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Defenders in attack on gold jacket
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
30sep05
DEFENDERS are rarely honoured when individual awards such as Brownlow Medals and AFL club best-and-fairest titles are counted. Australian football today is besotted by midfielders.
Adelaide's count for the Malcolm Blight Medal tonight will challenge this thinking.
Midfielder Simon Goodwin should wear the gold jacket as the Crows' best-and-fairest for the second time when tonight's count at AAMI Stadium ends.
His full-time return to the Adelaide midfield, after being restricted to 10 games by injury last year, was a significant boost to the Crows as they rose from 12th to this year's minor premiership.
Goodwin's performances this season merit his joining captain Mark Ricciuto, Ben Hart and Andrew McLeod as the only Crows to have two or more Malcolm Blight Medals. Goodwin's first was in 2000.
But, just as the Brownlow Medal surprisingly had Tyson Edwards upstage Goodwin, this year's Malcolm Blight Medal count may make a statement for defenders.
After all, Adelaide did have the AFL's most miserly defence in modern history, conceding less than 12 goals per match.
It produced the All-Australian full back in Ben Rutten, who - by the Crows' count - was beaten in just one quarter of the 100 he played this season.
Then there is Nathan Bassett whose rebound from defence was critical in the Adelaide gameplan.
Of the 14 club champions awarded at Adelaide since 1991, two have been won by a defender - Hart in 1999 and 2002.
The beauty of Adelaide's club champion award is every player can get votes, making it difficult for defenders to be ignored.
This ensures Rutten and Bassett will challenge midfielders Ricciuto, Edwards and Goodwin in tonight's count.
Channel 9 will telecast the count this evening, from 8.30. It will not only be absorbing for the battle between midfielders and defenders for the gold jacket but also highly anticipated for coach Neil Craig's views on the Crows' season and ambitions next year.
Meanwhile, veteran Adelaide ruckman Matthew Clarke, 32, yesterday confirmed he would sign a contract extension to continue into his 14th consecutive AFL season since starting with Brisbane in 1993.
Goodwin winning with Roo, Edwards and Rutten making the top 4 hey?
If the above qoute is true that is an absolutely unbelievable effort by Rutten - losing 1/100 qtrs for the yr!
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
30sep05
DEFENDERS are rarely honoured when individual awards such as Brownlow Medals and AFL club best-and-fairest titles are counted. Australian football today is besotted by midfielders.
Adelaide's count for the Malcolm Blight Medal tonight will challenge this thinking.
Midfielder Simon Goodwin should wear the gold jacket as the Crows' best-and-fairest for the second time when tonight's count at AAMI Stadium ends.
His full-time return to the Adelaide midfield, after being restricted to 10 games by injury last year, was a significant boost to the Crows as they rose from 12th to this year's minor premiership.
Goodwin's performances this season merit his joining captain Mark Ricciuto, Ben Hart and Andrew McLeod as the only Crows to have two or more Malcolm Blight Medals. Goodwin's first was in 2000.
But, just as the Brownlow Medal surprisingly had Tyson Edwards upstage Goodwin, this year's Malcolm Blight Medal count may make a statement for defenders.
After all, Adelaide did have the AFL's most miserly defence in modern history, conceding less than 12 goals per match.
It produced the All-Australian full back in Ben Rutten, who - by the Crows' count - was beaten in just one quarter of the 100 he played this season.
Then there is Nathan Bassett whose rebound from defence was critical in the Adelaide gameplan.
Of the 14 club champions awarded at Adelaide since 1991, two have been won by a defender - Hart in 1999 and 2002.
The beauty of Adelaide's club champion award is every player can get votes, making it difficult for defenders to be ignored.
This ensures Rutten and Bassett will challenge midfielders Ricciuto, Edwards and Goodwin in tonight's count.
Channel 9 will telecast the count this evening, from 8.30. It will not only be absorbing for the battle between midfielders and defenders for the gold jacket but also highly anticipated for coach Neil Craig's views on the Crows' season and ambitions next year.
Meanwhile, veteran Adelaide ruckman Matthew Clarke, 32, yesterday confirmed he would sign a contract extension to continue into his 14th consecutive AFL season since starting with Brisbane in 1993.
Goodwin winning with Roo, Edwards and Rutten making the top 4 hey?
If the above qoute is true that is an absolutely unbelievable effort by Rutten - losing 1/100 qtrs for the yr!
