Matt Kennedy had some home truths for young superstar forward Sam Darcy after the Western Bulldogs’ thrilling win over the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide: Western Bulldogs midfielder Matthew Kennedy admitted superstar team-mate Sam Darcy put himself ahead of the team by giving away two reckless 50-metre penalties during a third-quarter brainwash in their heart-stopping 14.10 (94) to 13.10 (88) win over the Crows on Friday night.
Darcy, who had been well outplayed by Jordan Butts for much of the night, conceded his first 50m penalty for tackling Butts and then awarded another a few seconds later when he threw Josh Worrell to the ground.
Butts let Darcy and the Bulldogs off the hook when he missed a sitter – which would be his second of the night and his 87-game career – as the Crows went on the offensive before coming up short.
Kennedy admires Darcy’s competitive edge but believes the 208-centimeter pioneer’s actions are unacceptable.
“HE [Darcy] a rival, but he knew he was wrong,” Kennedy told this imprint.
“You have to fight and compete and we like that advantage of his but it is too far.
“He will be the first to admit that putting yourself before the team is something we do not accept.
“He’s probably lucky [Butts] I miss you too.”
Adelaide recovered from a 25-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead with Izak Rankine’s stunning goal off the scoreboard. It was an even more remarkable moment considering Rankine’s quiet night in the return match following a lengthy suspension for using a homophobic slur against Collingwood last season.
Bailey Williams equalized for the Dogs before Oskar Baker produced a miracle from the opposite pocket on the south-west side, a result far better than Rankine’s.
Kennedy was in the center of Adelaide Oval when he saw Baker fly.
The silence of the masses as the Dogs advanced 3-0 told him all he needed to know.
“I was in the middle praying for this to happen,” Kennedy said.
“When the crowd fell silent, that’s when I knew it was over.
“He’s in great shape, Oskar.
“A lot of people don’t see how hard he runs off the ball and the little things he does to turn the ball over [our way].
“It was pretty special to see him get the award with such a great moment and a goal from the line.”
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said he would have welcomed the win but said his side had a lot to work on despite their 3-0 start to the season.
“I’ll take the win any day of the week,” Beveridge said.
“[But] I think both teams would say behind closed doors that this was a very complex game with a lot of pressure.
“So I was proud of how the players dominated the final quarter under significant pressure.
“We buy these chocolates and fly home somewhat satisfied with the result, but we also know there is a lot to work on.”
votes
Joel Freijah (Western Bulldogs) 8
Buku Khamis (Western Bulldogs) 8
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) 7
Jordan Butts (Adelaide) 7
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide) 7
with Roy Ward
