This year we are only consistency away from the top 4 right now. The top 4 isn't as impressive as the top 2 with Hawks with a full side.No mate. Apologies, I pretty much agree with that bit. Sadly we are about 2 really good players and a good run of injuries away from being a top 4 side.
That said I don't see Adelaide as a contender with the way they are going about their game even if they were top 4 now.
Carlton, Melbourne, Essendon, wins that should of been chalked up but went in expecting it to just happen, hell the hawks should of gone down too.
Thompson having someone relevant to sub out for would of just about delivered that game against a massively weakened Hawks team.
12 wins is top 4 right now.
Adelaide are quite capable of controlling the stoppages and contests when people aren't doing idiotic blind handballs, hacks out or shovels from the congestion to the oppositions outside running seagulls, there is no sense in doing that since we have the muscle to pick up the ball and run it out of congestion not the outside players to gather the loose ball. This is how opponents get their clearances and smothers leading to clearances much of the time when not sharking it successfully. This is where the inconsistency stems from, making the game roulette even more then the poor field kicking.
That Talia being dragged out of the back line makes it so easy to score shows exactly where Rutten and Otten fail to deliver as KPDs, they are completely exposed for pace, the same thing happened against GWS with Talia up forward.
Adelaide were horrible in that match just GWS were so immensely better at being horrible. It was a really bad lead up match.
It honestly seemed like Sando showed Hawthorn what they should do in that game with how dysfunctional the back line was with Talia up forward only saved by Wright seemingly being everywhere in the last.
If any of you think they are selecting the best side that's ludicrous, you can't select a best side and gamble on the weather to save your ass at the same time when your selecting slow players to take on quick regardless of conditions and disregarding who is 50/50 to play. Even ruck men slim down to be quicker while Adelaide after selecting a team for pace and getting success goes back to selecting slow players and what happens....