Adelaide Match Preview

[jbct]

Good preview man, should be the game of the round. **** our ruck department will be shot though

 

[Go the Guts]

^^^^
Agreed, excellent write-up, not many opposition supporters would have as good a knowledge of our mob as that.

Not much mention of Dangerfield yet though, he is a real smoky, has had a heap of shots on goal in the last few games and hasn't hit them properly yet, I'd be quietly concerned about him up forward, amazing pace and strong hands, and is due for a bag.

I haven't watched as many Crows games as I'd have liked this year, due to school commitments, but I was under the impression Tex was a key forward. I think he is the weakest link in the Crows forward line, so McPhee zoning off him is probably a better case than him zoning off Stevens or Porplyzia.

He kicked 5 goals in the first half alone, against the reigning premier last week and won the rising star nomination for round 10 so if he's our weakest link, I'll take that.

Good luck to you guys, but got a feeling Crows by around 30.

 

[stay true]

Great write up Boucks!

 

[Super Gusto]

Brisbane were thrashed by the Cats in Rd 5 and have only dropped the 1 game since (A close one against the Saints). Voss said at the time that playing the best team in the comp showed his players what type of intensity and pressure was required to be a great team.

Hopefully last weeks game will inspire the Bombers in the same way.

 

[fryingpan]

Gread read Refreshing to see someone out SA knows their stuff when it comes to the AFC.

Huge game, Edwards 300th but these are the type of games we tend to lose and don't have a good feeling about it.

Essendon by 4 goals.

 

[Smoooothy]

Just to get us in the mood for this week -

[YOUTUBE]xhrOzixZrLE[/YOUTUBE]

Half Time - The Crows led 12.12.84 to 6.6.42.

The rest is history, as they say. The two clubs have never played a more important game against each other in their head-to-head history.

AAHHHH, burn it!!!!!!!!!

great writeup, but i think the crows will win confortably

looking forward to getting there (and hopefully not picking up swine flu!!)

 

[warney7]

The OP is using reverse psychology....GET HIM!

 

[Darealrath]

I'm not all that confident to be honest...

Would be an awesome win to take into the break though.

 

[AlwaysRight]

Great read.

Lets hope the bombers can get up, it will go a long way towards making finals if we can win this week.

 

[Boucks09]

The OP is using reverse psychology....GET HIM!

I thought you Warney of all people would be the master of sports psychology

 

[Ben the Gooner]

He kicked 5 goals in the first half alone, against the reigning premier last week and won the rising star nomination for round 10 so if he's our weakest link, I'll take that.

Good luck to you guys, but got a feeling Crows by around 30.

That was by no means a slight on Walker.

 

[bOmBeR_BoY1]

A lot of people in football circles seem to be making a massive fuss about the Crows winning their last two games against Carlton & Hawthorn, that were both in Adelaide - yet seem to forget we have also defeated these sides this year in impressive victories of our own with very depleted sides.

We're far from full strength this week, an issue we have become totally accustomed to in recent years and the Crows are arguably (besides Brett Burton) fielding their best side of the year. Despite all this, I still think this is a winnable game for the club and a game to make a statement at home that we can respond well to setbacks like last week in our development. The same people I was referring to at the start of my post are the ones writing us off after losing to Geelong last week. Now correct me if I'm wrong, Geelong are a fairly decent unit and have convincingly defeated every other side in the competition, including Adelaide in Adelaide, in their previous games with these opponents. Only the totally delusional thought we had a chance of winning last week. Hardly alarm bells for EFC just yet.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

I'm worried about us running out of puff with too many players not at %100.

Adelaide are a well drilled, fit, hard running side and I hope we can hold them off.

Big games needed from the likes of Dyson, Hocking and the second tier brigade to support the guys getting us over the line.

Time for Monfries to have his one good game in 5 and Lonergan needs to step this week big time.

I was confident about winning early in the week but the loss of Winderlich and Slattery has me worried. I'm praying for a close win before the week off and our tilt at the second half of the year with guys coming back.

Huge **** game in the context of the season... for both sides.

 

[James23]

Walker is listed at 190cm which is taller than I thought to be honest.

He's actually 192 now, genuine KPF height.

Brilliant write-up by the way!

 

[Boucks09]

He's actually 192 now, genuine KPF height.

Brilliant write-up by the way!

Really that's amazing. He doesn't look that tall on the field. Hopefully he can maximise his potential and become a great full forward in the years to come.

 

[Rave Slave]

Taken from the Adelaide board, I was selfish and forgot to post my preview on your board. Sorry guys!

Essendon vs Adelaide @ Etihad Stadium Sunday June 7th 1:10pm

Acknowledgements:

Just before I kick this bad boy off I'd like to say a giant **** you to Stabby for making my life so difficult following his epic four act masterpiece including poetry, videos, a dancing monkey and the Jonas brothers. Thanks mate, real easy to follow on from that.

