Adelaide trailed at the last change but stormed home with a seven-goal-to-nil quarter

By Jason Phelan at Thomas Farms Oval

Eloise Jones celebrates during the AFLW Round two match between Adelaide and Geelong at Unley Oval, August 24, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

RESURGENT Adelaide celebrated Chelsea Randall’s 75th AFLW game with a pulsating, come-from-behind win on Sunday, the former skipper booting three second-half goals to spur the Crows to a brilliant 38-point victory against Geelong.
 
Adelaide trailed by 11 points at half-time at Unley Oval, but booted the next nine goals of the match, including a devastating seven-goals-to-nil final term, keeping the Cats goalless in the second half on the way to a stirring 10.5 (65) to 3.9 (27) win.

CROWS v CATS Full match coverage and stats

Ebony Marinoff was outstanding throughout and was pivotal late along with fellow Crows stars Eloise Jones, Danielle Ponter and Randall.
 
Jones and Randall each booted two goals in the last-quarter assault, Caitlin Gould with a goal after the siren to seal Adelaide’s first win of the season.
 
It was a remarkable turnaround given Geelong’s impressive first half.

The Cats’ pressure worried the Crows in a hot opening term, and it didn’t take long for the visitors to take a deserved lead with a goal to Aishling Moloney who swooped on a rare Chelsea Biddell howler when she kicked back inside defensive 50 and missed her teammate.

The switched-on visitors led the inside 50s 5-1, but Adelaide made the most of that one entry, Ponter snapping truly in traffic.
 
But that would be the home side’s only goal of the first half, Geelong extending a seven-point lead at quarter-time to 11 at the main break. 

Led by Nina Morrison with a game-high 17 touches, five Cats had double-figure possessions at half-time to the Crows’ one – Marinoff with 14 disposals.

Geelong’s midfield dominance kept Adelaide’s defence under repeated pressure, Daniel Lowther’s side leading the inside 50s 22-13 at half-time.
 
The Crows suffered a blow before the opening bounce, with Sarah Allan a late withdrawal due to a quad injury, the co-captain replaced by Kayleigh Cronin.
 
Magnificent Moloney
Aishling Moloney’s second goal of a hot opening term was a stunning Goal of the Year contender. Last season’s AFLW leading goalkicker received a slick handball from Kate Surman after a long ball was brought to ground 25m out from goal. Avoiding a despairing smother attempt from Sarah Goodwin, the Irishwoman, who was facing away from goal, threw the ball on her right boot and sent it tumbling over her head and through for a cracker.

Randall’s moment
In her first game of the season, Randall hadn’t had her usual influence in the first half playing up forward . But the home fans got the moment they were after with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. The five-time All-Australian contested in the air against Rachel Kearns, then got goal side of the defender and it was off to the races. Randall set off for an open goalsquare, took a bounce, and slotted a team-lifting major that sliced the margin to two points at three-quarter time.

Up next
Adelaide will take on Greater Western Sydney at Henson Park in Sydney next Saturday at 1.05pm AEST. Geelong also plays on Saturday, hosting Sydney at GMHBA Stadium at 3.05pm AEST.
 
ADELAIDE   1.1   1.4   3.5   10.5 (65)
GEELONG    2.2   3.3   3.7    3.9 (27)
 
GOALS
Adelaide:  Randall 3, Jones 2, Ponter 2, Gould 2, Kustermann
Geelong: Moloney 2, Parry
 
BEST 
Adelaide:  Marinoff, Randall, Jones, N.Kelly, Newman, Ponter, J.Allan
Geelong: Prespakis, Webster, Morrison, Moloney, A.McDonald, Crockett-Grills
 
INJURIES 
Adelaide: Nil
Geelong: Nil
 
LATE CHANGES
Adelaide: Sarah Allan(ankle) replaced in selected side by Kayleigh Cronin
Geelong: Nil
 
Reports: Nil
 
Crowd:  TBC at Unley Oval