Review R21: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Hawthorn

[Redline]

Another 1 year contract for Walker. You would be crazy not to.

I actually though he and a number of the forwards apart from Thilthorpe struggled for much of the night. Keys, Fog and ANB just looked a bit off. I thought the Hawks defence was really good.

The last quarter it opened up as the Hawks tried to win it and pushed up the ground. Some clutch kicking from Tex at the end.

I feel we are really missing Rachele.

 

[DJ75]

The first quarter was probably some of the worst footy we’ve played all season.

But it was only one quarter, and I commented at quarter time that there were still 3 quarters to go.

As poor as we were in the first quarter, we were sensational in the second quarter. That was last quarter last week-esque.

Every challenge the Hawks threw at us, we responded. Every challenge the umps threw at us we responded. In the end, Hawthorn relied too much on free kicks for their goals while we were pulling them out of everywhere!

We’ve got through the last 3 weeks 3-0 (all tricky games on paper). Let’s keep the throttle on in Perth next week!

A couple of interesting facts from tonight:

- Tonight was our first ‘home’ win at Adelaide Oval against Hawthorn (our other win against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in 2020 was a Hawthorn home game - what a strange year that was)

- Our last win and our last loss are both against Hawthorn!

Anyone know how to get the frees inside 50 stats? Felt like every shot Hawthorn had was from a dubious free kick.

 

[daniel_4tw]

Curtin in the middle with the game on a knife’s edge. This is a new Nicks.

Curtin went from not having a position to being able to play literally anywhere on the ground.

 

[steve9798]

I actually though he and a number of the forwards apart from Thilthorpe struggled for much of the night. Keys, Fog and ANB just looked a bit off. I thought the Hawks defence was really good.

The last quarter it opened up as the Hawks tried to win it and pushed up the ground. Some clutch kicking from Tex at the end.

I feel we are really missing Rachelle.

Totally agree. I have my doubts that he will be ready, but Rachelle is a must for finals. He had some good moments in the last half, but Tayor is still a question mark for me. We desperately need another goal kicking small forward. Would love to see Draper come back in for the west coast game. Let's hope he has a big game today.

 

[Bay62]

The atmosphere was amazing. The final two minutes when everyone stood and cheered the guys home will stay with me for along time.

Agreed, first time I’ve ever seen a standing ovation from the whole crowd while the game was still going

 

[DJ75]

Bad:

Cook - missed his opportunity to play finals IMO.

Peatling was terrible. Worst game for the club, couldn't get near it and when he did he was sloppy and fumble. Wonder if he is hurt as he only had 57% TOG.

Keays, FOG, Cumming all had little impact (apart from FOG's kickstart).

Great:

As everyone else said - TT, Woz, Dawson, Rankine, ROB, Curtin, Walker, Milera were all massive.

Weird:

23 of the 28 goals all kicked to one side of the ground despite perfect conditions (at least on the tele).

If you told me at the start of the year that at this point Draper would only have two full games of AFL - I would have lost my marbles. Hard to be too upset considering we are currently sitting top of the ladder - but still think he should be in ahead of Cook, Taylor, Jones and Smith.

100% agree with Draper, but I also feel like he’s an Ace we still have up the sleeve. I could see him coming in next week for Cook and playing right through finals. He offers something extra that we don’t have a lot of.

 

[CrowBloke]

Nothing can explain 1 disposal but just did not see him on the wing at all.
Was all Curtin and cumming

Wasn't Cook stuck in a forward pocket?
I don't think he's a static, positional, sit-and-wait player. Playing deep forward in this side he will be overlooked relative to RT, Fog, Tex, Rankine, ANB, Keays.
He looked much better the previous two games given license to run back and forward and his delivery was impactful.

Dreadful, last night.

 

[Cromulant]

Well what a night that was.

Belief is a funny thing in sport. It takes years to build, and hours to lose. That win was all about belief.

3 minutes to go in the first quarter that belief was stretched in the stands, but as we have shown a few times this year our best football is better than anyone else's.

The captain once again put everyone on his shoulders, Filthy made very good defenders look ordinary, Worrell has to be AA, Milera was superb, ANB and Keays worked their backsides off and Izak did Izak things.

