The Western Crows have managed to cause further heartbreak for the Northern Suns after they held on to win by 13 points during round 4 of the 2019 AFL New Zealand Premiership at QBE Stadium.
The Suns were hamstrung (literally) early on in the game when the competitions leading goal kicker James Considine left the field to injury, leaving them without a first choice key forward.
They did however, find themselves in front on the scoreboard in the first quarter as they went into the first break with a handy 14 point lead.
The Suns welcomed back Captain Ben Hick and Patrick Landy to the side and it was a tight contest in middle of the ground as Hick and Crows Captain Jay Johnson went toe to toe on the ball.
Talked up during the week as a possible NZ bolter for the ANZAC campaign, Crows key forward Sam Anderson responded perfectly in the second term kicking 2 goals to get his side back in front.
NZ midfielder Liam Beattie was inspirational for the Suns in the first half. Beattie was involved in alot of the play and also slotted himself 2 first half goals.
Suns forward Will Kempt had multiple opportunities up front but only managed 2 goals for the game.
The Suns held a slight lead at the main break by 3 points but when Sam Anderson kicked his fourth goal early in the third term, the Crows hit the lead and never looked back.
Tim Stokes was moved forward by Crows coach Chris Mundell in the fourth quarter and it payed off. Stokes kicked 3 early goals before sealing the victory with his fourth goal of the quarter.
The hero:
Jake Tucker was awarded best on ground after his fine display for the Crows. The former number 1 draft pick has had a quiet start to the 2019 season but really showed his best yesterday as he commanded the football.
The support cast:
Sam Anderson’s 5 goals helped the scoreboard ticking over for the Crows while Jay Green was superb again this week in the middle of the ground.
The consolation effort:
Injured stars Ben Hick and Patrick Landy returned to the Suns and made a big impact throughout the game. The pair combined well in the middle for the Suns which will give them some positives heading into round 5 against the Southern Saints.
Goal Scorers:
Western Crows: Sam Anderson 5, Tim Stokes 4, Jake Tucker 2, Shane Leat 1
Northern Suns: Chris Bailey 2, Liam Beattie 2, Will Kempt 2, Lewis Gill 1, Daniel McCarthy 1, Reed Cathcatt 1
Best on ground:
Western Crows: Jake Tucker
Northern Suns: Liam Beattie
