while Footscray moved back into the top eight – at the expense of Geelong – with a 28 point win over the Cats.

Richmond climbed up to fifth on the ladder, on the back of their sixth straight win, when they defeated the Bears at the GABBA and Essendon moved to sixth on the ladder after they thrashed Fitzroy. The Magpies dropped from fourth to seventh after their loss to Carlton.

Leading into the game, the Eagles were almost unbackable favourites with the two clubs tracking different paths in 1994. While West Coast had sat at the top of the table for much of the year, the Crows had fallen well short of expectation after their preliminary final appearance in 1993.

West Coast made just one change, with Brett Spinks coming back into the line-up after being a late withdrawal the week before. Tony Godden was the player to make way. The Crows though made three changes in response to the ten goal thumping from Carlton the week before.

Andrew Jarman was ruled out with a groin injury, while Rodney Maynard and Martin McKinnon were dropped. However, McKinnon would get a reprieve before the first bounce when Simon Tregenza was ruled out with illness. Wayne Weidemann, Nick Pesch and Jonathan Ross were all brought into the Adelaide line-up.

The Eagles would have their own pre-match drama when Guy McKenna undertook a fitness test ahead of the game, after injuring an ankle at training the day before. The half-back flanker passed and was able to take his place.

The Crows got the early running with the opening two goals in the game, but things started to go awry for the home side.

Jonathan Ross dislocated a kneecap inside the first 30 seconds of the game, with West Coast taking charge of the game, mostly through the efforts of Don Pyke. The midfielder tallied 10 possessions (including a goal) and had strong support from Peter Wilson and Guy McKenna.

The Eagles finished with the final four goals of the quarter to take a 12 point lead into the first break. Tony Modra got the Crows on the board early in the second term, but Peter Sumich quickly responded. Adelaide’s injuries woes only worsened when Nigel Smart was forced out of the game, leaving the Crows with just one player left on the bench halfway through the second term.

With the Eagles holding sway, Adelaide coach Graham Cornes swung the board around and the momentum of the game changed. Chris McDermott was moved to the uncustomary role of half-back while Mark Bickley was moved into the middle onto Pyke.

Tony McGuinness broke free of the tag from Drew Banfield to provide some drive out of the middle, while Kluzek similarly got free to boot two second quarter goals. Adelaide stole a one point lead at the main break and then continued on in the third term on the back of Shaun Rehn’s dominance in the ruck.

Rehn completely outpointed Ryan Turnbull and Jason Ball in the ruck and around the ground as the Eagles struggled to win the ball at the stoppages. With Dean Kemp well held by Wayne Weidemann and Pyke and Mainwaring both having little impact after strong starts, the Eagles forward line were getting no supply.

Matt Kluzek booted a further two goals for the term as Adelaide kicked four goals to two to stretch out their lead to 11 points.

With much of his side ineffective, it was Mick Malthouse’s turn to throw the magnets around. Glen Jakovich went forward, with Ashley McIntosh moved onto Modra after Michael Brennan went off injured. Guy McKenna went to a half forward flank and Peter Matera went into the centre with Malthouse sending Kemp to McGuinness in an attempt to break the Weidemann tag.

When Kluzek slotted his fifth goal at the five minute mark of the final term, Adelaide led by four goals and the game seemed done.

The Eagles, though, roared back into the contest after Jakovich kicked a long bomb. Brett Heady and Tony Evans followed with goals and the Eagles had dragged themselves back within a goal of the home side.

But as West Coast sought a winner, they could find only behinds. Guy McKenna, David Hart and Peter Sumich all missed shots on goal, before Matera’s final chance seconds before the final siren sounded for an Adelaide win.

A relieved Cornes hailed his side’s victory in the face of a growing injury list. Cornes had been under immense pressure in recent weeks, with speculation he was likely to be out of a job if Adelaide failed to make finals, but for the moment the Crows coach was happy to just to get some self-belief back at the club.

“Coaching the Crows is like riding a roller coaster when we win the crowd go overboard and when we lose they can be very unforgiving. The emotional highs and lows are unbelievable,” Cornes said.

The Crows had been well served by veterans Chris McDermott and Tony McGuinness who finished with 33 and 32 disposals respectively, while younger midfidlers Mark Bickley and Mark Riccuito were also influential.

Riccuito chimed in with two goals, along with Modra and Anthony Ingerson as multiple goalscorers behind Kluzek. Shaun Rehn was a clear best on ground with 21 disposals, 10 marks and 31 hit-outs.

David Hart finished as the leading ballwinner for West Coast with 25, while Pyke, Mainwaring and Wilson all tallied 21. Peter Sumich and Brett Heady each booted three goals, but West Coast lacked any genuine winners up forward.

A circumspect Malthouse admitted that it would have been the ‘steal of the season’ if West Coast had gotten over the line, in what was his 250th game as coach across both Footscray and the Eagles.

“We were out-muscled, out-played and beaten badly by a very talented football side. To be undermanned and then lose a couple of players and still win… they’re going to be a real threat.”

“They were terrific, they were far too good for us,” Malthouse declared.

Reflecting on his milestone, Malthouse acknowledged the journey his coaching career had taken.

“… I suppose reaching 250 (games) makes you think you’ve been around a fair while. There have been ups and downs and probably more downs than ups, but it has been great to be involved.”