Adelaide have bounced back from one of the darkest weeks in the club's history to record a decisive 57-point victory over Gold Coast at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.
Just six days after suffering a humiliating 96-point thumping at the hands of Melbourne at the MCG, the Crows overcame an early deficit before comprehensively outclassing the Suns, 20.10 (130) to 9.19 (73).
The win also ensured Adelaide would avoid suffering the same ignominy that befell hometown rival Port Adelaide, who were stunned by Gold Coast by three points three weeks ago.
Showcasing plenty of run and zest, the Suns, fresh off a fine win over Brisbane, established a healthy 26-point buffer (4.3 to 0.1) inside the first 15 minutes of play.
Trailing by 14 points at quarter-time, Adelaide completely dominated the second period, outscoring the visitors 7.6 to 0.2 to take a commanding 31-point into the half-time break and never looked like squandering their lead thereafter.
Scott Thompson (34 possessions), Graham Johncock (31), skipper Nathan Van Berlo (36), Brent Reilly (29) and were prominent all over the ground, while Patrick Dangerfield started slowly before exploding after quarter-time to finish with six goals.
Ablett (41 touches, 13 clearances, eight inside 50s, four goals) was the clear standout for Gold Coast and was in amazing touch early, even by his own lofty standards.
In the opening term alone, the Suns skipper destroyed five quality opponents in Reilly, Van Berlo, Michael Doughty, Thompson and Richard Douglas en route to 15 possessions, three clearances, three inside 50s and three superb goals.
Shortly after Ablett’s third major, big teenager Tom Lynch fluffed a prime chance to extend the Suns’ lead even further to 31 points, before the Crows finally responded with late goals to Ricky Henderson and Kurt Tippett, the Suns failing to take full advantage of the breeze advantage, not to mention their 15-4 advantage in clearances.
The second term was overwhelmingly on Adelaide’s terms, as the visitors coughed up plenty of turnovers and struggled to get anything going up forward (the Crows with a 17-6 edge in inside 50s).
Dangerfield snapped truly in the second minute of the quarter, before Shaun McKernan converted a major after taking a big contested grab two minutes later.
When Scott Thompson nailed a set shot gift from a Gold Coast turnover at the nine-minute mark, the Crows had their first lead of the match.
With a 116-73 advantage in the possession count for the term, Adelaide put the inexperienced Suns to the sword.
Late goals in time-on to Reilly and Chris Knights – who goaled after his superb tackle on Ablett saw the 2009 Brownlow Medallist pinged for holding the footy – stretched the hosts' advantage to 31 points at half-time, the Crows with nine unanswered goals after conceding the first four.
Ablett booted his fourth goal in the opening minute of the third quarter to break the Suns' goalless drought and long-kicking Trent McKenzie bombed a 65m beauty from inside the centre square.
Otherwise the Suns' goal-kicking was increasingly wayward and Adelaide made them pay, the margin out to 45 points at three quarter-time.
Dangerfield's three fourth-quarter goals saw his personal tally rise to a career-best six as the Crows' finishing polish (6.0) for the term was in contrast to Gold Coast (3.6), the Suns endeavour never in question but their inability to convert costing them dearly.
ADELAIDE: 2.2, 9.7, 14.10, 20.10 (130)
GOLD COAST: 4.4, 4.6, 6.13, 9.19 (73)
GOALS: Adelaide: Dangerfield 6, Wright, Knights, McKernan, Henderson 2, Tippett, S. Thompson, Douglas, Reilly, Gunston, L. Thompson
Gold Coast: Ablett 4, Smith, Lynch 2, McKenzie
BEST: Adelaide: Thompson, Dangerfield, Johncock, Van Berlo, Reilly, Sloane, Wright
Gold Coast: Ablett, Harbrow, Stanley, Rischitelli, Lynch
REPORTS: nil
UMPIRES: Margetts, Rosebury, Hay
CROWD: 36,056 at AAMI Stadium