The Crows Truth
Club Legend
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2005
- Posts
- 1,792
- Reaction score
- 184
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- The Magnificent AFC
NEIL'S NICE NUMBERS
14jun06
Coached: 45 (nine as caretaker coach in 2004)
Won: 31 Lost: 14
SINCE 2005
Won: 27 Lost: 9 (75% - Editor)
Average winning margin: 43 points
Average losing margin: 12 points
Biggest losing margin: 31 points to Western Bulldogs, Round 6 last year
Losses by less than two goals: six of the nine
Craig on a roll
MICHELANGELO RUCCI
14jun06
NEIL Craig is five weeks away from his first milestone as a coach - his 50th AFL game - but already he has rolled away many millstones from the Adelaide Football Club.
When Craig was caretaker coach for the last half of season 2004 and by its end appointed on a three-season contract, the following big issues were left at his feet:
ADELAIDE'S depth: The Crows list seemed thin, heavily reliant on a handful of quality players. Too many young players had not fulfilled their potential. The development of enticing talent such as that of Brent Reilly - the club's future - was stalled.
That Adelaide now neither loses potency nor slips in standards when burdened by a heavy injury list suggests Craig has not been rebuilding the Crows' list (as many thought was needed) but extracting the best from all the club's 44 players.
ADELAIDE'S reputation of being a party trick for several teams. When appointed senior coach, Craig inherited these nightmare figures:
In Showdowns Port Adelaide led 10-5. Under Craig the count has narrowed to 9-11 with the Crows winning four of five derbies. No Adelaide coach has had more success in such little time against the Power.
Adelaide had lost six consecutive games against Collingwood when Craig took charge. He stopped the rot in his first clash with the Magpies. In 2004 the Crows also had a three-game losing streak piling up against Fremantle. This was stopped at Craig's second hit against the Dockers. On Saturday Adelaide ended its six-game losing streak to Brisbane.
ADELAIDE'S inconsistency: Since round eight last season the Crows have not lost consecutive games. Since Craig's program went into full swing in 2005 the Crows' average losing margin is 12 points. Six of the nine losses have been by less than two goals - suggesting bad luck more than bad management has worked against them.
ADELAIDE'S gameplan: While so much is made of Craig learning from this sport and that sport, reality is he has added much diversity to a Crows playbook that seemed to have just one page titled "Man-on-man football".
And, again to prove he has mastered the art more than the science of coaching, Craig - despite his self-professed trait of being pig-headed - has proven he will change when confronted with his mistakes or challenges from outside the club. In the first half of this season there have been growing theories on how to beat Adelaide - trying man-on-man tactics or congesting Adelaide's attack with extra numbers across the Crows' half-forward line.
Adelaide is still needing to dismiss the man-on-man theory. But Craig has dealt with congestion in his attack brilliantly. If opponents intend to play two loose men in defence, Craig will turn his two free defenders into weapons. Just consider how Andrew McLeod, Graham Johncock and Nathan Bassett have - as loose men in defence - created damaging run against Carlton and Brisbane . . . and turned a tactic designed to hurt the Crows into an Adelaide strength.
Next Wednesday will mark the second anniversary of Craig taking charge. Two years on he has changed so much for the better at West Lakes, including off the field where he has stripped away corporate coldness for a fan-friendly, inclusive club.
Big tests - and giant millstones - still press against Craig. He needs to win finals after losing two of three last season and the NAB Cup grand final this year. He is still to be tested when the AFL system starts to work against Adelaide with the inevitable loss of Ben Hart, Mark Ricciuto, Tyson Edwards, Andrew McLeod and Simon Goodwin. But for now there is much to admire in Craig's coaching. Has anyone else done so much in fewer than 50 AFL games?
Blind Bloody Freddie can see we got the best coach going around. Its absolutely pointless contesting this point. Look at what he has done to our great club in such a short amts of time. Our Saviour
14jun06
Coached: 45 (nine as caretaker coach in 2004)
Won: 31 Lost: 14
SINCE 2005
Won: 27 Lost: 9 (75% - Editor)
Average winning margin: 43 points
Average losing margin: 12 points
Biggest losing margin: 31 points to Western Bulldogs, Round 6 last year
Losses by less than two goals: six of the nine
Craig on a roll
MICHELANGELO RUCCI
14jun06
NEIL Craig is five weeks away from his first milestone as a coach - his 50th AFL game - but already he has rolled away many millstones from the Adelaide Football Club.
When Craig was caretaker coach for the last half of season 2004 and by its end appointed on a three-season contract, the following big issues were left at his feet:
ADELAIDE'S depth: The Crows list seemed thin, heavily reliant on a handful of quality players. Too many young players had not fulfilled their potential. The development of enticing talent such as that of Brent Reilly - the club's future - was stalled.
That Adelaide now neither loses potency nor slips in standards when burdened by a heavy injury list suggests Craig has not been rebuilding the Crows' list (as many thought was needed) but extracting the best from all the club's 44 players.
ADELAIDE'S reputation of being a party trick for several teams. When appointed senior coach, Craig inherited these nightmare figures:
In Showdowns Port Adelaide led 10-5. Under Craig the count has narrowed to 9-11 with the Crows winning four of five derbies. No Adelaide coach has had more success in such little time against the Power.
Adelaide had lost six consecutive games against Collingwood when Craig took charge. He stopped the rot in his first clash with the Magpies. In 2004 the Crows also had a three-game losing streak piling up against Fremantle. This was stopped at Craig's second hit against the Dockers. On Saturday Adelaide ended its six-game losing streak to Brisbane.
ADELAIDE'S inconsistency: Since round eight last season the Crows have not lost consecutive games. Since Craig's program went into full swing in 2005 the Crows' average losing margin is 12 points. Six of the nine losses have been by less than two goals - suggesting bad luck more than bad management has worked against them.
ADELAIDE'S gameplan: While so much is made of Craig learning from this sport and that sport, reality is he has added much diversity to a Crows playbook that seemed to have just one page titled "Man-on-man football".
And, again to prove he has mastered the art more than the science of coaching, Craig - despite his self-professed trait of being pig-headed - has proven he will change when confronted with his mistakes or challenges from outside the club. In the first half of this season there have been growing theories on how to beat Adelaide - trying man-on-man tactics or congesting Adelaide's attack with extra numbers across the Crows' half-forward line.
Adelaide is still needing to dismiss the man-on-man theory. But Craig has dealt with congestion in his attack brilliantly. If opponents intend to play two loose men in defence, Craig will turn his two free defenders into weapons. Just consider how Andrew McLeod, Graham Johncock and Nathan Bassett have - as loose men in defence - created damaging run against Carlton and Brisbane . . . and turned a tactic designed to hurt the Crows into an Adelaide strength.
Next Wednesday will mark the second anniversary of Craig taking charge. Two years on he has changed so much for the better at West Lakes, including off the field where he has stripped away corporate coldness for a fan-friendly, inclusive club.
Big tests - and giant millstones - still press against Craig. He needs to win finals after losing two of three last season and the NAB Cup grand final this year. He is still to be tested when the AFL system starts to work against Adelaide with the inevitable loss of Ben Hart, Mark Ricciuto, Tyson Edwards, Andrew McLeod and Simon Goodwin. But for now there is much to admire in Craig's coaching. Has anyone else done so much in fewer than 50 AFL games?
Blind Bloody Freddie can see we got the best coach going around. Its absolutely pointless contesting this point. Look at what he has done to our great club in such a short amts of time. Our Saviour
Some stupid bulldogs supporterskept looking at us and making comments really annoying and we were just trying to cheer our team. 
