Adelaide have held on for a rejuvenating 11.9 (75) to 10.14 (74) win over Geelong after a match-winning goal was overturned on review and changed to a behind.
More than 40,000 fans went wild when Darcy Fogarty, having a quiet game on a wet night at Adelaide Oval, appeared to secure victory from outside 50 with just minutes remaining.
But play was held up for a review with every player in position for the centre bounce.
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The AFL review centre quickly determined Fogarty’s kick had brushed the goal post, reducing the Crows’ lead to one point.
That proved enough with Adelaide’s mid-season draftee debutant Hugo Hall-Kahan — just minutes removed from a head clash with a teammate that cut both of them open — earning a crucial free kick to end the Cats’ last venture inside 50.
Dan Curtin, who provided Fogarty with the winning set shot, then took an important mark to secure victory once and for all.
It marked Adelaide’s first win over Geelong since 2021 and just their second since the start of 2019.
Former Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker praised the “unbelievable” former graphic designer Hall-Kahan for his performance just eight days after being recruited to the club.
Hall-Kahan was previously picked up by Sydney in the 2022 mid-season draft but never debuted before being delisted 18 months later.
Hall-Kahan, boasting stitches on his nose, said it had been a “whirlwind” week since arriving at the Crows.
“I only had two training sessions. I started to come down a bit, settle in, and then obviously got the call-up on Monday (to debut) and everything catapulted again. It was unbelievable,” he said.
On the head clash, Hall-Kahan said: “I was just chasing and all of a sudden I was on the floor. It’s not broken, I don’t think, just a few stitches but I was glad to get back on because we had a few sore (teammates).”
Callum Ah Chee’s night ended early with a hamstring injury, with Jordon Butts (calf) and Toby Murray, hurt in the head clash with Hall-Kahan, also failing to see out the match.
Ah Chee had done a brilliant job on Geelong star Tom Stewart prior to facing the familiar feeling of being iced up on the bench.
Curtin (26 disposals) starred in one of his best games for the Crows, with Wayne Milera (24 disposals) and Rory Laird (23) also busy.
Walker and Ben Keays kicked two goals each.
Geelong (8-5) were well served by Brownlow Medal favourite Bailey Smith (34 disposals), Max Holmes (30) and Patrick Dangerfield (30).
Cats utility Stewart, who was held to 15 touches, will come under scrutiny for a bump that made contact with Ah Chee’s head or chest.
A fast-paced start produced two goals apiece in the opening 10 minutes but scoring quickly became tough in the wet conditions, which Dangerfield relished.
The Geelong veteran’s midfield move reaped 13 first-quarter disposals, 10 contested possessions, five clearances and a goal against his old side, who led 3.2 to 2.6 at the break.
Jack Martin had two of the Cats’ four first-half goals and teammate Ollie Henry took a spectacular mark with a ride on Sam Berry on the wing.
The Cats dominated centre clearances (9-3) and contested possessions (+14) in the first half and enjoyed more territory.
But they were inaccurate as the Crows led 6.3 to 4.9 at half-time, with Curtin influential and Ah Chee keeping Stewart (one intercept) largely under wraps to that point.
A run of four straight goals straddling the main break gave Adelaide a game-high 20-point lead midway through the third term before three in quick succession for Geelong set up a tight finish.
It got heated when Smith and James Peatling tangled off the ball, eventually resulting in the Cats star giving away an ill-disciplined free kick.
Brilliant goals from Keays and Walker gave the Crows the edge early in the final term.
They looked home when Dawson outmarked two Cats defenders and played on to kick his third goal from outside 50 metres.
Again Geelong hit back, kicking three straight goals and levelling the scores when Jack Bowes kicked his second.
But Fogarty’s long-range set shot gave the Crows back the lead for the final time.
— with AAP