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

The Game itself:

Without wanting to sound too much like the media's finest here, this is effectively an 8 point game for both the Dons and Adelaide heading into the match. With both sides sitting on 5 wins and 5 losses and less than two percent seperating one another on the ladder, the winner will be showered with praise whilst the loser will be taunted and booed until my throat is sore.

The past history does not look favourably upon Adelaide with the Crows having masterminded a win against Essendon in Melbourne just once in the past 8 milennium (largely on the back of the sheer genius that is Nick Gill).

As a matter of fact ask any seasoned Crows fan which loss still has them kicking the cat* around the living room with frustration and many will hark back to that miserable day back in 1993 where Essendon decided 42 points wasn't all that much of a defecit and Andrew Jarman decided that kicking at goal from centimetres out wasn't actually a sure thing.
*poster does not condone kicking felines of any varietal

With that being said, past history counts for little with the Crows and Essendon lineups of 2009. Essendon, widely tipped as cellar dwellers by the vast majority of media and pundits alike, have surprised many with their skill, pace, ball movement and attacking flair. With memorable wins over 3 of their most hated rivals in Hawthorn, Collingwood and Carlton, the baby bombers appear to be starting their ascent back up the ladder and towards playing finals once more.

The once maligned Matthew Knights is now being praised for his refusal to back down from his attacking gameplan in spite of facing the adversities of youth, injury and at times stronger opposition. No more Hird, basically no Hille or Lucas, and far less reliance on the Fletcher's and Lloyd's of the world. It's now the likes of Stanton, Watson, Ryder, Davey, A surprisingly consistent Lovett, Pears, Winderlich and Monfries who have helped Essendon to their strong start. Also not to be forgotten is the man with the most yellable name in football in ZAHARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKIS who happened to win the game against Collingwood off his own boot.

On the other side of the ledger sits an Adelaide side with a similar playing profile to that of the Essendon lineup. With the spiritual leader Roo gone and the reliance on the big 3 of Macca, Goodwin and Edwards now at an all time low, the onus is being placed more and more on the youth of Adelaide and in particular, the Crushers group of mid age players in the 23-28 year age bracket.

Approaching the season having lost in the opening round of the NAB cup, the naysayers were out in force suggesting the Crows would finish in the '12th and below' bracket. Cries of 'No Youth', 'Where will the goals come from?' and 'Rave Slave is ridiculously handsome!' left many Crows fans questioning whether Neil Craig was the right man to lead this club forward and whether or not Rave was single.

Fast forward to Round 11 and 3 rising star nominations later and we see Crows fans sticking their chests out with threads such as 'Dangerfield >>> Judd?' and 'Who is beta Franklin or Walka?'. Indeed it's a time like never experienced before by the Crows faithful and many of us have mulled over whether or not now wasn't the time to take the plunge and get that username change to Danger_is_hot_Rave or ILoveTheOttenz.

Essendon's Youth:

Tayte Pears.

Having been taken at pick 23 in the 2007 draft Pears has been thrown to the wolves this year with great effect. Taking on the big gorilla forward week in week out and yet to have his colours lowered, it would have to be a matter of 'when' rather than if he gets a nod for a rising star nomination. Has been exceptional down back for the Bombers and has not only sured up the back half of the field, but plays well beyond his years at just 19. Will most likely face up against the Big Tip should he start forward.

Bachar Houli.

Get it!?!?! Houli Hoop!?!?!? You people are lucky to have such fine comedy value in your midst!

An exceptional talent off the half back line and pushing up into the guts, this bloke doesn't have a left foot - he has a laser beam. Can pinpoint a target from 55 metres away and barely have it travel higher than eye level, he's an exceptional disposer of the football and has fantastic vision and poise for a player of his age. Sets the Dons up well and is instrumental in the Bombers new attacking gamestyle.

Has also been quite the pioneer for young Muslims around the country showing that it's possible to play an elite sport and still have room for a devout following of their religion, using it as a positive influence in terms of self discipline. Great story

ZAHAAAARAAAAAAKIIIIIIIIIIIIS

Oh hi you might have heard of this greek demigod? rising star nomination in round 2? No? Well hows about single handedly smiting the filth that is Collingwood on one of the biggest regular season days of the year with the LAST KICK OF THE GAME! Man he could never play football again and he'll still be one of my all time heroes.

Oh and yes, I'm aware that's a photo of Marcos Baghdatis...

When David Hille went down Essendon's season was over and Collingwood were gonna belt the suitcase out of them for the remainder of the Anzac day clash... Step forward one Patty 'Winona' Ryder.

