When? Friday, April 20 starting at 7:50pm
Where? SCG
Why? Because we need to play so footy addicts and punters can get their fix
Who? Crows team and the Swans mob
How? By kicking and handpassing, score more goals than the opposition.
Brief Intro:
What a wonderful weekend of weather we are having, and an absolute joy of a round 4 result with a blissful display of wet weather footy with us just narrowly losing by 48 points..
Swans had a pretty tight game against the Dogs and won narrowly also by 7 points..
We are currently sitting somewhere on the 8th-10th spot, and Swans are somewhere on the 4th to 6th spot. So on form, what does this really mean for the next round of footy?
Negative Nellie - it means we are not good enough, 4 rounds and in 8th spot? Making up the numbers!
Positive Pollie - it means we are still in the hunt for the Finals. Still 18 more rounds to reach top spot!
Fence Sitting Fensie - last 4 rounds mean diddly squat. Every week different ground, different temperatures, winds and humidity. 50/50 at best!
History of Crows and Swans (since 2017)
Let us go back on a history trip with the first 6 rounds of footy played in 2017.
The Crows were playing some of the most awesome, exceptional and inspirational footy the world has ever seen, or at least the people of Australia have ever seen. We were like mercenaries on a mercenary mission. We were like a bunch of assassins on a murder mission, a murder of crows...you get the point..
Crows: 6-0 (W:L)
The Swans on the other hand were playing some of the worst footy the world has ever seen. Granted there were some injuries to some of their key players (sorry can't remember who, please use Google). But the point remain they were a shambles, and it would be fair to say that back then, they were made to be the laughing stock of the AFL, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of their fans were whipping their players harder than us whipping the Crows whipping boys in 2018! They were crappy.
Swans: 0-6 (W:L)
Now let's fast forward to the last 6 games of 2017.
Crows played a consistent brand of high scoring footy throughout, and were the form team leading to the Finals. Played some of their best footy EVER in the Qualifying Final against GWS and Preliminary Final against the Cats. Then lost painfully at the last hurdle against a rampant Tigers outfit on that fateful Grand Final day.
Swans played a consistent brand of high scoring footy also, and along with the Crows, were the 2 most in-form teams leading towards the Finals. Few pundits thought they would make the Finals, and yet they carried a winning momentum that made them become the most feared team to play against in the Finals. Unlucky for them, they ran out of puff playing against and losing to Geelong in the Semi Final.
2018, the story so far:
Swans are looking alright, winning games in 3 out of their 4. Winning in Perth over the WCE and also a win against a decent team in the GWS. Their only loss thus far is to the Power, which probably more reflects the improvement in the Power when looking at the ladder standing.
Crows are looking...a bit hard to predict! 2 decent wins against the Tigers and Saints. 1 "honorable loss" against the Dons at Etihad. And 1 "WTF" game against the Pies (let us forget). Our form guide could be best summed up as "meh". We do have a lot of core injuries though the midfield, so certainly there is more light on the other side, if we can just get the injured players back on the field (and without niggles!)
So what lessons can we gain from these historical sequences?
- never to laugh at a team on a hot losing streak after 6 rounds, they can still make the Finals!
- never to applaud blindingly a team that has winning momentum after 6 rounds, it does not guarantee a premiership!
- that's about it, I think?
Key matchups:
Franklin vs Talia/Hartigan: Franklin is a star, and he usually shines when playing against us. If our key defenders can get a grip on his goal kicking activity, then we're in with a damn good chance for a win.
Our mids vs their mids: This is our weakest area of the ground. They have 3 consistent midfield bulls in Parker, Hannebery and Kennedy. We have Gibbs, Sloane (not 100% fit) and Greenwood. With the missing Crouch Bros, we need CEY and others to step up if we're going to have a fighting chance.
Tex vs Rampe: Tex is a gun player who is not 100% fit, coming back from a recent plantar fasciitis. Although kicking goals in each of the games this year, he hasn't been looking quite right with his running and endurance. Hopefully this is the round where he turns it on, if ever we need a good captain's knock, then this would probably be the one! When Tex fires I don't think we have ever lost. Come on Tex!
Summary:
Playing away against the Swans, never going to be easy. After round 4's insipid effort, and if we are serious about contending the Finals again, we need to show a strong 4 quarter effort. With our mounting injuries though, going to be a tough battle!
Heart says: Crows by 4 goals
Brain says: Swans by 4 goals