Dare to dream I say, this group has something about it.

 

[chazwazza]

What a game, what a statement.



Can anyone post Walker’s interview on Fox?

 

[Crow-eater]

Great:

• Dan Curtin. He is him. Well, he will be.
• Izak. That's why we paid pick 5 for him. Stood up in the big moments.
• Tex. Cometh the moment.
• Daddy Daws. AA captain. Will give the Brownlow a shake too.
• TT. Second quarter, our unicorn stood tall.

Good:

• WMJ. He's a new man this season. Trash talking oppos and hitting the contest hard. More please, Wayne.
• Bond. Locked himself in until Max is back at least. Luke Brown
  16

  Luke Brown

  Age

  33

  Ht

  181cm

  Wt

  81kg

  Pos.

  Def

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  14.1

  4star

  K

  8.9

  3star

  HB

  5.2

  4star

  M

  3.6

  4star

  T

  2.0

  4star

  MG

  273.4

  4star

  D

  11.7

  3star

  K

  9.3

  4star

  HB

  2.4

  2star

  M

  3.4

  3star

  T

  1.4

  2star

  MG

  273.4

  4star

  D

  9.0

  3star

  K

  5.4

  2star

  HB

  3.6

  3star

  M

  3.2

  4star

  T

  1.4

  4star

  clone.
• Woz and Keane. Dynamic duo.
• ANB. Missed a couple of sitters by his standards, but was big in the 4th. His experience is invaluable.

Bad:

• Nick Watson. This little diving prick. Nearly concussed himself in the first ducking. I hope he does it one day.
• Gunston. **** I hate that guy.

Ugly:
- Umpiring. Just all of it. Horrific. Rankine's 50 was bad, but made up for the one Tex should have got for Sicily not returning the ball on the full. Whoever #25 was would have joined the song had he got the Hawks over the line.

Funny:
- The audible sigh of relief from the crowd when Cumming marked it on the goal line with 50 seconds to go. It's when we knew we had it, and then the "Adelaide" chant started. Crowd was so good.

 

[dcutter]

What a cracking game. Well done. Always harder when you get beaten by a side that was just better.
My lord Thilthorpe can play

 

[Cromulant]

Bad:

Cook - missed his opportunity to play finals IMO.

Peatling was terrible. Worst game for the club, couldn't get near it and when he did he was sloppy and fumble. Wonder if he is hurt as he only had 57% TOG.

Keays, FOG, Cumming all had little impact (apart from FOG's kickstart).

Great:

As everyone else said - TT, Woz, Dawson, Rankine, ROB, Curtin, Walker, Milera were all massive.

Weird:

23 of the 28 goals all kicked to one side of the ground despite perfect conditions (at least on the tele).

If you told me at the start of the year that at this point Draper would only have two full games of AFL - I would have lost my marbles. Hard to be too upset considering we are currently sitting top of the ladder - but still think he should be in ahead of Cook, Taylor, Jones and Smith.

Thought Keays had a decent night from a defensive perspective, missed a couple he normally kicks.

Peatling looked a bit sore to me, and TOG might reflect that. He plays a pretty combative game, a lot of bash and crash. Terrible is a bit rich though.

Agree on Cook though, i WANT him to succeed and I think he can on a wing, problem is there's no wing for him to play on.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

I said at the start of the season we had a top 4 list with a bottom 4 coach, and would still play finals on the quality of our list.

Well, Nicks still has some work to do, especially around selection and development - but the transformation of this team and the coaching approach in the second half of the year has been incredible. Davis and Balme must've finally gotten him to wake up.

Today I said in the first quarter - lets see what Nicks does, because Q1 was a coaching belting.

Must give credit to him, we made adjustments and improvements to curb that game and strengthen ours. We made moves with Rankine, Curtin, Gunston defender etc - we were proactive and dynamic.

Hopefully he keeps learning and improving, because he's got the list to win a flag.

It was interesting watching the telecast. At one point it looked like Nicks was carrying on like a pork chop in the box, and Davis calmly reached over and put his hand on Nicks shoulder as if to calm him down.

