Adelaide has taken its blistering NAB Cup form into the premiership season, demolishing Gold Coast SUNS by 69 points at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
The Crows were all class and blew the game open in a rampant first quarter, kicking seven goals to three to lead by 31 points.
They extended the advantage at each break to easily win 19.23 (137) to 10.8 (68).
It ensured the perfect start to the coaching career of Brenton Sanderson, who is still unbeaten in charge after going five from five to win the NAB Cup.
As was the case in last season's 61-point win in the corresponding match, midfielder Scott Thompson was the mastermind behind the victory, finishing with 39 disposals.
Last year he racked up an extraordinary 51 touches, and after collecting 12 and 10 in the first two quarters, looked on pace to do similar.
He led a remarkable first term barrage that saw the Crows win the centre clearances by nine to one and the inside 50s by a whopping 26-7.
The lead could have been even greater had the Crows kicked straight.
Kurt Tippett kicked three in the first quarter but missed two sitters from inside 30m.
Tippett, a Gold Coast product, was a colossus in the forward line.
He kicked four first-half goals and manhandled an array of opponents that included Steven May, Matthew Warnock and Daniel Gorringe.
When he went quiet after the main break, his partner in crime Taylor Walker took over.
Walker finished with five goals against a Suns team missing former Crow and All Australian defender Nathan Bock through suspension.
The loss was all too familiar for the 12,790 fans at Metricon, as the Suns extended its winless streak to nine on their home turf since entering the competition last year.
Again captain Gary Ablett led the way with 42 disposals and two remarkable goals.
In both the first and last quarter, Ablett evaded opponents before launching bombs from outside the 50m arc near the right hand boundary line in near carbon copy efforts.
ADELAIDE 7.8 11.10 15.16 19.23 (137)
GOLD COAST 3.1 5.3 8.6 10.8 (68)
GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 5, Tippett 4, van Berlo 2, Callinan 2, Dangerfield 2, Sloane, Douglas, Porplyzia, Lynch
Gold Coast: Ablett 2, Brown 2, Bennell 2, Smith, Swallow, Prestia, Caddy
BEST
Adelaide: Thompson, Sloane, Tippett, van Berlo, Walker, Jacobs
Gold Coast: Ablett, Harbrow, Bennell, Brennan, Brown, Iles
INJURIES
Adelaide: Henderson (concussion)
Gold Coast: Tape (mouth)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Pannell, Wenn, Ryan
Official crowd: 12,790 at Metricon Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
