Land of the Giants
Premiership Player
We’ve made our second consecutive finals campaign, and second consecutive top 4 finish. Well done to the club and everyone who’s helped make it happen.
Now for a reality check. Here’s our record against the other finalists:
Adelaide – our biggest loss for the season
Geelong – our second biggest loss for the season, and a draw
Richmond – one narrow win, and a comfortable loss
Port Adelaide – a comfortable win
Sydney – one comfortable win, and a loss
Essendon – one reasonably comfortable win
West Coast – two wins, neither of which was particularly comfortable
It’s not exactly a record that inspires much confidence going into the finals. And we have not been in good form for most of the year, to be honest. Look at our season record, especially from rounds 6-19.
In fact, since our round 5 victory over the Swans at the SCG (and our mid-season win against wooden-spoon Brisbane), our only convincing wins have been against Melbourne in round 20 and the Bulldogs in round 21.
Something hasn’t been right about the team this year. We’ve got by through sheer depth of talent, but have not been dominant. Injuries have played a part, but it’s one of those things that is hard to put a finger on.
Now we face the Crows in a qualifying final at Adelaide Oval on Thursday week, so let’s have a look at our overall record against them.
We’ve only beaten them once in eight starts, and apart from that, the losses have been by more-than-convincing margins (the average losing margin is 12 goals!), with the latest loss being Round 1 this year. For some reason, they match up well against us. That’s just the way it seems to be.
As their percentage suggests, the Crows themselves have been quite dominant this year, with only a couple of bad losses to their name. However, they finished the season losing to Sydney at home, then West Coast away.
It’s the loss to the Swans which will worry them, because it resembles their recent performances in finals and other significant games. They last won a preliminary final 20 years ago. They came close in 2006 and 2012, but apart from that, have tended to exit at elimination or semi-final stage. Their performance under pressure is questionable.
We might be able to exploit that to our advantage, provided we get team selection right. We just can’t afford any passengers or spectators. Some hard decisions need to be made, because we’re going to have to be very hard to win.
The consensus is that Steve Johnson’s career is finished. He made virtually no impact against his old club last night. He surely won’t be able to keep pace in the finals.
I would bring Tim Taranto into the team. He looked good before getting injured and was providing some great energy around the ground. His return through the NEAFL was successful. He won’t be over-awed by the occasion.
Matt De Boer should also be included. He has more-than-handy finals experience from his time with the Dockers.
Leon and the coaches need to find some way to make us unpredictable. Should Dawson Simpson come into the team, to free up Mumford for some other role? Is Jacob Hopper able to step up another level, having missed so much game time this year? If not, who could replace him?
All things considered, the Crows have had the wood on us for quite a while, and there isn’t any evidence we’ll be able to turn that around in the near future, much less an away final. I would love to go to this game, but it being on a Thursday rules that out.
Nonetheless, hope springs eternal. We were able to win our qualifying final last year. If the coaches get team selection right, and we're hungry enough, there’s no reason we can’t do it again.
There’s no better to time break our hoodoo against the Crows at Adelaide Oval.
Go Giants!
Now for a reality check. Here’s our record against the other finalists:
Adelaide – our biggest loss for the season
Geelong – our second biggest loss for the season, and a draw
Richmond – one narrow win, and a comfortable loss
Port Adelaide – a comfortable win
Sydney – one comfortable win, and a loss
Essendon – one reasonably comfortable win
West Coast – two wins, neither of which was particularly comfortable
It’s not exactly a record that inspires much confidence going into the finals. And we have not been in good form for most of the year, to be honest. Look at our season record, especially from rounds 6-19.
In fact, since our round 5 victory over the Swans at the SCG (and our mid-season win against wooden-spoon Brisbane), our only convincing wins have been against Melbourne in round 20 and the Bulldogs in round 21.
Something hasn’t been right about the team this year. We’ve got by through sheer depth of talent, but have not been dominant. Injuries have played a part, but it’s one of those things that is hard to put a finger on.
Now we face the Crows in a qualifying final at Adelaide Oval on Thursday week, so let’s have a look at our overall record against them.
We’ve only beaten them once in eight starts, and apart from that, the losses have been by more-than-convincing margins (the average losing margin is 12 goals!), with the latest loss being Round 1 this year. For some reason, they match up well against us. That’s just the way it seems to be.
As their percentage suggests, the Crows themselves have been quite dominant this year, with only a couple of bad losses to their name. However, they finished the season losing to Sydney at home, then West Coast away.
It’s the loss to the Swans which will worry them, because it resembles their recent performances in finals and other significant games. They last won a preliminary final 20 years ago. They came close in 2006 and 2012, but apart from that, have tended to exit at elimination or semi-final stage. Their performance under pressure is questionable.
We might be able to exploit that to our advantage, provided we get team selection right. We just can’t afford any passengers or spectators. Some hard decisions need to be made, because we’re going to have to be very hard to win.
The consensus is that Steve Johnson’s career is finished. He made virtually no impact against his old club last night. He surely won’t be able to keep pace in the finals.
I would bring Tim Taranto into the team. He looked good before getting injured and was providing some great energy around the ground. His return through the NEAFL was successful. He won’t be over-awed by the occasion.
Matt De Boer should also be included. He has more-than-handy finals experience from his time with the Dockers.
Leon and the coaches need to find some way to make us unpredictable. Should Dawson Simpson come into the team, to free up Mumford for some other role? Is Jacob Hopper able to step up another level, having missed so much game time this year? If not, who could replace him?
All things considered, the Crows have had the wood on us for quite a while, and there isn’t any evidence we’ll be able to turn that around in the near future, much less an away final. I would love to go to this game, but it being on a Thursday rules that out.
Nonetheless, hope springs eternal. We were able to win our qualifying final last year. If the coaches get team selection right, and we're hungry enough, there’s no reason we can’t do it again.
There’s no better to time break our hoodoo against the Crows at Adelaide Oval.
Go Giants!
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