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- Aug 10, 2009
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Summary
Max 15
Shower or two.
Possible rainfall: 1 to 3 mm
Chance of any rain: 70%
Adelaide area
Partly cloudy. High (70%) chance of showers, becoming less likely late this afternoon and evening. Possible small hail this morning. Winds westerly 30 to 40 km/h turning southwesterly during the morning then decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the late afternoon.
Match Preview
What is arguably match of the round and a preview to a finals encounter, AFL fans see the ladder leaders take on the team that came from a 0-6 start to be genuine flag contenders.
The last time these two teams met at Adelaide Oval, the Crows secured a thrilling 10-point win. Apart from that Round Four game in 2016, it’s been all Sydney. The consistent and competitive Swans have won five of their last six clashes with Adelaide including three on South Australian soil.
Sydney dominated the most recent meeting at the SCG in last year’s Semi-Final. The Swans prevailed by 36 points, which was (remarkably) below the average winning margin (51 points) in their last five victories over Adelaide. Not many clubs boast positive recent records against the Swans, who have been Grand Finalists in two of the last three years. Only one team (Hawthorn – twice) has beaten them since Round Six this season. But the Crows have been able to break down a number of barriers on their way to the top of the premiership table, and will have the belief they can match it with the red-hot Swans.
There are a total of 12 changes across the two teams since their last meeting some 335 days ago. Crows Jake Kelly, Hugh Greenwood and Alex Keath, who have never played the Swans, come into the team along with Riley Knight. Out of Adelaide’s Semi-Final side are midfielders Scott Thompson and Jarryd Lyons, and defensive duo Kyle Hartigan and Kyle Cheney.
More than a third of the Swans team is different. Sam Reid, Kurt Tippett, Callum Mills and Zak Jones were all missing from Sydney’s second final last year. Callum Sinclair, Will Hayward and Lewis Melican will play their first games against Adelaide as Swans, while traded pair Tom Mitchell and Toby Nankervis are among the absentees
While they have locked in a top-two berth, the Crows would love nothing more to knock off the Swans and gain a small slice of retribution for last year's semi-final loss whilst last year's Grand Finalists have dramatically turned things around with 12 wins from their past 14 games to keep their top-four hopes alive.
THE SIX POINTS
1. The Swans tore the Crows apart with a devastating first half in last year's semi-final at the SCG. The Swans kicked seven goals to three in the opening quarter and led by 37 points at the main break. Josh Kennedy had a massive game, finishing with 42 disposals, four inside 50s and 10 clearances.
2. The Crows remain the highest-scoring side this season, averaging 113 points per game. They are also ranked number one for inside 50s, marks inside 50, quarters won, contested possessions and clearances.
3. The Swans have the wood on the Crows in recent times, winning five of their past six encounters. However, the Crows still hold a 23-15 win/loss advantage in their 38 overall meetings.
4. It will be only the third time the two clubs have met at Adelaide Oval, with the ledger equal at 1-1. But travelling doesn't bother the in-form Swans, who have won five of their past six interstate games this season.
5. After losing their first six games of the season, the Swans have turned on the afterburners to get their campaign back on track. They are the best team in the competition since round seven, with 12 wins from 14 games and a percentage of 153.96 per cent. The Crows are ranked second, with nine wins in that period.
6. Crows midfielder Matt Crouch has moved to a career-high ranking in the Schick AFL Player Ratings. Crouch is 40th overall, having improved 94 places since the start of the season.
Prediction: Adelaide by 15
