Preview Changes: GRAND FINAL

[CrowBloke]

The way I see it is having Otten up forward will stretch Richmonds defence. They just don't have the key position defenders to man up on our forwards if we give them enough supply.

It will also force Rance to be more accountable.

The query will be our defence. Potentially with Talia, Hartigan and Lever we could be too top heavy, however this is how I see it:

Talia - Reiwoldt
Hartigan - Caddy/Martin
Lever - spare defender

Laird, Brown, Mackay and Kelly take the smalls.

I actually think this works massively in our favour. They don't have a tall Lever has to worry about, this means he will be free to intercept away. What he needs to be careful of is if he tries to play on they will run him down. So it's mark and kick all day.

Richmond will struggle to kick a score, just as they did in the first half of both finals. The difference is Geelong and GWS couldn't score and we do that better than anyone.

Really interesting analysis.
Pyke likes Otten for flexibility and will probably play him forward if Gov is unfit. (Edit: but he can go back, too.)
Only the Crows' inner circle know the truth about Gov. Anyone can get injured at any time, but Pyke will not risk him unless he's fit. He will not want us to play one down after 10 minutes, if Gov's leg goes early.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Yep. I'll be amazed if he gets suspended, even on the back of a (third) fine.

They'll figure out what explanation gets him off and then fit the evidence to that outcome.

 

[CrowBloke]

Lever missed one as a precaution during the year from memory. Or someone else, but someone definitely did.

Talia?

 

[DD#23]

Dont wont dwell on the outs as its rather irrelevant, but as a point of discussion if Smith and Gov were fit to play would this be a certainty or are the players that are in only marginally giving us lesser output?

without a doubt McGovern is a far more influential player than Otten, you'd put him in all day every day.

Smith is a little bit more complicated, Seed has been good but they really play slightly different roles. Its really the fact Mackay is in career best form at the moment that's helping us cover Smithers IMO.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

If the MRP is concerned about point of impact and consequence of impact, Cotchin's out.

They are concerned with keeping up appearances, and in this case it means Cotchin must not be suspended.

 

[GROTTO]

without a doubt McGovern is a far more influential player than Otten, you'd put him in all day every day.

Smith is a little bit more complicated, Seed has been good but they really play slightly different roles. Its really the fact Mackay is in career best form at the moment that's helping us cover Smithers IMO.

Gov has also recent history at the G in that drawn game against the Pies and delivering. Pivotal clutch moments.

Smith would give us that leg speed and at the G, those bombs from outside 50m.

I do agree with 400kay, if he maintains his current form the losses are definitely masked and should play no consequence to the result.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

Good post.
Not sure about tagging DM. By whom? Someone niggly like Knight? Seeds? --- has the pace to go with Martin, maybe?
I hope the boys are being given anti-fend lessons by someone at training. Beating Martin's fend would do the trick, since it gets him both time and space. Anyone in here got any anti-fend clues?

Grab his arm. At least then he has to scramble a kick, rather than break clear. Harto to go with him up forward as he did for Dangerfield. I thought Harto did a pretty good job to be honest. Yes, he does have the odd brain fade, but his good outweighs the bad. I would still prefer Hampton to come in for Otto if Gov doesn't get up, as we'll be badly exposed for pace if it hits the ground - esp if wet as predicted!

 

[BRL121]

Talia?

Talia's wasn't a hamstring.

 

[GROTTO]

Now that we landed in the Grand Final, imagine landing there with that campaigner in Danger in the team playing for us instead?

Its a quintessential sliding door moment, you could argue that we may not have had the organic growth that we have had this year and last coupled with our reliance on him as well.

But damn with a midfield of Danger, Sloane, Crouch brothers would have been damn lethal and unbeatable.

With that said, winning on Saturday without him is going to better for the Adelaide Football Club than with him in it. Given that we are about an entire team and not an individual that is the most imperative point.

 

[Simmo28]

Wonder if they'll think about Greenwood- 6 touches.

A blip, we need him in the team


MCrouch 2017 Brownlow Winner

 

[Simmo28]

They won't do it, watching tonight it was clear why Otten was picked.

We need him for the kick down the line where he gives us a marking contest. If we didn't have that our structures would be out.

This


MCrouch 2017 Brownlow Winner

 

[jirkago]

I think Otten needs to go, hope McGovern is in or then Milera will be in then

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[CrowBloke]

But damn with a midfield of Danger, Sloane, Crouch brothers would have been damn lethal and unbeatable.
With that said, winning on Saturday without him is going to better for the Adelaide Football Club than with him in it. Given that we are about an entire team and not an individual that is the most imperative point.

You made a very good point about the improvements made by Matt'n'Brad which might have been hindered with Dangerfield around. Sloaney stepped up a level, too.
Our midfield with Sloane and the New! Improved!! Crouch Bros Inc!!! is formidable now. No midfield is unbeatable, but their influence often waxes and wanes, even during a game.
Frankly, I never think about what we'd be like with Streepfield still in our side. He's not.

