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2013 AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON
ROUND 16
JULY 12TH 7.50PM
COLLINGWOOD VS ADELAIDE
MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND
BROADCAST GUIDE;
http://www.afl.com.au/tv-radio/broadcast-guide
WEATHER;
Forecast; http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml
Radar; http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR022.loop.shtml#skip
TICKETS;
http://premier.ticketek.com.au/Shows/show.aspx?sh=COLLI1613#.Ud6mYTvs0TN
The most important period of the 2013 AFL home and away season is upon us as every team who is still in finals contention clambers for vital wins that will qualify them for the finals. The Adelaide Crows and the Collingwood Magpies are two clubs that are still in contention and this Friday night they will do battle at the MCG. For the Crows it may well be their last opportunity to salvage something out of a season that has seen them fall from a top four position last season to currently sitting in 12th, two wins out of 8th position. The Crows have had their fair share of injuries to key players, just like this weeks' opponent the Magpies but realistically it has been a disappointing season for Adelaide so far in 2013. Collingwood's season hasn't been much better, but with four wins in their last 5 games the Pies' have moved their way up to 7th and now look certain to play in their 8th consecutive finals series. It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Collingwood recently though with the now well known Harry O'Brien issue causing a media frenzy at the club over the past week or so, and because of this Harry won't be in line for selection this week. This is a vital game though for both teams, as I said it's Adelaide's last hope at keeping their finals hopes alive while the Pies need the win to continue their recent good form, and push towards a top four spot.
PREVIOUS FORM
The Crows are really struggling, there's no easier way to put it, as they find themselves in 12th spot, 2 wins and percentage outside of the final eight. While the Crows have had some long term injuries to key players so far this season their fans would still have expected this line up to be doing better than they are. Last week's loss to the Eagles was devastating really, not only did the Crows hand 4 points to a fellow finals challenger, but they also lost youngster Aidan Riley for the rest of the season with a broken leg. It's the third season ending injury for the Crows with Taylor Walker and Brent Reilly also out for the rest of the 2013 season. Despite the injuries though, with a few minutes to go against the Eagles the Crows looked like their season was going to be revived, as they led by two goals, only to see the Eagles kick the final three goals to seal a victory that all but condemns the Crows to missing the finals this season. That's a mighty fall from grace, to go from missing the Grand Final last season by a kick to this season missing the finals altogether, and injuries can't be the only excuse for such a drop. Yes the draw is harder but the Crows wouldn't be happy with their form, even given the injuries they have suffered.
Collingwood on the other hand have put some wins together lately, winning four of their last 5 games to sit 7th and quite secure inside the final eight. Yes, the draw has been a little easier in the past few weeks but the Magpies draw was tough before that period, so they were due for a bit of relief. Last weekend the Pies went in as underdogs against their oldest foes, Carlton, and after a slow start that saw them trailing by 28 goals just before quarter time, the Pies lifted and ran away with a very easy 41 point win. The midfield dominated with Swan and Pendlebury smashing the Blues in the middle yet it was the move of Ben Reid up forward that provided the biggest change in momentum and efficiency for the Magpies. Reid booted 4 goals in what was the perfect complementary performance to star forward Travis Cloke, who kicked 5 goals himself. Reid started his career as a forward but after several failures was moved to centre half back where he played in a premiership and earned All Australian honours. The move of Reid forward may well be the catalyst the Magpies need going forward as they push to finish as high in the final eight as they possibly can.
COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW
Despite the win on Friday night over their arch rival it has been a chaotic week at Collingwood with the Harry O'Brien saga stretching on longer than most anticipated. The Pies premiership defender turned wingman had a shouting match with the senior coach last week and subsequently spent almost an entire week away from the club dealing with some personal issues. The media has jumped on this story like beggars would a gold piece, with an almost disgusting over reaction to one player's personal problems and his absence from the club for a week. Harry is back at the club now and he will receive all the assistance he requires to get him back playing football, but more importantly to help him get through this tough time.
On the field is a massive boost for the Magpies this week with reigning Copeland Trophy winner Dayne Beams returning for his first game in 2013. The star midfielder suffered a quadricep injury just days before Collingwood's round 1 fixture and re injured it while trying to make a comeback about 6 weeks ago. Beams' performance in the VFL on Saturday was nothing short of sensational as the premiership winning midfielder lifted his young team-mates over the line with two last quarter goals. Beams has been named in the side with youngster Ben Kennedy the unlucky one to be omitted from a strong Magpies lineup.
