Preview Changes vs. Collingwood (Qualifying Final) Thursday night

[brucetiki]

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Resource - Adelaide Board Finals Hub

Welcome to the Adelaide Board's Finals Hub. All you need to know about our upcoming Finals matches can be found here! Qualifying Final: Adelaide v Collingwood, Thursday 4 September, 7:10pm Adelaide Oval Ticketing Info: https://www.afc.com.au/club/finalshub2025 Members pre-sale: 10:00am...

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[1970crow]

Anyone concerned about us having a soft run into the preliminary final?

We get Collingwood at home, a team who has lost 5 of their last 7, we then get the week off.

Is this the best preparation for a prelim?

We beat them by 3 points at home 2 games ago. This is a 50:50 game, not even close to soft.

 

[Moonwatcher]

We beat them by 3 points at home 2 games ago. This is a 50:50 game, not even close to soft.

I think he's meme-ing

 

[GameofSloanes]

Not surprising if Dowling is dropped ....he's not ready yet, and needs a harder edge

He's just as ready as Bond, is a better player, and if he is dropped we are playing a defender in attack

 

[GameofSloanes]

I think there's a chance that we're overrating Max's value playing ahead of the ball. The sample size is tiny and was against very average opposition. Will be a bit different against the teams we'll be competing against over the next 2-4 games.

So much this. Sample size of 1, playing against garbage. And if it doesnt work, we have no other options to play forward

 

[GameofSloanes]

Dowling out instead of bond could lose the game at selection

 

[Moonwatcher]

Rachele and Rankine being out is a huge structural headache.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Dowling out instead of bond could lose the game at selection

We're top of the ladder without playing Dowling.

 

[1970crow]

Laird, Pedlar and Lax all in are strong ins. Murphy had 4 touches last time, if Pedlar gets 10 touches at least 1 or 2 of them will be goals. Schoenberg is also another very good out, as he's nowhere near it.

Pedlar only got 10 touches in his first 2 games this year, it's been diminishing returns ever since, averaging 7 for the season. Placing expectation that he'll be a positive influence is pure faith at this point, hopefully he's good to go. Maybe the hammy has refreshed whatever it was holding him back. Laird and Max coming in with Bond and Smith remaining is a bit of a problem in terms of midfield power and overall flexibility. I think on paper it's fair to argue that the Laird + Max > Rankine, but I don't think that's going to turn out to be the case.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

He's just as ready as Bond, is a better player, and if he is dropped we are playing a defender in attack

I disagree .....Bond is a hard nut, and shown an ability to stick fanatically to a task

People judge Dowling on his stats, equating stats numbers much the same as Crouch was judged .....however it's what Dowling is doing without the ball

Dowling's last game ....76% TOG .....zero tackles .....14 disposals


So what is Dowling offering ....pace, stats, marking , tackling, pack busting ?? .....I'm certainly not writing him off, just saying his game is incomplete currently

He reminds me a lot of Jarryd Lyons ....except Lyons was a 5 tackle per game player

 

[Golumless]

Dowling out instead of bond could lose the game at selection

Possible, you would think McRae is thinking that all his Christmas's have come at once with us gambling a spot on our lineup on Max or Bond being used as a forward.

In saying that, it's been a dead spot for a while, so it's not likely to be a "loss at selection" kind of deal. Just more of the same shit we've been working around since Rachele got injured. Lets be real, Pedlar, Murphy, Cook (or probably Dowling) aren't offering any more than Max/Bond will.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Possible, you would think McRae is thinking that all his Christmas's have come at once with us gambling a spot on our lineup on Max or Bond being used as a forward.

In saying that, it's been a dead spot for a while, so it's not likely to be a "loss at selection" kind of deal. Just more of the same shit we've been working around since Rachele got injured. Lets be real, Pedlar, Murphy, Cook (or probably Dowling) aren't offering any more than Max/Bond will.

Feels like playing Andy Otten in a GF.

 

[skam85]

Anyone concerned about us having a soft run into the preliminary final?

We get Collingwood at home, a team who has lost 5 of their last 7, we then get the week off.

Is this the best preparation for a prelim?

Thankfully we will be facing top 8 teams in each of our finals fixtures

 

[Moonwatcher]

Thankfully we will be facing top 8 teams in each of our finals fixtures

Luckily we won't be playing West Coast or North.

 

[huludicidal]

I disagree .....Bond is a hard nut, and shown an ability to stick fanatically to a task

People judge Dowling on his stats, equating stats numbers much the same as Crouch was judged .....however it's what Dowling is doing without the ball

Dowling's last game ....76% TOG .....zero tackles .....14 disposals
View attachment 2415478

So what is Dowling offering ....pace, stats, marking , tackling, pack busting ?? .....I'm certainly not writing him off, just saying his game is incomplete currently

He reminds me a lot of Jarryd Lyons ....except Lyons was a 5 tackle per game player

If we’re looking at the most recent game, maybe show us Bond’s most recent game, where he was utterly horrendous and annihilated by his direct opponent in Curtis. How fanatically did he stick to that task?

