Good Luck

[Cyclops]

Good luck for tonight, should be a cracking game.

I hope we can show up and give a decent contest like we did vs Sydney last week. I also hope the umps have a better game.

Adelaide always give a decent contest: you've had another bad season with injuries but here you are again fronting up for another shot at the finals. I'd say its added incentive but your fellas don't seem to operate like that, they grind out pretty honest footy all year long.

Last time we played you at the Docklands you gave us a nice lesson, 4 quarters of hard footy. We don't play that stadium very well, we've lost both our games there this year.

We've found a bit of form. The key is our tall forwards. Rocca is playing one good quarter a match, but generally its a cracker with multiple goals, collisions etc. Rusling has had 2 games of promising footy, but he's not convinced anyone yet despite decent hauls. Cloke is very quiet after a strong year. They're a difficult forwardline to hold, none of them dominate all day, but all of them have a crack. Rutten has the quality to hold any of them, but can you hold 'em all?

The mids started to find clearances again. It was definitely sparked by Bucks return, but it was Swan and Pendles who actually did the extraction. I don't think our mids hold a candle to names like Edwards and Goodwin but we find ways to be effective. Given your forwards aren't massive bag-kickers, we have to stop midfield goals. This definitely the area you can hurt us, along with the ruck.

How do we match up for pace? We have some speedy types like Leon and Rhyss Shaw as well as our low slung trundlers klike Burns and Swan. Should be fascinating to see who gets tagged, and who can shake free. As I say we have a no-name midfield which makes it hard to choose who to tag. On the other hand your big names would get tagged every week but it doesn't slow them down often.

Our defence is our strongest most consistent area. Clement is back on song, just owning his own little patch of turf and biffing massive balls forward. Wakes swansong is very sweet. Shaw is smart and tireless, and the kids O'Brien and Goldsack take on all comers, big and small. I expect we can hold your forwards to 10-12 goals even on the small ground, unless Roo goes completely bananas again.

I concede we'll get smashed in the rucks. Bryan is not too bad, but runs out iof puff extremely quickly, and he's short. Guy Richards played well (for him) last week, but thasts still barely acceptable. He's tall and can tap, but he's easily muscled and very immobile. A fella like Hudson has a chance to run amok here.

The Crows have a chance to make the finals. Its a big ask but you're good enough. I just want us to give a contest worthy of the occasion. If you do make the finals quite a few clubs will be sweating: you're not a team anyone can take lightly at any time. Lets hope for a fine game and no injuries.

 

[fightingdreamer88]

We will learn a lot about the Gill Train in particular tonight imo. Collingwood has some quality defenders; if he can play well against them then chances are he has a future at this club.

 

[Dandy_GO]

An excellent summary.
Thanks Cyclops, and good luck to your mob too

 

[tribey]

I am torn.

As I outfoxed myself the other week by using my last remaining trade on Nathan Buckley instead of "Not" Lenny "!" Hayes, I need the #5 to lair it up bigstyle to take me to Premiership glory.

I can at least pray for a shitload of cheap handball receives off halfback, can't I?

 

[Glenno23]

I am torn.

As I outfoxed myself the other week by using my last remaining trade on Nathan Buckley instead of "Not" Lenny "!" Hayes, I need the #5 to lair it up bigstyle to take me to Premiership glory.

I can at least pray for a shitload of cheap handball receives off halfback, can't I?

You can pray all you want, but replace cheap with penetrating, handballs with kicks and half back with centre square

Will be an awesome game, might take some more Macca magic at the end of the game like last time at the Dome (if its close)

 

[Dandy_GO]

I am torn.

As I outfoxed myself the other week by using my last remaining trade on Nathan Buckley instead of "Not" Lenny "!" Hayes, I need the #5 to lair it up bigstyle to take me to Premiership glory.

I can at least pray for a shitload of cheap handball receives off halfback, can't I?

Or that they revise the scoring so that it gives points for every hamstring injury a player suffers during a match. Poor old Bucks.

 

[21knights]

Something I've noticed when watching collingwood. (not too often) Is that their forwards seem really organised and they help each other out quite a bit. They block their team mates opponents so they can get clear out on leads. They seem to line up and manage 2 or 3 blocks for one lead. I think they might do this a lot to Rutten, which then takes away one of our huge advatages.

 

[Dandy_GO]

Something I've noticed when watching collingwood. (not too often) Is that their forwards seem really organised and they help each other out quite a bit. They block their team mates opponents so they can get clear out on leads. They seem to line up and manage 2 or 3 blocks for one lead. I think they might do this a lot to Rutten, which then takes away one of our huge advatages.

I agree with that. One of the reasons they've been winning games this year is because they're a very well drilled unit, which is very impressive for an overall young side. They've clearly got some good kids in that list. I think our backline will definately be tested. It was much too easy for us last week, just blocking supply to Brown all the time. This week, we'll need every player to stay with, and beat their man, even if they're playing on an inexperienced youngster like Rusling, Cloke or Pendles. I'm confident that our backs are up to it, however. Almost every player in there has hit top form now.