The win against Carlton showed what the Magpies are capable of, and the inclusion of Beams and the new tactic of being able to move Ben Reid forward may lead to a resurgence from a Magpies line-up that has struggled for consistency so far in 2013. A win against the Crows would be yet another step in the right direction for a club that has overcome plenty of internal crisis' so far this season.
For the first time this year Collingwood have some depth also, with Lachlan Keeffe, Ben Kennedy and Tyson Goldsack named as the emergencies. The Pies also have a few youngsters pushing up for selection with first round pick Brodie Grundy having his best game of his short VFL career so far last weekend against Box Hill. Collingwood should win this game, they should be high on confidence coming off a great win over the old rivals but the Crows are still a dangerous team, so the boys in black and white will have to play near their best to notch yet another win up for season 2013.
OPPOSITION ANALYSIS
Adelaide entered 2013 knowing it was going to be a tougher year than 2012, a season where they only marginally failed to make the grand final after that loss to the Hawks in an epic preliminary final. Losing Kurt Tippett was always going to make life more difficult and then the worst case scenario occurred when their remaining elite key forward, Taylor Walker went down with a knee injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Crows weren't in a terrible position a few weeks back but 4 losses from their last 5 games has all but ended their hopes of playing finals this year, with only an upset win and a subsequent winning run their only chance of reigniting their season. The Crows still have talent on every line though, even with their injury concerns.
If there's one area of the ground that the Crows are still going well in, it's their backline, with club stalwart Ben Rutten and Daniel Talia holding down the key position spots. The two reliable tall defenders are assisted by names such as Otten, Smith, Lyons and Henderson and a midfield that has a defensive mindset, even if it is struggling to get the ball itself. This weekend it will be interesting to see who the Crows have to deal with, but it would be tempting to see Talia vs Reid and Rutten vs Cloke, as the visitors would consider themselves a big chance of at least breaking even in those battles. Collingwood's small forwards haven't been that dangerous this season so Adelaide will also be confident of restricting their effectiveness, but it's just a matter of whether the probability of a large discrepancies in inside 50's will overwhelm the capable Crows defense.
The Crows midfield really should be performing better than it is, but those who know the Crows well would tell you that there's more reasons than meet the eye why the Crows are struggling in the key midfield stats categories. Patrick Dangerfield has done his best to carry the team this season, but constant interruptions to the seasons of his assistants in the midfield has at times meant he has had to carry too much on those broad shoulders. Scott Thompson is still a warrior, but along with Bernie Vince is a week to week proposition on fitness due to the injuries he is carrying, and the loss of Brent Reilly for the season has just added to the problems. Sam Jacobs has battled manfully in the ruck but the Crows have struggled to find a replacement for Tippett as that second ruckman/forward and McKernan being suspended this week makes that problem even more obvious. The Pies rucks aren't top class either, especially with Jolly missing so maybe this is one game Jacobs can dominate. On paper though it seems as if the Crows will struggle to keep up with a Pies midfield that just seems to be finding it's form, and the probable return of Dayne Beams may just make it too difficult for the Crows to hold on in the middle.
Adelaide's forward line is a mess, there's really no other way to say it, with Tippett leaving and now Walker out for the season, the Crows may have to play Jason Porplyzia at full forward this week. Jenkins and Lynch will be asked to give Porpylzia some help this week but the loss of McKernan makes that forward line even less stable and reliable than it was before. Add that the Pies defense looked near it's best last week (after quarter time) and it seems very unlikely that the Crows will be very efficient when they go forward. The Crows will once again use Dangerfield up forward at times, just like the Pies have done with Dane Swan, basically to fill a gap that exists because of personnel shortages. As the Magpies have discovered though it's pretty tough to win games against good sides when you decide to put your most effective midfielder in a position that relies on effective and constant ball supply.
The best case scenario for the Crows is that this game turns into a low scoring scrap that suits their inability to kick a high score at the moment. The forecast for Friday isn't bad though and as we saw last Friday Night a dry MCG, even on a cold night, is still more than capable of providing a high scoring, entertaining match. The Crows have made just the two changes with Jarryd Lyons and David McKay coming in for the suspended McKernan and the injured Riley. Senior coach Brenton Sanderson has talked tough for a few weeks now about spirit and belief at the club but this really is the last chance for the Crows to resurrect a disappointing season.
