What happened?

They're the best of mates, but at the moment Crows star Rory Sloane cannoned into Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield, they were the worst of enemies. As Dangerfield looked to swoop on a loose ball late in the second term and feed the ball out to his skipper, Joel Selwood, Sloane attacked the contest – and his former teammate –with his trademark courage. The resultant front-on collision reverberated around Adelaide Oval as Sloane collected Dangerfield with his right shoulder, sending both players sprawling. As the ball was swept out of defensive 50 by the Crows, Dangerfield lay prone with his arm outstretched and had to be helped to his feet by the Geelong doctors before heading from the field to be assessed.

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Who made it happen?

Dangerfield opted to fly for a Nakia Cockatoo kick that was aimed at Dan Menzel, who was going back with the flight. The 2016 Brownlow medallist, who started the game as Geelong's deepest forward, went for the grab when he should have protected the space for the unsighted Menzel. Dangerfield spilled the mark and was forced to follow up when the ball hit the deck. As the first man to approach Dangerfield, Sloane sized up his opponent and tried to do everything in his power to stop the superstar Cat from freeing up the ball to a nearby Selwood. As Sloane braced for the contact, his shoulder slipped high and he collected Dangerfield in the head. The Match Review Panel will look at the incident, but it seems unlikely Sloane will be suspended and miss the Grand Final next week.  

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What did it mean?

Adelaide led by 29 points with less than two minutes remaining in the second term when Dangerfield picked the ball up. The Crows led by 35 points just moments later, as Adelaide swept the ball up to Andy Otten in the opposing goal square. Otten's goal effectively put an end to the Cats' second-quarter revival. Sloane's hit on his former teammate was match-defining, as a goal would have brought Geelong within four goals at half-time. The contest also symbolised the teams' contrasting fortunes, with the sight of a stunned Dangerfield lying on the ground as his former team rebounded for a crucial goal set to become one of the defining moments of this year's finals series. After some resistance from Geelong, Adelaide ran away with the game in the second half to post a convincing 61-point victory. 

Rory Sloane jogs past a stunned Patrick Dangerfield. Picture: Michael Willson, AFL Photos

Any cameo performers?

Lesser light Paul Seedsman had one of his best games in Crows colours and his role after the Sloane-Dangerfield hit was important. The former Magpie was the first to the footy as Selwood couldn't handle the ball cleanly. He took possession and dished off to Jake Kelly who spotted up Richard Douglas on the wing. The Crows' momentum was momentarily halted, but a clever kick from a patient Matt Crouch found Douglas in a pocket of space further down the wing. The footy eventually found its way down to Adelaide's half-forward flank and into the hands of Eddie Betts. Seedsman burst into the picture, running past at least four Geelong players to receive the ball from Betts. The dashing wingman drove the ball to an unguarded Otten who marked in front of a lunging Zach Tuohy. Seedsman's effort to work hard for his teammates from defensive 50 into his own attacking half summed up Adelaide's team-first mindset on Friday night.

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How did they call it?

"Dangerfield, knocked it out in front of Selwood. Dangerfield looks like he's out cold! Talia... cleaned up in the end by Seedsman. Kelly takes it away. Dangerfield's still lying flat on his back. A big bump on him." - Brian Taylor, Channel Seven

"He's picked himself up now but he was really rattled, the champ." - Bruce McAvaney, Channel Seven 

"Have a look at the bump…  just two fierce competitors going at the footy, nothing wrong with that at all. Total commitment from both players." - Cameron Ling, Channel Seven 

What they said

Adelaide vice-captain Rory Sloane: "That hurt. I did my best to stand up, but he's got such a strong body. He's such an unbelievable player and I'm such great mates with him. I respect him so much and I love the way he goes about it and I feel for him now. We both went in and that's the way we both play our footy and that's what I love about his footy, too."

Geelong captain Joel Selwood: "He (Dangerfield) seemed OK and we've got the best medical team going around. I'm really confident he was fine and some of the things he did in the second half, no one else could do that in the AFL."

Will they play it in 20 years time?

Maybe not in 20 years, but the Sloane-Dangerfield collision will be one of the most replayed moments this week as Adelaide bids for its charge towards its first premiership since 1998. The determination Sloane displayed was a snapshot of how he plays his football: tough but fair, and relentless in his attack on the football and on his opponents. Although he came off second-best from the hit, Dangerfield should also be praised for the way he came back onto the field and, although he didn't get the result he was after, played out the match in fine style.