We played the first 20 rounds of the season with Max playing in Bond’s exact role, and Bond in the SANFL. The only exception to this was a game against Richmond where Max played up forward on Vlastuin. Is Bond doing such a good job down back that we move Max up forward in a final to a role that he’s played once in his entire career, in a meaningless game against a bottom 4 side?

There is no universe where I’d be playing Max up forward, and also no universe where all of the following players can play down back, meaning that picking Max and Bond in the same side means Max HAS to play up forward:

Murray
Keane
Worrell
Max
Bond
Milera
Laird
Hinge
(Plus Smith as a sub)


By no means is Dowling a perfect option, but to play Max down back where he belongs, omitting Bond is the only way to do this, unless Hinge was shifted to a wing and Curtin played full time on the ball / up forward, which just isn’t happening.

 

[GameofSloanes]

I disagree .....Bond is a hard nut, and shown an ability to stick fanatically to a task

People judge Dowling on his stats, equating stats numbers much the same as Crouch was judged .....however it's what Dowling is doing without the ball

Dowling's last game ....76% TOG .....zero tackles .....14 disposals
View attachment 2415478

So what is Dowling offering ....pace, stats, marking , tackling, pack busting ?? .....I'm certainly not writing him off, just saying his game is incomplete currently

He reminds me a lot of Jarryd Lyons ....except Lyons was a 5 tackle per game player

Well he kicked 2 goals, which was more than the final margin. And can play forward, as opposed to shoehorning a defender in there. He also has the ability to find the ball, and in every game he has played, has bobbed up with important contributions.
Bond's disposal and composure isnt great when the pressure is on imo. Which it will be. To be honest I would either delist or rookie him as I'm not sure he's any good. Sure he has fanatical application. So does Murphy. Max is better at the same role, and it allows us to select another goal scoring option at the other end, keeping our structure intact

 

[GameofSloanes]

We're top of the ladder without playing Dowling.

Yes, but with Rachele and/or Rankine playing

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Well he kicked 2 goals, which was more than the final margin. And can play forward, as opposed to shoehorning a defender in there. He also has the ability to find the ball, and in every game he has played, has bobbed up with important contributions.
Bond's disposal and composure isnt great when the pressure is on imo. Which it will be. To be honest I would either delist or rookie him as I'm not sure he's any good. Sure he has fanatical application. So does Murphy. Max is better at the same role, and it allows us to select another goal scoring option at the other end, keeping our structure intact

I think you're misunderstanding the tactic .....Max wouldn't be played FWD as another scoring option ....it would be in a defensive role on Josh Daicos or Nick, who's been spending more time fwd of late

So wanting to include another scoring option, like a Dowling, would say we're going to let Josh and Nick run free

 

[FR0GGY]

I find it funny TBH, theyre concerned that theyve fired their best shot at us and still couldnt get it done.

Nicer weather suits us imo.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Nicer weather suits us imo.

It probably suits both teams

Expecting it to be much higher scoring this time around

 

[huludicidal]

I think you're misunderstanding the tactic .....Max wouldn't be played FWD as another scoring option ....it would be in a defensive role on Josh Daicos or Nick, who's been spending more time fwd of late

So wanting to include another scoring option, like a Dowling, would say we're going to let Josh and Nick run free

If only we had a proven defensive forward like Alex Neal-Bullen in the side to take the job on Josh Daicos. Ben Keays even. Zac Taylor has played multiple defensive roles this season without much acclaim too.

As for Nick D, Max wouldn’t be going anywhere near him regardless of who he’s replacing in the side. Can’t see us changing the way we approached Nick from the last time out, but personally I’d have Soligo and Peatling sharing this role.

Max on Elliott is a perfect matchup.

 

[MrBarry]

It probably suits both teams

Expecting it to be much higher scoring this time around

We have the significantly better tall marking power.

 

[MrBarry]

Feels like playing Andy Otten in a GF.

Except Often was shot to bits as a player by that point.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Having Michaelanny back in is a godsend, his versatility will be important especially with the use of the sub, if he starts, which he should, it means you can sub a defender or a forward and keep your structure by moving him forward or back.

That would mean not using Smith as sub, but rather Pedlar or Dowling...

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

If only we had a proven defensive forward like Alex Neal-Bullen in the side to take the job on Josh Daicos. Ben Keays even. Zac Taylor has played multiple defensive roles this season without much acclaim too.

As for Nick D, Max wouldn’t be going anywhere near him regardless of who he’s replacing in the side. Can’t see us changing the way we approached Nick from the last time out, but personally I’d have Soligo and Peatling sharing this role.

Max on Elliott is a perfect matchup.

Bond went ok on Elliott last time.

Stopping the Daicos brothers is more important, so Max is being entrusted with an important role.

 

[chazwazza]

That would mean not using Smith as sub, but rather Pedlar or Dowling...

My point is, Smith can come on in his normal role for either a forward or defender and Max can move where he is needed. Smith comes on for Pedlar, Max can move forward to replace Peds, Smith down back.