Review R20: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Port: Like taking candy from a baby

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Kept a decent AFL quality small forward Willie Rioli very quiet on Sunday while offering run and link up play, so much so Hamish Hartlett was forced to give Rioli a run in the midfield to get him into the game.. Bondy actually kicked a goal as well so he does get on his bike these days.

That's the best I've seen Bond play

Looks to have added some strings to his bow since last season

The bad thing for him is that we haven't been torched by any small forwards this season, so there hasn't been any reason for the coaches to alter our defensive mix

The Hawks are probably the team with the most dangerous crew of ground level forwards, so if there was ever going to be a week for Bond this season this is it

 

[Betts are off]

Kept a decent AFL quality small forward Willie Rioli very quiet on Sunday while offering run and link up play, so much so Hamish Hartlett was forced to give Rioli a run in the midfield to get him into the game.. Bondy actually kicked a goal as well so he does get on his bike these days.

Willie didn't look all that small on the weekend. Either those prison bars did not suit his body type or he's playing over his ideal weight

 

[Cromulant]

Kept a decent AFL quality small forward Willie Rioli very quiet on Sunday while offering run and link up play, so much so Hamish Hartlett was forced to give Rioli a run in the midfield to get him into the game.. Bondy actually kicked a goal as well so he does get on his bike these days.

I probably wouldnt use Rioli has a guide, he's so far away from being an AFL footballer right now.

 

[1970crow]

Yeah, I didn't have a huge hope for Berry but Mutineer was right, he does have a burst of speed and his 2 goals tonight were sublime

He’s not so supportive of Berry if directly compared to Crouch though. Got the famous Bicks LOL.

 

[Golumless]

If he's that good ....why didn't Clubs come-a-knocking when his Free Agency meant a free hit ?

We do not know if they did or didn't. All we know is Matt got back in our side and was resigned by us not long after that.

Let's not treat bigfooty folklore as anything more than that, and if true, Matt isn't the first to come back from the dead, so to say.

 

[Mutineer]

He’s not so supportive of Berry if directly compared to Crouch though. Got the famous Bicks LOL.

View attachment 2379480

He’s not so supportive of Berry if directly compared to Crouch though. Got the famous Bicks LOL.

View attachment 2379480

He’s not so supportive of Berry if directly compared to Crouch though. Got the famous Bicks LOL.

View attachment 2379480

January 25 nice try but no cigar tryhard.

Long long long before Crouch copped his latest injury and you know it.

There is no way Matt comes in anytime soon and then it would only be if we cop injuries to our current starting mids.

Unlike some I've always rated Sam Berry and now people are starting to see the burst speed I'd seen as a junior....one day you'll likely see the hops I've spoken about also now he has the confidence to take the game on.

 

[Mutineer]

I probably wouldnt use Rioli has a guide, he's so far away from being an AFL footballer right now.

Rioli is a fair bit better than the small forward running around in the SANFL and is an absolute AFL level small forward. Averaging 1.6 goals a game from his 15 AFL games this season, that's nothing to be sneezed at.

 

[Carn The Texan]

Sorry all if it's already been posted. Alex NB interview after the match. Really worth a listen.

Alex Neal-Bullen celebrates Adelaide's biggest ever Showdown victory - FIVEAA Football

omny.fm

He is an absolute pro. Get the feeling he's made as much a difference as Murray Davis.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

https://fiveaa.com.au/podcast/fiveaa-football/42bae08c-7992-46ed-b610-d78924100173/2025-07-26/post-match-calls-showdown-58-round-20-2025

Have a great listen on a Monday morning

 

[spenze]

We do not know if they did or didn't. All we know is Matt got back in our side and was resigned by us not long after that.

Let's not treat bigfooty folklore as anything more than that, and if true, Matt isn't the first to come back from the dead, so to say.

Except it wasn't folklore.

2021 Matt didn't like our bargain basement 2 year deal and he explored his opportunities to find out the best he wwas getting was a 2 year bargain deal from his club, one he'd been Club champ and AA just a few years before, Matt signs in September as he had no interest from rival clubs.

Reduced deal for star leaves three big names left in previously stacked free agency crop

Reduced deal for star leaves three big names left in previously stacked free agency crop

www.foxsports.com.au

AFL Media reports the 26-year old has signed a reduced contract less than his asking price after there was limited rival interest in him having the entire 2021 season with a groin injury.

It’s believed that Crouch, an All-Australian and best and fairest winner both in 2017, was underwhelmed by the club’s two-year offer and weighing up his future.
Now, before you say he was injured, Tom Doedee was coming off a second knee reco, would probably be a second half of the season chance of making the firsts and still pulled a deal that had us with an end of first round compo

2023: Signs another 2 year contract in September after looking at offers (once again, there were none) and even after lighting up the competition and putting the AFL on notice that he was back with five good games, he received zero interest from any other club. His agent leaked that he was attracting interest from numerous clubs but he signed with us again, the club that told him to look elsewhere.