 

[AFCCroweater]

Anyone know how to get the frees inside 50 stats? Felt like every shot Hawthorn had was from a dubious free kick.

The Advertiser put it in the Champion Data Stats Box below the articles.

AFC: 22 FK (6 D50, 14 MID, 2 F50)
HFC: 21 FK (3 D50, 12 MID, 6 F50)

To be fair SOME of those were clear as day - Keane panicked and held Gunston too many times. What annoyed me more was was “arm free” HTB paid against us twice and the same thing let go for the Hawks on centre wing

 

[Bay62]

Re: Peatling of whom I was a big fan until ...
His fumble early in the first really worried me; it smacked of hearing footsteps as 2 Hawks pounced, poached the ball and goaled from it.
That kind of fumbly hesitance under pressure is not what we need going forward.

Anybody at the ground; did he just have an off-night or is there cause for concern?

Just an off night I felt. He’s been good in other games

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Admittedly I was at the pub so haven’t had a chance to see the game properly, but did Peatling have a howler of a game or just a few really bad moments.

Seemed like a couple of goals game directly from him fumbling the ball multiple times where clean hands would have sent the ball the other way.

 

[CrowBloke]

That Rankine 50nin the 4th was rubbish.
Rankine played on, twice.
Fully understand Scicilys reaction there.

I dunno that Rankine played on twice but he seemed to know the ball had been touched and we got a freebie there which I'll take all day, every day.

One of the 4 umpires should have seen the touch as well. All.the players did.

This!!
Makes me wonder what the FOUR Umpires, count them, FOUR, are actually watching ffs.
It was the shittest decision on the night with Worrell's spoil (called a chop) a close second.

 

[steve9798]

At the ground it felt like Fogarty was quiet but watching the replay he had some really important moments.

Hawthorn was enormous in the first quarter. The Crows of old would have lost the game by 10 goals. We showed resilience, toughness, skill and that we have one hell of a captain.

Great win.

 

[Bay62]

Yep things I liked

On the replay seeing Davis in the box calming Nicks down when he was clearly very stressed

And when the Hawks were leaving the ground, Crows fans giving them absolute shite So many giving Ginnivan the aeroplane wings thing he does. Good to see

 

[steve9798]

Curtin in the middle with the game on a knife’s edge. This is a new Nicks.

Curtin went from not having a position to being able to play literally anywhere on the ground.

Hopefully new Nicks can bring Draper in next week.

 

[Crow_Magnon]

Ugly - me after the game:

** YOU STEVIC! ** YOU FLEER! ** YOU TONER! YOU USELESS CHEATING *******. YOU TRIED YOUR BEST, AND YOU STILL LOST.

That was pretty bloody close to me last night watching the game! LoL.

 

[steve9798]

Agreed, first time I’ve ever seen a standing ovation from the whole crowd while the game was still going

The atmosphere in the last quarter was electric. Can't wait for the Collingwood game.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

How ****ing infuriating would it be as a West Coast supporter seeing Dan Curtin absolutely go about it every week.

A bit like watching Pavlich dominate for Freo all those years?

 

[steve9798]

Wasn't Cook stuck in a forward pocket?
I don't think he's a static, positional, sit-and-wait player. Playing deep forward in this side he will be overlooked relative to RT, Fog, Tex, Rankine, ANB, Keays.
He looked much better the previous two games given license to run back and forward and his delivery was impactful.

Dreadful, last night.

We can't keep making excuses for Cook. He was a massive liability. Uncompetitive.

 

[DJ75]

The Advertiser put it in the Champion Data Stats Box below the articles.

AFC: 22 FK (6 D50, 14 MID, 2 F50)
HFC: 21 FK (3 D50, 12 MID, 6 F50)

To be fair SOME of those were clear as day - Keane panicked and held Gunston too many times. What annoyed me more was was “arm free” HTB paid against us twice and the same thing let go for the Hawks on centre wing

6 shots at goal from free kicks is a lot. I doubt that happens very often.
The worse one was the 50 paid against Taylor for being in the area, then a Hawks player doing exactly the same thing and that was ok, no 50.
Such ridiculous inconsistency.