Izak Rankine stars as Adelaide manages to get the job done against Richmond in torrential rain at Adelaide Oval.
Jason Horne-Francis hobbles off the field in Port’s 97-point loss to Sydney, as Geelong makes light work of Essendon, triumphing by 67 points at Kardinia Park.
Earlier on Saturday, a huge final quarter from Harry Petty helped Melbourne claim a four-point win over the AFL’s ladder-leaders Fremantle.
Petty kicked 3.2 for the afternoon, including two in the final quarter as Melbourne emerged 17.11 (113) to 17.7 (109) winners in one of the games of the season at the MCG.
Prior to the action on Saturday, AFL boss Andrew Dillon addressed Geelong’s concussion saga, ending a couple of days of silence from the league.
Follow all the action in our live blog.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 1:02pm
AFL Saturday live scoreboard
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:40pm
‘That’ll be an ugly review for us’: Crows coach Matthew Nicks relieved after win
A relieved Matthew Nicks has spoken to Fox Footy after that win.
Asked about Izak Rankine’s game, he replied: “It’s a good thing he played, eh? That’s going to be an ugly review for us (of that game).
“Not him (Rankine). That’s what happens when you get the best players in the comp. He did it.”
Asked about the three quarter time huddle and what he said to the players, he jokingly replied: “I blacked out!”
“I challenged them about what they want to be.
“We played our way to an ugly win.
“We move into an elimination final week (against Fremantle).
“Tonight we’re in a good spot. We’re disappointed in how we played. But you do what you (have to) do to win.”
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:31pm
The last two games for the Crows
- Round 23: vs Fremantle (Perth Stadium)
- Round 24: vs GWS (Adelaide Oval)
The Crows have to back up next Friday night in the west against the Fremantle Dockers – and THAT will be a huge contest.
Then they finish off at home at Adelaide Oval against GWS.
As we’ve said a few times tonight, there’s not a lot of wiggle room for anyone, and the Crows perhaps more than most.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:20pm
Tiny margins could decide the top-four
Here’s the ladder after a big day of footy, and the headline is the gap between the Lions in fourth and the Crows in fifth.
It’s 0.2 percentage points. Not a whole lot of wiggle room for anyone in there right now.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:17pm
What a game from Izak Rankine
That was a heart-stopping game for the Crows, and one of the reasons they got over the line was Izak Rankine.
He had 37 disposals, six marks, six tackles, 12 clearances, five score involvements, a whopping 19 contested possessions, 791 metres gained and THIS goal…
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According to Fox Footy Rankine’s performance was the highest-ranked game by an individual Crow in club history, surpassing the big Roo, Mark Ricciuto. Bravo, Izak.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:13pm
FT: Adelaide 9.9 (63) beats Richmond 7.12 (54)
The siren sounds and the Crows breathe a sigh of relief!
They get the win by nine points, but it hasn’t been impressive.
They also fail to get the percentage boost they needed. But they’re still in it. Good grief, what a game!
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:10pm
Rushed behind could be it for the Tigers
Nathan Broad has had a ping from 50 in the last 90 seconds, and it has been punched through.
The Crows lead by nine points, and that should really be that.
But then again…
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:07pm
Zac Taylor is the hero for the Crows!
It’s a really tense finish here, the Crows burst clear and Riley thilthorpe’s kick for goal was chopped off by Nick Vlastuin.
But his kick out went to the Crows!
Zac Taylor marked … and his kick swung through from 50 in the monsoon!
That’s a 10-point lead to Adelaide.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:04pm
Desperate stakes with Tigers in attack
We have five minutes to go, it’s still an open-air shower stall, and the Tigers are attacking.
tom Brown runs onto it in the right forward pocket and snaps … a point!
Four points in it.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 10:01pm
We’re in time on in the final term
Whoever comes out the wrong side of this one will be looking like this when the siren goes.
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Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:59pm
Game fires up as Jack Ross gives away a key free kick
The tension is rising, and tempers are fraying at Adelaide Oval.