Whilst not having the ability to scoop and run quite as well as his hollywood counterpart, Patty has been the shining light on an already extremely positive Essendon year. Always regarded as an enigmatic Centre Half Back, Ryder has taken further steps towards superstardom since his move into the ruck. With his new found role meaning he sees much more of the footy, Ryder has really been able to show off his bag of tricks. A beautiful kick of the footy for a guy of his size, Ryder would comfortably be the most athletic ruck in the competition for sheer leap and pace. His efforts from ANZAC day onwards in the ruck have been absolutely stellar and has E.L.I.T.E. written all over him.


Adelaide's Youth

Andy Otten

Having already become the most famous Andy of all time surpassing Mr Roddick and Mr Warhol. Otten has been an absolute shining light for the Crows down back this season. Whilst drafted as a midfielder Otten has found a niche in the backline and has shown to everyone that he is super sexy and will one day win a Brownlow. The loss of Bassett has been much more bearable thanks to the fantastic form of Andy and he has comfortably been the most consistent of Adelaide's 'new' youth so far this season. Otten is a red hot contender for the Rising star award and also is guaranteed to be the next Cleo Bachelor of the year.

Patty Dangerfield

Possibly the baddest badass youngster to ever play AFL football, Patty is the kind of player you love on your team. Quick, Tall, Strong, Built like a Brick Shithouse, The Ability to Make me Capitalise Letters in this Sentence Unnecessarily. Patrick was the victim of unwarranted criticism in the whole Ebert/Dangerfield draft day disasterpiece until Crows fans actually saw him play...

...After many of us had pulled our pants back up and cleaned the mess up we realised just what an explosive talent this kid actually is. Oozes leadership qualities and quite handy up forward, Patty is earmarked for a future leadership role but acts as a nice foil for our next young talent...

The label above speaks for itself.

Any man who can make Brown Ale from his own testicles is an exceptional, almost messiah like talent. While some would say Crows fans are overrating him a tad due to not actually having a forward since now 66 year old Tony Modra, his record speaks for itself. 50 Goals last year in his first year at senior SANFL level and already 20 goals to his name up to round 10. Walker has shown a goalsense not seen in the Crows forward line since the likes of Bonaddio and Richardson. His kicking action is fluent and natural and whilst far from speedy he has a natural positioning and instinct which means he can have 8 touches for the day and be best on ground with 8 goals.

Michael Doughty. Nuff said.


Key Players:

The Coaches

The major factor on who wins the game.

Put simply if Essendon can think their way through Adelaide's evolving rolling zone and utilise their pace to cut holes through the cluster of players then they win the game. If Adelaide frustrate Essendon into bombing long to contests, slow movement and are able to push numbers behind the ball and are then able to catch Essendon on the hop, they win the game. It's funny that the most intriguing match up may indeed come from the coaches box.

First up you have Craig and his insistence on moving the ball with quick hands and reflex gives through the middle (whilst still keeping a defensive structure) before a quick offload to a forward in the best position. In contrast you have Knights and his almost kamikaze gameplan of moving the ball forward in waves of numbers through the corridor as direct as possible by foot and running the ball with high intensity pace. This sees much quicker scoring and many goals setup from his midfielders but leaves the Dons vulnerable at times on the counter.

The question is, can Knights and his band of merry Bombers think their way through Adelaide's rolling zone? Or will Craigy suffocate the life out of Essendon's midfielders and nullify their pace through perceived pressure and lack of space?

Matthew Lloyd.

If Matthew Lloydganis (a diving joke, how original) gets quick delivery from his midfielders and the ball movement prevents the Adelaide backline from pushing numbers in front of him then Lloydy could have a field day. Traditionally Rutten is the man for the job and for Lloyd to be at his most dangerous he must be given the opportunity to have a leap at the footy and space to lead into. If it comes down to a body on body contest Rutten will simply outmuscle Lloyd and leave it up to the Crows smaller bodies to mop up the loose footy.

The fearless leader of the Bombers has shown signs of getting back to some of his best football this year and with much improved delivery has begun looking really dangerous again as the focal point of Essendon's attack. Nothing would please Adelaide more than to see a player of Lloyd's calibre up on the wing getting touches. Essendon would undoubtedly be trying to isolate Lloyd one out on the lead against Rutten and hope that they move it quick enough to show up Trucky's lack of mobility.

Nathan Bock

The catalyst for many of Adelaide's attacking forays, the Crows backline looked an entirely different unit against Hawthorn with the return of the chicken man. If Essendon are planning on slowing Adelaide's movement forward then they could do worse than giving Bock some extra attention. Ridiculous endurance for a man of his size, the AA CHB loves nothing more than lumbering his sexy frame up the wing for a few bounces before pumping Adelaide long into attack then running back to help out Trucky and co. If allowed free reign he'll rack up midfielders numbers with devastating efficiency and undoubtedly Essendon will be using their renowned forward line pressure from the likes of Davey and Jetta to try and stop Bock from pushing up the ground with any regularity.

