OSKAR Baker started it. Oskar Baker ended it.

After an almighty challenge from Adelaide, built on immense individual efforts to peg back a four-goal deficit in the final quarter, Baker pulled out his best party trick to put the game in the Western Bulldogs' pocket with two minutes remaining.

CROWS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats

The Bulldog kicked the opening goal of the game, capitalising on an error from the Crows' defence, and later sealed the 14.10 (94) to 13.10 (88) victory in the first game under the Adelaide Oval lights for 2026.

After being largely unsighted for the better part of four quarters, it was Izak Rankine, on return from suspension who seemed to have kicked the match-winner from tight up against the boundary.

But the Dogs weren't going to stay down, they were lifted by their captain Marcus Bontempelli (30 disposals, seven clearances) in the dying moments to make it three wins from three starts.

In a game that was billed as the battle of the power forwards, it was instead the attacking midfielders and an unlikely key defender who got the job done in front of goal early in the piece.

Baker's buzzing pressure created the opening goal, Joel Freijah caught fire in the first quarter, Jordon Butts kicked the first major of his career, and on limited minutes Jake Soligo did maximum damage.

Butts (11 intercepts, 12 marks, one goal) not only hit the scoreboard for the first time in his 87 games, but he also wore star Dog Sam Darcy (12 disposals, one goal) like a glove, partnering well with Nick Murray (16 disposals,10 marks) behind the play for the Crows.

Meanwhile Rory Lobb (five intercepts) and Buku Khamis (10) continued their budding partnership at the other end of the ground.

But after the main break, the big men played inspired football, keen to reassert their control on the game, adding a new look to the matchup.

For the Crows, Taylor Walker (three goals) and Riley Thilthorpe (two) got busy in front of goal, as did Darcy Fogarty (two), albeit the latter was most dangerous on the deck.

Adelaide was reluctant to take risks with ball in hand, rather it patiently worked around the back half by foot and racked up the uncontested marks. Jordan Dawson (25 disposals, eight clearances, one goal) was one of the few who could reliably turn that slow, patient play into genuine attack, but otherwise there was a stagnancy around the home side, requiring errors from the Dogs to progress up the field.

Meanwhile the Western Bulldogs attacked the game with a sense of desperation, ready to roll with the chaos and flick the ball around by hand. Their layers around the contest were as reliable as ever, always able to create an option in space from which they could propel forward.

Aaron Naughton quietly continued to tick away at his goal tally for the year, adding another three majors, aided by his defensive efforts.

There was a clear attempt from the Crows to get things moving with more speed in the second half, still trying to chip the ball around by foot and identify players in space, but it was with more urgency. They looked at their most dangerous when switching the ball with determination, to create some run on the open side.

It asked questions of the Bulldogs' defence, as it was increasingly isolated in one-on-ones against the Crows' big guns inside 50.

James O'Donnell, although forced from the field in the third quarter to undergo a head injury assessment following a clash with Walker - which he ultimately passed - further solidified his role in the Bulldogs' strengthening backline.

A long wait
Adelaide key defender Jordon Butts entered career game No.87 without a score to his name, and with the fresh memory of a punctured lung the last time he faced the Western Bulldogs. It didn't send him into his shell, however, as he leapt high for an intercept mark in the opening term. Having secured the ball, opponent Sam Davidson offered a lackadaisical attempt to slow Butts up – although didn't disrupt Butt's possession of the footy. That didn't matter to the umpire, however, as Butts was handed a 50m penalty, and moved into scoring range. The defender neatly slotted the goal, and as his teammates got around him, the crowd finally had something to cheer for, as the moment shifted momentum back the home side's way and created the battle many expected to see.

Freijah on fire
Given the depth of talent the Bulldogs possess in their midfield/forward rotation, there is often a different name bobbing up as the star in any given week. On Friday evening, it was 2025 breakout star Joel Freijah. In the opening quarter alone the 20-year-old recorded 12 disposals and two goals from four shots as the Crows struggled to contain him. Ultimately, he finished with 24 disposals, 479 metres gained, and three goals, as the comparisons to his captain Marcus Bontempelli gained legitimacy.

Darcy's brain fade
Celebrated last year for his unique combination of traits, Bulldogs father-son Sam Darcy has had a tricker start to 2026. Having knocked through six goals in the first two rounds without taking either game by the scruff of the neck, Darcy struggled to impose himself on Friday night against Jordon Butts. Amidst the third-quarter arm wrestle, Darcy gave away a free kick as he contested with Josh Worrell for a ball long down the line. In the aftermath, the Dog's frustration seeped out, giving away a 50m penalty for a hit on Worrell, then another for throwing him to the ground. Fortunately for Darcy, the recipient of the shot on goal, Butts, couldn't kick his second career goal, instead spraying the shot for a minor score.

ADELAIDE                               3.0    5.2    8.7   13.10 (88)
WESTERN BULLDOGS             3.4    7.5    11.7   14.11 (94)

GOALS 
Adelaide: Walker 3, Thilthorpe 2, Fogarty 2, Rachele 2, Butts, Soligo, Dawson, Rankine
Western Bulldogs: Freijah 3, Naughton 3, Baker 3, Williams 2, Croft, Bontempelli, Darcy

BEST 
Adelaide: Butts, Worrell, Dawson, Thilthorpe, Walker
Western Bulldogs: Freijah, Richards, Khamis, Liberatore, English, Naughton

INJURIES 
Adelaide: Ah Chee (right hamstring)
Western Bulldogs: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Adelaide: Hugh Bond (illness), replaced in selected side by Chayce Jones  
Western Bulldogs: Nil

Crowd: 49,185 at Adelaide Oval