AFL Finals 2025 Recap: Minor premiers Adelaide take on Collingwood for a shot at the preliminary final
Finals footy is here as minor premiers Adelaide take on Collingwood to kick off September action.
Can the Crows defend their home in their finals since 2017, having dominated the home and away season?
They won an arm wrestle in the penultimate round of the home and away season over the Pies, despite Collingwood dominating the stats sheet.
The Pies have brought back Mason Cox while a sore-looking Nick Daicos was cleared fit to play, and they will need to lean on their September experience at a hostile Adelaide Oval.
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Tex gets one in game 300!
The Crows manage to lock the ball in for repeat entires and Dan Curtin sends it to the edge of the square.
Walker gets a clear run and just plucks it out of the air and makes no mistake.
Huge for the Crows who needed a settler and for Walker as well.
Nick Daicos with some magic
Pies pour on the pressure and it’s worked to Daicos and with the oustide of the boot just splits the sticks with a classy finish.
Pies with the early break.
COL 2.0 (12) ADE 0.1 (1)
Adelaide shaky early
Teammates spoiling each other, skill errors and missed kicks the Crows are not quite at the level needed at the moment.
Collingwood’s pressure is well over 200 and the Crows just need to settle things down,
Pies draw first blood
It’s Nick Daicos to generate the drive on the wing. It’s a wobbly kick but it somehow floats over the back of the three Crows defenders to fall in the lap of an uncontested Jamie Elliott.
He converts and Collingwood have the first goal.
It’s loud
Massive boos ringing out any time Collingwood have the ball as an early Crows attack is thwarted.
De Goey running with Jordan Dawson while Billy Frampton is on Thilthorpe.
Here we go
Anthems are sung now, power stance from Adelaide, and Tex Walker is giving a final rev up to his team.
Should be a cracker.
Craig McRae speaks on the decision to axe McStay
“We’ve managed those finals moments in the past very well,” he said.
“There have been some moments and opportunities that Dan didn’t take so Mason comes in.”
It’s shaping up to be a thriller
Adelaide and Collingwood played on of the more bizarre games of footy when they last met in round 22. The Pies dominated every stat, including having more than double the inside 50s and still lost.
These two teams have had an intense rivarly over recent meetings.
Pies not scared of a hostile crowd
Collingwood are used to being the enemy, so they will have no qualms in entering the furnace that is Adelaide Oval.
No late changes
No early jeopardy with both teams going in unchanged.
