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- Griffin didn't play much of the last quarter and walked back to the rooms with ice on his right knee. He didn't have crutches or anything, so hopefully its just a bruise.
Hopefully Griffin can continue to bulk up and assert an influence on the game. Hasn't really been that good this pre-season, might find it difficult to break into the team like Maric did last year through the SANFL.

- A couple of Knight's kicks were directly turned over, including one which resulted in a Hawthorn goal.
Knight's has always had trouble with disposal but i think it's a confidence thing with young Chris, when hes firing, he doesn't often miss a target(see game against Collingwood last year).

- Dangerfield didn't have much of a say in proceedings. He just didn't have space to run and the one time he did, he was under pressure and was forced to dispose of the ball hurriedly. He won't be able to play his type of game all the time.
Did he get much gametime?

- When the ball did get turned over it was usually damaging as we were left short in defence. Most turn overs came from direct skill errors or handballs being cut off.
Probably this new zoning game were starting to see with the defenders getting sucked up the field with the play?

Really good post CG, i was going to head up but im low on $$$ for petrol.
:thumbsu:
 
Jumped in the car and headed down the highway today to have a bit of a look at the boys and took a few photos. Hope you enjoy.


Taylor Walker


Taylor Walker


Andy Otten


Patrick Dangerfield


Kurt Tippett

Not the best photos as i only just got the camera last week, hopefully over the season i get better.
 
Made the drive down to Berri today despite the Crows' opposition being a VFL team.

Ground was packed but I found a nice spot on the scoreboard staircase. The scenery around the ground was great.

From the bounce I was happy to see Sellar put at full-back. He won every contest that quarter and did well for the rest of the game. He was rebounding beautifully too. I can see him getting the spot that was once Gallman's, then Kite's, then Moran's, and playing some backup ruck as well, early this year. He certainly did a lot better than Moran in defence.

Forward-line functioned magnificently. Hentschel looks well and truly ready. Walker did reasonably well and looked untackleable (it's a word) at times. Plus, Tippa acted as the perfect long option with some strong marks. I didn't think Jacky did much, so Dougie was the best of the small-forwards.

Watching Myke Cook was exciting, he had one run along the wing where no one could get near him. He got caught a few times but you'll take that for the good things he does. His goal was excellent.

Petrenko was dominant early but seemed to faid away a bit ( I might've missed a few of his touches when he was at the other end though). Without doubt he should play round one.

I didn't think Danger looked too bad. He didn't seem to get too much of it but didn't do anything majorly wrong.

Brodie Martin, even against the Hawks' seconds, is not ready for the pace of AFL footy. He got caught just about every time he touched it.

Knighta had an up-and-down game. A few shocking turnovers but he would've racked up the touches and I'm pretty sure I saw him snag a supergoal or two.

Griffin and Maric both looked alright.

Bock was dominant.

Gill wasn't out there much but did next to nothing and has definitely fallen behind Hentschel in the depth chart (and Tex and Tippett if they weren't already ahead).

We had a few plays along the wings where we took it from the defensive 50 to half-forward for a goal using about 10-15 Geelong-like quick handballs. Some of the best plays you'll see. Very encouraging signs!

Hawks had a guy that looked about 155cm tall... just thought I'd mention that...

Sooo that's about all.

My day was topped off when I went up to Ray Chamberlain and called him a w***er as he left the ground. It was soooo satisfying after the countless times he has screwed us up the ass. The little bastard got pretty fired up too haha.
 

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- Sellar was our best behind Bock in defence.
Very pleasant surprise. No that he was against much, but it is still a positive for Sellar and God knows he needs more than "trained well" positives.

- Hentschel looked like a natural forward today and played his best game in a fair while! He presented very well and didn't hesitate in putting his body over the ball. Plus, two of his goals were checkside kicks, one from either end of the ground.
- Our forward line looks ten times better with Tippett in it. He took a couple over head marks and basically slotted right in next to Walker, Hentschel and Jacky. I really hope he doesn't go to the Gold Coast!
This has got to be the best news from the pre-season. 3-4 targets up forward, plus Porps. Not that any one will stretch the opp, but we have options. Getting back to the 05/06 fwd structure.

Great report - thanks heaps.
 
Nice pic of Danger crows98 :thumbsu:

I took a few myself :p

29xdgcg.jpg


sym5qh.jpg

Taylor's shot from goal outside of 50

2m3okde.jpg


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Sloane picking Jacky up off the turf
 
Unfortunately due to our lack of established, gun forwards.. I feel Walker is going to get one of, if not, the best defenders each week.

i'm not sure about that. with Trent and the Tip up there its going to be interesting to see who goes where.