James Peatling gave away a free with a rough hit on Jack Ross.
Ross didn’t like it, and slammed Peatling to the ground and had the free reversed!
This is getting spicy. half of the final term left. Five points.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:56pm
Now Dawson misses for Adelaide
This is like playing a game of footy in a (big) shower cubicle…
The rain is incessant, the players and the ball are sodden, and Richmond give away a 50.
Jordan Dawson has a kick for goal – and HE misses!
It’s five points the margin.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:54pm
Huge miss for Richmond from Sam Lalor!!!
Suddenly the Tigers are attacking, sensing a chance of a huge upset.
They are going down the right, and it’s Seth Campbell (danger, danger Crows!).
He kicks on the run from the pocket, and could it go in? No, Sam Lalor marks it near the square!
But he misses the kick! It’s four points the lead!
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:51pm
Hugo Ralphsmith kicks a worldie for the Tigers
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IS THAT THE GOAL OF THE NIGHT?
The Tigers are struggling to make ground, but a good kick down the wing finds Hugo Ralphsmith deep, deep in the right forward pocket.
It’s hosing down, and Ralphsmith had a very difficult angle.
He went the checkside! It sailed through and the Crows fans are quiet. There are five points in it.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:48pm
Rushed behind as Tigers under huge pressure at the back
The Crows are looking surer with the ball in these horrible conditions. They go forward down the left, and Ben Keays kicks a speculator from near the boundary outside 50.
It bounces, bounces and is rushed through as another Crow is a metre behind the Tigers defender.
Plenty of time left, 11 points the margin. It’s going to be VERY difficult to kick goals in this, you’d reckon.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:44pm
Tex Walker kicks big goal after 50m penalty
A big start to the final quarter for the Crows!
Adelaide goes forward in the first minute and a bit, and the ball is in contest near the boundary on the wing. And it’s 50!
Tex Walker did the big don’t-argue on Kye Annand, and Annand got pinged for trying to get him again. Walker kicks the goal from 20m or so in front.
The Crows lead by 10 as the rain hoses down!
That’s a big moment.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:36pm
It’s a bit damp at Adelaide Oval
Any of our Commonwealth Games swimmers on the bench Andrew?
– Phillip
Phillip,
I don’t think there are any swimmers there – but I reckon the coaches would bite your hand off to grab one if there were!
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:33pm
3QT: Adelaide 7.7 (49) leads Richmond 6.9 (45)
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The siren sounds, and it’s going to be a nervous old finish at Adelaide Oval!
The Crows fans are up and about, with Izak Rankine in the final minutes reminding everyone why he’s a star, booting a goal from just inside 50 in the wet to produce a massive roar from the stands.
Then a free kick to Callum Ah Chee for contact in a contest, and the former Lion slotted it to give the home side the lead!
Judson Clarke had a chance to put the Tigers back in front, but his kick on the run went wide in the last 60 seconds.
And with the last chance of the term, Tex Walker nearly, NEARLY took a grab in the goalsquare but couldn’t hang on. Whew.
We are in a throwback game here, with 13 goals total to three quarter time.
So the news is good for the Crows, but not great – the home side’s top-four hopes are on the line, but this is still a bit of a coin flip.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:23pm
Hugo Hall-Kahan goes close for Crows
The weather is not fit for man nor beast right now, but the Crows nearly took advantage there.
Hugo Hall-Kahan had a mark / free from 60-70 out, he kicked over the pack, it nearly bounced through but Judson Clarke got a despairing hand to it a metre or so before it went over the line.
It’s a seven-point game in time on in the third term.
Sat 8 Aug 2026 at 9:18pm
The rain is REALLY coming down in Adelaide
The driest state in the driest continent?
Not right now. Adelaide is pretty much awash, as the rain tumbles down. It’s going to be hard yards for everyone out there for the rest of the game, as players’ guernseys and hairdos are plastered to their bodies.
If this gets much heavier, visibility might begin to be a problem.
Who wins this?
dan