Adelaide and Melbourne Secure AFL Wins, Essendon and Gold Coast Face Continued Struggles

Adelaide has ended the round in a top four spot after recording a comfortable 72-point win over battling Essendon.

The Bombers, anchored to the bottom of the ladder after Richmond's win over West Coast earlier on Sunday, started brightly with the first two goals of the game.

But Matthew Nicks's Crows, seeking a response to their loss to Collingwood, kicked the final five goals of the first term and never looked back, romping home by 23.7 (145) to 11.7 (73) at Docklands Stadium.

Adelaide spearhead Riley Thilthorpe monstered Essendon's defence with three first-quarter goals and finished with 5.2 and 10 marks.

Crows star Izak Rankine (23 disposals, 10 score involvements and three goals) was influential.

Despite attention from Mason Redman, the visitors' skipper Jordan Dawson (30 disposals, nine clearances) was prolific, while Billy Dowling (three goals,18 disposals) was busy and Ben Keays kicked three goals.

On return from injury, Crows recruit Callum Ah Chee kicked two goals and had three goal assists, with Taylor Walker, Josh Rachele also chipping in with two majors each.

But defender James Borlase (hamstring awareness) sat out the second half.

Big man Peter Wright was a shining light for Essendon, kicking six goals while Hussien El Achkar jagged two.

Essendon star Zach Merrett fought hard for his 27 disposals and young gun Archie Roberts (26) was a threat.

The Bombers came out firing with an intense tackling pressure.

But in the final 10 minutes of the first quarter, Adelaide won contested possessions 16-2 and clearances 7-1 and made it count.

Essendon youngster Angus Clarke hobbled off with a left knee injury late in the second quarter.

That was found to be merely a hyperextension, but then Clarke was accidentally collected in the head by teammate Isaac Kako later in the quarter and was ruled out with concussion.

The Crows kicked away to lead by 33 at the main break.

Interim coach Dean Solomon's Bombers didn't want for effort in the second half but the gulf in class won out as Adelaide nudged out to a 50-point lead at three-quarter time.

Crows debutant Oscar Ryan provided a highlight when he cut between four Essendon players and kicked a terrific goal on the run for his first AFL major.

Adelaide capped off the win when debutant Archie Ludowyke joined Ryan and Hugo Hall-Kahan in nailing his first AFL goal.

Wright gave Essendon fans something to smile about with his fifth and sixth goals before Adelaide kicked away again.

Essendon (2-18), which is still in the recruitment process for its next coach, next have the daunting task of facing Geelong at Kardinia Park.

The Crows (13-7) will host Richmond at the Adelaide Oval.

Melbourne has cemented its top six status ahead of next weekend's clash with ladder leaders Fremantle, defeating Gold Coast by nine points at Carrara Stadium.

In a contest featuring several lead changes, the Demons did just enough in the fourth quarter to claim an 18.6 (114) to 16.9 (105) victory.

After a four-goal display against Geelong last week, Harrison Petty kicked three majors including a crucial after-the-siren effort at the end of the third quarter, while Jacob van Rooyen also kicked three for the visitors.

Melbourne captain Max Gawn was huge for the Demons, notching 25 disposals, 10 marks, 33 hit-outs and nine clearances.

After last weekend's loss to the Cats, Demons coach Steven King was thrilled by his team's ability to find a way to victory ahead of the clash with the Dockers.

"We've already played them once earlier this year, and we got taught a lesson," King said.

"This time we'll be at the MCG and we love playing there but I'm sure they'll come over as a full dress rehearsal for what's in front of them as a footy club.

"It's a privilege to play in big games that count, and we're lucky we grabbed our opportunity today and can still be relevant in this competition for what's ahead."

Jed Walter kicked three for the Suns, all in the first half, as Gold Coast was unable to prevent slumping to its 10th straight defeat in what was Christian Petracca's first match against his former club.

Petracca, whose impact at the Suns had been under the spotlight throughout the week following an on-field argument with young gun Leo Lombard in the loss to Carlton, had minimal impact on the contest with 16 disposals and two clearances.

Instead it was John Noble (34 disposals, seven tackles, 10 marks) and Matt Rowell (30 disposals, nine tackles, eight clearances) who led the way for the Suns, with coach Damien Hardwick lamenting a similar display to previous defeats.

"It's just frustrating because a lot of those things are absolutely within our control, and it's the stuff that we need to eradicate," Hardwick said.

"I've got to coach harder and tougher because otherwise we don't move forward.

"So we've learned a lot of lessons like that this year, unfortunately, but not getting the result we're after."

Both teams had injury worries with Sam Collins (ribs) and Blake Howes (wrist) sent to hospital for X-rays after coming off in separate incidents.

Melbourne set the template for their accuracy in front of goal early, kicking five straight in the opening term to hold a three-point lead at the first break.

Bailey Humphrey's goal after the siren at the end of the second quarter, despite a question mark over whether he ran off the line of the mark as he came into kick, had the hosts in front heading into the main break.

And the Suns extended that lead to three goals during a high-scoring third term, kicking four goals alone from free kicks.

The Demons, however, kicked two goals in the last 30 seconds including another after-the-siren major to Petty to snatch a one-point lead heading into the final quarter.

Howes' nasty looking fall early in the last term didn't deter the Demons, who kicked four goals to three to secure the points.

While the Demons host the Dockers next weekend, the Suns will aim to snap their losing run in Canberra against GWS.