The reason we contracted both him and Sloane late was because we missed out on Redman.

Crouch was told last year he would not be receiving a new contract with the club, despite having more than 12 months to run on his existing deal.

“Like all our players, they’re all ongoing discussions,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks said after the round 19 loss to Melbourne.

Crow’s exit looms as several rivals circle; free agent dined out with call ‘not far away’: AFL Trade Whispers

Crow’s exit looms as rivals circle; Giants’ dinner pitch to free agent amid contract call: Trade Whispers

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Cromulant]

Rioli is a fair bit better than the small forward running around in the SANFL and is an absolute AFL level small forward. Averaging 1.6 goals a game from his 15 AFL games this season, that's nothing to be sneezed at.

You look at numbers far. far too much.

You'd do well to look at HOW he gets his goals rather than how many he gets, and the performances he's put in at SANFL level in the last 2 weeks have been insipid. Josh Hone is the premier small forward in the SANFL.

Take nothing away from Bondy of course, but theres a reason why Rioli isnt playing AFL footy.

 

[rocket18]

Take nothing away from Bondy of course, but theres a reason why Rioli isnt playing AFL footy.

He kept eating Kennys lunch from the fridge?

 

[Cromulant]

He kept eating Kennys lunch from the fridge?

But not the Coke Zeros

 

[Jarman3]

He kept eating Kennys lunch from the fridge?

The way he's got his team playing, Kenny doesn't deserve any lunch.

 

[Anzacpaul]

Would have been easy, and somewhat justified to go easy in the last quarter.

Close to 50 points up, could have played out time.


A big tick for Nicks is that we kept pressing.

Percentage might be important.

But I wonder if that was done to stick the knife into Port further. Especially being Ken's last Showdown.


Think we saw a ruthless element in our coaches box last night.

The boxing glove was out with 3 mins to go in the last quarter. We wanted to bury them.

As a side note Ben Keays was absolutely spent when the siren went. He spent about 30 secs keeled over before he started celebrating.

 

[Mutineer]

Willie didn't look all that small on the weekend. Either those prison bars did not suit his body type or he's playing over his ideal weight

The same Willie Rioli that kicked 3 goals against last year's Premiers and 2025 contending Ptrmiership team the Brisbane Lions only 3 weeks ago and the week before 3 goals against the Blues? That Willie Rioli?

 

[Mutineer]

You look at numbers far. far too much.

You'd do well to look at HOW he gets his goals rather than how many he gets, and the performances he's put in at SANFL level in the last 2 weeks have been insipid. Josh Hone is the premier small forward in the SANFL.

Take nothing away from Bondy of course, but theres a reason why Rioli isnt playing AFL footy.

And you don't look at all.

 

[Betts are off]

The same Willie Rioli that kicked 3 goals against last year's Premiers and 2025 contending Ptrmiership team the Brisbane Lions only 3 weeks ago and the week before 3 goals against the Blues? That Willie Rioli?

Yep, that one, and a fair bit more if the footage from the SANFL game wasn't an optical illusion

 

[chrisso crow]

That's the problem though. A lot still think it's 1970's SANFL footy and they just need to be harder at it and that's enough to win. They're in for a bigger surprise then they realise.

Exactly. The one's who say "it's not Port Adelaide Football" are the ones my age who grew up watching 80s football when they dominated.

Times have well and truly changed since then.

It's akin to Blues supporters calling themselves a "big" Vic club. They don't realise they've been pretty much irrelevant since the days of being able to but premierships.

 

[Cromulant]

And you don't look at all.

When a man knows when he's beaten, he resorts to this.

Thanks Bicks, just like the Fonz.

 

[Mutineer]

When a man knows when he's beaten, he resorts to this.

Thanks Bicks, just like the Fonz.

Hahaha

Another tryhard I see.

 

[BRL121]

The boxing glove was out with 3 mins to go in the last quarter. We wanted to bury them.

As a side note Ben Keays was absolutely spent when the siren went. He spent about 30 secs keeled over before he started celebrating.

TT was buggered in the last as well.

 

[Mutineer]

Yep, that one, and a fair bit more if the footage from the SANFL game wasn't an optical illusion

Amazing transformation in just 3 weeks according to you.

Didn't look any different to the Willie Rioli that's been playing AFL for years...and Bond clamped him well.

 

[GreyCrow]

https://fiveaa.com.au/podcast/fiveaa-football/42bae08c-7992-46ed-b610-d78924100173/2025-07-26/post-match-calls-showdown-58-round-20-2025

Have a great listen on a Monday morning

'what have we become , what have we become ( sigh ) what. Have . We. Become. '' Giniver in pain

 

[Mutineer]

TT was buggered in the last as well.

And now we get a 6 day break and the Hawks an 8 day break...seems fair at this point of the season....Not.