I guess the good part is we have more than 1 option this year

As others have indicated, regardless of who gets the number 1 defender, all three players in their current form are probably not going to dominate on a great key defender but will have a chance of the lesser lights of a side. If one suffers, the other two will benefit, and the club will recognise the influence of the player with the main defender.


Awesome work everyone with the reports from the radio and from the ground itself! Once again the Adelaide board can hold it's head up high in terms of quality content :thumbsu:
 
Walker will be most effective when he gets the 3rd or 4th best defender. Otherwise I feel may be out of his depth if the number 1 defender gets him.

Should be an exciting developmental season I really dont see us making impact at all for the Top 4 let alone the Top 8.
No doubt he would be more effective if he was to get a 3rd or a 4th best defender but this kid is speacial. In that quarter and a bit of football against Geelong, he did some great things on Matthew Scarlett. In one particular play he used his body brilliantly. Those are some of the little things that natural footballers know how to do instinctivly.

I think with Walker, Tippett, Hentschel and a bit later Porplyzia (with midfielders like Vince, Thomo, etc rotating thought there) we have the makings of a pretty potent forward line.

We might not start the season off effectively but I think the forward line will grow nicely as the season progresses.
 
The thing about the Walker, Tip, Trent trio is if one is being shut down at least we still have other options! Hell even Gilly might sneak under the guard a little but up there now as well, the key for us is to get more than one option up there so we can keep the opposition guessing who to target.
 

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My day was topped off when I went up to Ray Chamberlain and called him a w***er as he left the ground. It was soooo satisfying after the countless times he has screwed us up the ass. The little bastard got pretty fired up too haha.

LOL almost worth the petrol money alone!
 
thebirdman 24;13843008 [I said:
To be brutally honest i don't wanna see Nick (can only kick goals off the ground) Gill in the team, but saying that he will probably end up playing CHF for us.
[/I]

I am a Nick Gill fan, if he can take a few pack marks and provide that x player value required while the Birdman is out he does offer plenty of value. the strange thing is that when he is on song he provides real super value with his good pack marks and good kicking (lol when he gets his kicking right that is)
 
No doubt he would be more effective if he was to get a 3rd or a 4th best defender but this kid is speacial. In that quarter and a bit of football against Geelong, he did some great things on Matthew Scarlett. In one particular play he used his body brilliantly. Those are some of the little things that natural footballers know how to do instinctivly.

I think with Walker, Tippett, Hentschel and a bit later Porplyzia (with midfielders like Vince, Thomo, etc rotating thought there) we have the makings of a pretty potent forward line.

We might not start the season off effectively but I think the forward line will grow nicely as the season progresses.


I just wonder in the history of the Crows that very very rarely do we ever have an injury free list or at least injury free for our top tier players. Injuries have definitely robbed us of a flag a few years back.

Porps, Birdman, Trent, Tippett, Walker, Gill thats very very potent. Obviously one of the big talls would be on the bench.

I think we could defintely develop some momentum as the season 2009 wears on for 2010.
 
I'll call Otten & Petrenko as certain starters for round one with Jacky and Cook as possibles.
I know we were only playing the Box Hill Fourths, but isn't it good to get a win?
I wonder which players Carlton will rest for its last pre-season hit out in Bunbury next week? This pre-season stuff is in danger of becoming farcical
 

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Now don't get me wrong here. I admire your passion and applaud your love of the Crows - but listen to a taped call of a practice match played in Berri? You really need to get out more.

Stabby is one of the best posters on this board, so dont tell him what to do. He is passionate about the sport.
I'm on bigfooty all the time, but i'm always at partys and stuff..
And if you read the post correctly he stated that 5AA always cuts out when you listen to it on the internet.

You don't think that listening to a recording of a practice game, in which almost no stars are playing, isn't taking things to an unhealthily obsessive level?

I think bigfooty as a whole indicates a generally unhealthy obsession.

I'm ok with it:thumbsu:

Hahahaha, I missed this whole exchange :D


If this was mid-season, I wouldn't be fanatical about it. But dammit, I'm starved for anything Crows related at the moment. I'd listen to a taped radio call of Walker and Dangerfield singing a duet at the moment.
 
The parentals and I made the little trip up the Riverland yesterday and managed to find ourselves a nice spot behind the northern goals. My impressions from yesterday.