I have very mixed feelings about PD. The AFC really looked after him in his early years and his development was nurtured carefully. I suspected back in 2011-12 that he'd win a Brownlow, maybe even 2 or 3, and hoped it would be in Crows colours. He seemed to be of solid character, even humble, but now his silly, cheesey media-grabbing stunts off the field and his free-grabbing flops and dives on-field seem to indicate massive attention-seeking and ego-insecurity. With his talent, he does not need to stage for frees. He goes in so hard and fast he'll get plenty anyway.
Compare him to Bartel, Priddis, or Fyfe is like comparing Tomic to Pat Rafter, or Warne to Gilchrist. Ability to burn, high achiever, but would you want him as a mate? Naaah, because you couldn't rely upon him.
He's gone. Getting to a GF without him is testament to Pykey and the boys. I'm really happy from a schadenfreude pov that we got to a GF without him, before he did. That will turn to euphoria if we win. I don't care if that's mean-spirited of me. I value loyalty highly.
Are we better off without him? We'll never know, but I don't wish he was back.

P.S. When Geelong played Hawthorn, PD's foot injury cause Scott to play him forward and he starred. Why?
Even Clarko conceded that with PD up forward, their back structure was forced to change. Unsettled, they got done. The same thing happened with Geelong vs Sydney in their SF. The Swans' defenders got rattled with PD around and often left their own player by a metre or two, fearing PD on a lead, but PD's leads were often feints which created space for other sCat forwards. Geelong prospered.
Against us in Round 18 and the PF, with the despised Flogfield up forward, our team-first defensive structure never faltered and other sides will no doubt learn from that.

 

[CrowBloke]

Grab his arm. At least then he has to scramble a kick, rather than break clear.

Good idea, but Martin puts more oil on his arms than there is in a Russian pipeline.
Gablett Jr also fends very well, for a bloke his size especially. Players who lean away from or try to evade a tackle get nabbed, often. Ducking sometimes gets the around-the-neck but is less effective these days, well, unless your name is JSelwood.
By contrast, Martin and Ablett both go toward the tackler, reducing the space between them and making the fend more effective (harder).

Maybe the trick would be to grab his guernsey and hang on for dear life?

 

[CrowBloke]

If McGoverns springs are good, In for otten.

McGovern's "springs", I like that .
Pyke won't play him if there's any doubt and Otten was serviceable, anyway.

Welcome to the board .

 

[CrowBloke]

They are concerned with keeping up appearances, and in this case it means Cotchin must not be suspended.

Yeah, probably . It's weak though.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Going to be interesting selection if Gov doesn't come up.

Tigers are nowhere near as tall as the Cats, so run will be important. I wasn't concerned when Cats brought in Lonergan & kept in Stanley as thought they were lacking more runners than us. However, Tigers very much play the small & pressure game. Not sure we can get by playing Otten as we could get exposed.

 

[Apsaalooke]

McGovern won't play

We got away with Otten against Geelong but Richmond play small. Milera or Hampton for mine, whoever Pyke thinks knows our structures best.

 

[FantasticShirt]

I like Milera but I don’t think he’s GF ready. Hampton hasn’t played in months.

It’s Otten or McGovern, and I don’t think McGovern will get up.

 

[Vooligan]

Getting very nervous about the MRP. Looking at the incidents, they should be fine, but the MRP is so unpredictable, and well, VFL....

What’s the general consensus?

 

[Murray2503]

If gov gets through full training on wednesdasy at 100%, intensity he plays. Any player in the team could tear their hamstring grand final day.

 

[Murray2503]

Getting very nervous about the MRP. Looking at the incidents, they should be fine, but the MRP is so unpredictable, and well, VFL....

What’s the general consensus?

Nothing to worry about. Both cotchin and ellis should be very worried though.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

Nothing to worry about. Both cotchin and ellis should be very worried though.

Cotchin and Ellis are in no trouble. If Barry Hall can get off (2005) after having just about decapitated someone, then I'm sure they'll be cleared!

 

[Geoffa32]

I would stick Greenwood on Martin and tell him to block and scrap him all day.

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[CrowsAlways83]

Cotchin and Ellis are in no trouble. If Barry Hall can get off (2005) after having just about decapitated someone, then I'm sure they'll be cleared!

Different landscape now, mrp has made a rod for its own back by dishing out result based susprnsions, so shiel missing most of the game with concussion automatically places someone in trouble (if not cotchin than astbury who they are almost chucking under the bus by saying it could have been him lol). And he wouldn't miss from that incident alone, what cotchin has stupidly done is already cop 2 fines this season so all it takes is anothet incident worth a fine and he misses a week.

My guess is they will say there is doubt whether he caused the concussion and no case to answer. Which is a shame, would have loved the circus around him having to appeal lol