Brent Stanton

'Rave Slave, you were wrong! *chokes tie*'

In all seriousness I was never a massive fan of this bloke. Thought he was a solid enough footballer if far from spectacular. Then this season he bursts out the blocks to become one of Essendon's most damaging ballwinners. Racking up numbers with ease across the half back line and through the centre of the ground, Stanton has really been working on his disposal efficiency by foot and his endurance around the ground. This is evidenced by his vastly improved numbers this season and the acknowledgement that he's starting to receive from opposition fans and the media alike. He's actually starting to use the ball really well and is taking that extra second or two before disposing of the footy rather than blazing away to the wrong option.

Scott Thompson

A major candidate for the Adelaide captaincy once TAB sportsbet retires, Thommo racks up 30+ touches a game with little or no fanfare these days on the Adelaide board. People seem to forget that he cops the hardest tag week in week out of any of our midfielders and still carries his own football around. Has really matured as a player since his days as a hotheaded youngster from Melbourne, the bloke gets in at the bottom of every pack and contested ball scenario. Is the main driving force in Adelaide's midfield and a superstar to boot. Must be nullified if Essendon are to win the game.

The Engine Room

Probably Adelaide's achilles heel to date this season has been their ruck and this is clearly a place where Essendon will be looking to dominate. Moran and Maric will need to ensure they stop Ryder from jumping all over them. Allowing Essendon's midfielders to get first hands on the football is asking for trouble with the pace of Lovett and Winderlich and the quick hands of the new gun inside midfielder of the competition in Jobe Watson. If Adelaide allow the athletic Ryder to dictate the 'inexperienced' Moran and the mojo-less Croatian then it may force Kurt Tippett back into the centre and ruin the new found structure the Crows have been trying so hard to establish up forward.

Jobe Watson

Couldn't make a preview thread on Essendon without mentioning SOT (Son of Timmy). Another heavily criticised by the Bombers faithful and opposition supporters alike, Jobe has come on in leaps and bounds under Matthew Knights and with his ridiculously good hand skills has stepped out of the shadow of his old man to become a sublime in and under midfielder. Has fantastic vision under pressure and is great with the quick give, once his footskills catch up to his hands he will be a terrific player for the bombers. Michael Doughty should be doing everything in his power to ensure Jobe sees as little football as possible.

The Verdict

Big game for both clubs considering it only being the midway stage of the season. A win here sees the logjam of clubs sitting 3rd through 12th drop down by 1 and both clubs would be revving their players up for a huge match. The Crows are the better side at shutting down the opposition but they come up against a side with the pace to cut through their zone and really damage the Crows on the turnover. Essendon are developing a fantastic young backline and it will be interesting watching them go head to head with the Crows inexperienced yet talented forward line. They will also be hellbent on getting a result after their poor showing against the bigger bodies of Geelong last week. The reality is the final result may come down to just who gets on top in the guts and which coach makes the genius tactical move (Walker to Ruck-Rover) that wins the game.

I'm leaning towards the Crows in a tight contest simply because they play the Etihadome well and an away game yields more chance of a win than a home game of late. With that in mind however Adelaide's record against Essendon in Melbourne resembles something like the novel 'Scotland and France's Greatest War Triumphs.' So alas I fear it may well be my bias and level of inebriation that's clouding my judgment.

And so, with splinters firmly planted into my posterior, I throw up the first great contraversy on the Crows board for 2009.

ADELAIDE AND ESSENDON TO DRAW!!!

With Jobe Watson to miss the potentially matchwinning goal from 35 metres out with 16 seconds left to play...

Have at it Lads/Ladies!

 

[Valve Bounce]

Our best defense is to threaten them with Swine Flu when they come to Victoria.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Brilliant.

Very funny too.

 

[Valve Bounce]

Brilliant.

Very funny too.

Here's a thought - we could get a lot of girls dressed in nurses' whites and wearing face masks and greet them with huge syringes at Tullamarine.

 

[stay true]

Hahaha great preview. Hate to nitpick but that's a photo of the Poo not Bahgdatis... and Bahgdatis is Cyprian, not Greek.

Seriously, nice job!

 

[Rave Slave]

Hahaha great preview. Hate to nitpick but that's a photo of the Poo not Bahgdatis... and Bahgdatis is Cyprian, not Greek.

Seriously, nice job!

Just part of my sick sense of humour matey

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Brilliant.

Very funny too.

Yep, great write up. I particularly liked the Paddy "Winona" Ryder call.