The "comeback kid" Hentschel is most definitely in the round one team even though McDermott thinks he won't be. Less said about McDermott's opinions the better. CG, apologies but that kick deep in the pocket up the northern end was not a checkside, but a drop punt. The mark he took, ust before that kick, where he used his chest to outbody his opponent in the air was wonderful to see. I could not see any loss in agility and he was throwing his body at the ball with his usual disregard for safety. The play of the day contender had to be Griffin, handballing to Walker, who handballed to petrenko who then handballed onto Hentschel who kicked a beautiful goal that bounced the right way over the goal line. All of this was fast, tight work where they were being severely pressured by the defenders.

Our forward line worked! Others have said that Gill didn't do anything, yet he had that lovely lead and mark down the scoreboard end and was playing mostly the CHF role when on. I thought he played fine for the role he was playing which was further up the ground, when he was on.

That 60m goal from Walker was not the highlight of that passage of play. It was how he marked the ball. Two Hawthorn players were ahead of him to the fall of the ball, coming from behind he got to the contest at the right time and with strong hands he outmarked two opponents. He had no right to mark that ball. Walker is a very special talent. His football nous is such that you think you are watching a ten year cagey veteran out there on the field. He knows when to fly for a mark or when he sees Tippett and Gill flying to stay down at the front of the pack and to rove the spilt ball and snap at goal. His ability to use his body is clever and even better are his quick instinctive handballs to a teammate in a better position. He has that arrogant swagger about him on the field, but he can back it up with the talent, the chase and being team orientated.

Tippett, I love the way he just chases and tackles and will do whatever he can to get that ball. Another nice solid game from him. He did go into the ruck for a spell as well and did well.

Jacky, needs to do more in the crumbing role. Again Shirley was also used a couple of times in the small crumbing role from a forward pocket. We seemed to stick to our structure, regardless of personnel of the three talls, two out of the goal square, the other at chf.

Maric and Griffin in ruck were both pretty good from what I could see. Griff's work around the ground (again ignore McDermott) was quite good. He was used as a part of the rolling zone when we were defending and took a couple of nice intercepting marks. What was most pleasing to see was that when a Hawthorn player whacked his arms and then dove into his back and Griff got he resulting free, he was up and remonstrating with the Hawthorn player straight away. It was from this that the Hawthorn player obviously looked at Ray the wrong way and a 50m penalty was given, whereby Griff passed to Hentschel for Hentschel's first goal.

38 for Hawthorn has to be even skinnier than Griff, when Griff first came to our club. Also, I think it is Kenna, who I am taller than! He lined up against Douglas and Douglas looked to be considerably taller and bulkier than him. :eek:

On that note, Douglas, for a first game after last season, it seemed like he had been playing for the past couple of weeks. Lots of lovely evasion and step arounds and weaving through traffic. Nice game from Dougie and was classy.

The improved strong tackling from our team was good. There were still a few missed but if we had a chance to strongly tackle the opponent it was taken and a few bruises dished out. Vince, Knights and Reilly were standouts in the midfield for these. Vince was playing the in and under role, Knights was used primarily as the linkman and yes there were two turnovers, one an OOB but overall a very good game from Knighta. Reilly is absolute class and if he can stay injury free he might finally get the recognition he deserves.

Cook and Sloane, the blonde twins, were both playing on the wings and were heavily involved with most of the plays. Cook was very good and showed his pace and composure. He is pressuring others for a spot in the first 22. Sloane, the small crowd was such that it was great to hear the talk on the ground and Sloane is one of the most vocal, revving up his teammates.

Dangerfield - He got better as the game went on but I was very disappointed in his defensive efforts for the first three quarters. He would use his pace but not early enough so that the player he is chasing was still able to dispose of the ball. He should have a goal next to his name in the paper in that Schmidt took the wrong option when he received a handball from Danger who then followed through and was running to provide an option goal side into the 50, but Schmidt decided to try and pass deeper into the pocket instead.

Otten - tall, quick, his defense has improved since I saw him last year playing for South. I can see why people were excited about him.

Martin - Brodie tries to make sure that every disposal counts and that he doesn't turn it over to the opposition. This causes him to get caught as he has held onto the ball to long. He got better as the day went on. He gets to the right places and has a great desire to get hte ball, he just needs to adjust to the pace more. The AFL is a huge step up from reserves at SANFL and I think he just might make it, if he can make decisions quicker.

