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Indigenous All Star Jared Petrenko and Myke Cook on Saturday night. Indigenous All Stars crush the Crows Monday, 9 February 2009 8:54:29 AM By Tara Ravens NATIONAL, February 9, 2009: The Indigenous All Stars ran rings around Adelaide to defeat the AFL club by 54 points in the pre-season match at Marrara Oval in Darwin on Saturday night. The All Stars, well suited to the tropical wet conditions, raced to a 25-point quarter-time lead and were never headed, eventually winning 14.13 (97) to 6.7 (43) in the fifth such match to be played in the top end. Among AFL sides only Essendon, in 2007, emerged victorious. The game was blown open in term three, as the All Stars leapt from a 23-point margin at the half to a safe 39-point advantage with one to play. While much of the pre-match talk had centred on the fitness of key Crow and All Stars captain Andrew McLeod, it turned out to be the men in Crows jumpers who were troubled by injury. Young back flanker Greg Gallman suffered an apparent broken collarbone, while 2007 first-round draft pick Patrick Dangerfield was seeing stars after a heavy head knock. Highly-touted Adelaide forward Taylor Walker did not even suit up, citing a leg strain. The tone was set early, Port Adelaide goalsneak Daniel Motlop scoring the first goal for the Indigenous side only one-and-a-half minutes in. Robert Shirley was quick to even the score for the Crows, but the speed and quick play of the All Stars - along with some classy foot-work from popular Kangaroo Matt Campbell - ensured a clean break for the Aboriginal team. Campbell was a stand-out performer in the first quarter, with the Territory livewire playing sensationally in attack. The heavens opened at quarter time, with a typically brief wet season deluge adding slop as well as heat to the difficult playing conditions. McLeod showed his first signs of brilliance in the second, with the 32-year-old dual Norm Smith medallist ensuring the Indigenous team continued to dominate play despite an obvious lack of height. Tiwi Islander Austin Wonaeamirri notched the first goal of the second half before a second attempt by the All Stars skidded narrowly wide. With rain bucketing down, the Crows worked hard to slow the match against a younger, shorter and faster side, which boasted five of Adelaide's own players. But Campbell slammed home another All Stars goal to set up a decisive last-change margin, and it was clear to which team the night belonged. McLeod - who showed no signs of recent knee problems - was benched late with a nosebleed. But his absence could not stop the Indigenous side from ramming home a win on the back of superb tackling and outstanding ball skills. Matt Campbell said he was "embarrassed and humbled" to win the Polly Farmer Medal for best on field. "There were a lot of good players out there," he told reporters. Campbell said the All Stars, who only worked up a game plan on Thursday, had relied mostly on instinct. "We didn't really know what to come up with because of the weather," he said. "After the loss to Essendon (last year) we wanted to bounce back and we knew Adelaide was going to be a really good side ... (but) we didn't really give them a sniff." Rookie coach and triple Brisbane Lions premiership star Chris Johnson said the game had put the All Stars "back on the map" and given some of the team's younger players their first run on a professional footy field. "A lot of those kids haven't even played for their clubs yet," he said. "They have really stepped up to the mark ... It's just unbelievable what what some of those boys achieved tonight." Adelaide coach Neil Craig said despite the loss the Crows had "gained a lot of positives" from the game. "I think our structures fell apart," he said. "I thought we were okay early on with the conditions ... but as the rain set in they started to drop off." - AAP Printer Friendly Version  Email Story to a Friend Submit Letter to Editor