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AAP
Joanna Guelas

Undefeated Crows outclass Bulldogs in AFLW finals chase

Abbie Ballard suffered a suspected serious knee injury as Adelaide stayed unbeaten in the AFLW. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Kickstarting the AFLW Indigenous round, Adelaide have continued their rampage to the finals with a 42-point demolition of the winless Western Bulldogs.

But the Crows' 9.5 (59) to 2.5 (17) victory at Norwood Oval on Friday has come at a cost, losing young gun Abbie Ballard to a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury.

This is the first time the Bulldogs have started a season 0-7 since the scrapping of the conference system in 2020 while the Crows remain undefeated.

Ball magnets Anne Hatchard (25 disposals) and Ebony Marinoff (32 disposals) were typically influential with Caitlin Gould (three goals), Eloise Jones, Niamh Kelly, Chelsea Randall, Rachelle Martin, Madison Newman and Danielle Ponter among the Crows' goalkickers.

"We're starting to get our mojo going," Marinoff told the Seven Network.

"We're not there yet but (coach Matthew Clarke) always says you don't want to be playing your best footy in round seven.

"Hopefully we are at our best come finals."

Alice Edmonds (25 hitouts) starred in the ruck for the forlorn Bulldogs alongside Naomi Ferres (six intercept possessions), while the usually prolific Ellie Blackburn overcame a rare slow start to collect a game-high 13 contested possessions.

With the Bulldogs losing gun forwards Deanna Berry (leg) and Celine Moody (shoulder) to season-ending injuries earlier in the week, the visitors were further hit when young midfielder Keeley Coyne went down with a knee injury five minutes into the opening quarter.

Less than two minutes later, fellow teammate Kirsten McLeod was taken out of the game with a concussion.

Sarah Hartwig kicked a major to keep the visitors alive but Adelaide picked apart the rattled Bulldogs to gain a four-point lead before quarter-time.

And just when life couldn't get worse, the Bulldogs lost Dominique Carruthers in a courageous marking contest against Jones in the second term before Kelly flaunted her speed to produce a goal-of-the-year contender.

Crows captain Randall kicked her second goal of the season to increase the margin to 17 points.

The celebrations were cut short when Ballard hit the ground in agony with the 21-year-old Adelaide forward clutching her knee in tears before leaving the ground after an innocuous accident with Hartwig.

The game continued to play on the Crows' terms in the second half.

Adelaide have won every third quarter this season by at least 10 points and they continued the streak by winning by 18 points.

Brianna McFarlane cut the Crows' string of six goals in the fourth term but with only 12 minutes left, her effort proved too late.

With three rounds left in the season, Adelaide (7-0) next take on fourth-placed Brisbane while the Western Bulldogs (0-7) host 12th-placed Sydney.

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