Schmidt - a good solid player. He isn't flashy, he isn't superbly talented or exceptionally quick but he is a good solid player and every team needs those.

Backlines - Bock was his normal class and didn't have too much to do for the first two quarters, just directing the majority of youngsters around him. He was involved in what had to be the play of the day. High ball into Hawthorn forward line, Bock outbodies his opponent to mark the ball, Bock handballs to a fellow defender, kicked over to the hb line and then a series of running handballs down the wing, continual run by our players, mostly with their back to our forward line and running backwards so that they could see the ball movement and would then turn and run forwards once the ball was handballed in their direction. The ball ended up with Knights who kicked a goal on the run for 50m.

Johncock, his ability to time his run at the contest and land the punch is a joy to watch. He was, for me, our best.

Petrenko - another with a positive future. A few mistakes but overall another positive, a possible half back flanker for the future.

Sellar at full back was good. He was playing mostly on Taylor and Renouf and most would agree that he came away with the points. He was only out marked twice and they were both leads to the pockets where he wasn't close enough to his man at the initial stage. Sellar was the running linkman out of defence doing Bock's normal role for most of the game. If he didn't mark the ball, he was the one bringing it to ground.

The rolling zone is 4 lines of 4 players, 20 metres apart. The only time our rolling zone broke down was when Gill came over to spoil when he should have dropped back to man up Sellar's man and left Sellar and the others to do the spoil. Otherwise it worked very well and Hawthorn struggled to break through it.

The first quarter :p When there are 15 players in the forward line it is a wee bit difficult to score against. ;)

Once some adjustments were made then the game opened up and we finally started to get free flowing movement.

It was nice to see our switch to break the rolling zone working well.

But overall you have to consider the opposition, they played manfully but they were not an afl quality opposition.

A nice day out to see the youngsters.
 
A BIG thanks to everyone who wrote their reports.

It's good to see both the similarities and differences in peoples opinion of the game and the players.

Andy Otten sounds, by far, our best new midfield option. I know we all wanted it to be Danger, including myself, very much, but he's still a few weeks behind everyone else it seems.

I'm glad Big Jim had a good game, all be it in the opposite end of the ground to where we wated him to be. It's wierd, I always found playing as a forward was more relaxing as your opponant had to worry about you, you timed your run, you make possition etc etc etc, but it seems that due to his lack of real footy nous (the type that seems to be oozing out of Tex, so much so his opponants are slipping over it) he feels more comfortable using his athletisism to negate and close out on opponants and just following what they do. This way he doesn't have to think about where to be as much (although technically it's more so down there) but rather he's just concentrating on sticking his man. I'm surprised mostly that he was used as a link man and was comfortable in that role as he's always looked like a deer in headlights when he marked 70 out. Strange but good.

Great to hear the stiff one is errect again. He's a key part to our backline and a barrometer of our defensive pressure and attack from the back.

Cook seems to excite everyone. The common theme (from this and other games) seems to be he'll get caught once or twice, but if you don't catch him, he'll burn you hard. I like this, it's some erract attcking behaviour (sick of the term 'x-factor') that isn't often seen at Crow land.

Super Pets sounds like he'll be pushing round 1.

I think the issue with Jack is he's never been a small forward and is more comfortable with the leading high flying forward role, or midfield role. Other than that it sounds like physically and mentally he's come on in leaps and bounds.

McDerrmot is pushing his status as club ledgend to that of a sour douche bag with a microphone. He can like a salty pair.

Tex.......yeah (Peter Griffin style)

Great to see Rowdy back, he deserves the repect of the AFL community. He's in the same category as Polak and I hope he gets recognition. A big congrats to Rowdy and Polak for there great efforts to stay in the game.

Tippett sounds like he was just too manly for everyone down there. Love his defensive pressure also, not sure who mentioned it, but it's always fun to see a 6'6 body driving at the little blokes or chasing after them. Last night in the Geelong Carlton game Hampson ran down a Geelong mid and led to a scoring opportunity. The mood in the whore field changed. Effort means a lot, greatt o see he doesn't take the line of, i'm a big, I don't do that.

Great effort by Buddy to go sign autographs, as much as I think he's one of the biggest tools ever, good stuff.

Not too much we could 'really' get out of playing that team, but we got most of what we could.

Once again thanks to all who provided updates during the game and those who provided reports on the game.

Stabby, hope you enjoy your afternoon of listening to the recorded radio call.... ;)
 

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