TEAMS
Collingwood go into this game with plenty more to play for than the Crows yet as shown above Adelaide might still pose a threat here. The last time the Crows visited the MCG though they were smashed by a Tigers outfit who were probably in the best form of the season and it's worry that Adelaide run into the Magpies at maybe their highest point of the year, having smashed their arch rival in Carlton. The return of Dayne Beams is massive in so many ways for Collingwood, he was a top 10 player in the entire AFL last season, won the Pies best and fairest and is that rare breed of a tough, inside midfielder who also kicks goals. He quite simply makes this Collingwood outfit a better team, even if he is slightly under done after only one VFL game.
Collingwood will win this game, of that I have little doubt and the naming of what is possibly their strongest team of the season so far makes me believe it will be quite comfortable.
Thanks to mattys123
ROUND 16
JULY 12TH 7.50PM
COLLINGWOOD VS ADELAIDE
MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND
BROADCAST GUIDE;
http://www.afl.com.au/tv-radio/broadcast-guide
WEATHER;
Forecast; http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml
Radar; http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR022.loop.shtml#skip
TICKETS;
http://premier.ticketek.com.au/Shows/show.aspx?sh=COLLI1613#.Ud6mYTvs0TN
The most important period of the 2013 AFL home and away season is upon us as every team who is still in finals contention clambers for vital wins that will qualify them for the finals. The Adelaide Crows and the Collingwood Magpies are two clubs that are still in contention and this Friday night they will do battle at the MCG. For the Crows it may well be their last opportunity to salvage something out of a season that has seen them fall from a top four position last season to currently sitting in 12th, two wins out of 8th position. The Crows have had their fair share of injuries to key players, just like this weeks' opponent the Magpies but realistically it has been a disappointing season for Adelaide so far in 2013. Collingwood's season hasn't been much better, but with four wins in their last 5 games the Pies' have moved their way up to 7th and now look certain to play in their 8th consecutive finals series. It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Collingwood recently though with the now well known Harry O'Brien issue causing a media frenzy at the club over the past week or so, and because of this Harry won't be in line for selection this week. This is a vital game though for both teams, as I said it's Adelaide's last hope at keeping their finals hopes alive while the Pies need the win to continue their recent good form, and push towards a top four spot.
PREVIOUS FORM
The Crows are really struggling, there's no easier way to put it, as they find themselves in 12th spot, 2 wins and percentage outside of the final eight. While the Crows have had some long term injuries to key players so far this season their fans would still have expected this line up to be doing better than they are. Last week's loss to the Eagles was devastating really, not only did the Crows hand 4 points to a fellow finals challenger, but they also lost youngster Aidan Riley for the rest of the season with a broken leg. It's the third season ending injury for the Crows with Taylor Walker and Brent Reilly also out for the rest of the 2013 season. Despite the injuries though, with a few minutes to go against the Eagles the Crows looked like their season was going to be revived, as they led by two goals, only to see the Eagles kick the final three goals to seal a victory that all but condemns the Crows to missing the finals this season. That's a mighty fall from grace, to go from missing the Grand Final last season by a kick to this season missing the finals altogether, and injuries can't be the only excuse for such a drop. Yes the draw is harder but the Crows wouldn't be happy with their form, even given the injuries they have suffered.
Collingwood on the other hand have put some wins together lately, winning four of their last 5 games to sit 7th and quite secure inside the final eight. Yes, the draw has been a little easier in the past few weeks but the Magpies draw was tough before that period, so they were due for a bit of relief. Last weekend the Pies went in as underdogs against their oldest foes, Carlton, and after a slow start that saw them trailing by 28 goals just before quarter time, the Pies lifted and ran away with a very easy 41 point win. The midfield dominated with Swan and Pendlebury smashing the Blues in the middle yet it was the move of Ben Reid up forward that provided the biggest change in momentum and efficiency for the Magpies. Reid booted 4 goals in what was the perfect complementary performance to star forward Travis Cloke, who kicked 5 goals himself. Reid started his career as a forward but after several failures was moved to centre half back where he played in a premiership and earned All Australian honours. The move of Reid forward may well be the catalyst the Magpies need going forward as they push to finish as high in the final eight as they possibly can.
COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW
Despite the win on Friday night over their arch rival it has been a chaotic week at Collingwood with the Harry O'Brien saga stretching on longer than most anticipated. The Pies premiership defender turned wingman had a shouting match with the senior coach last week and subsequently spent almost an entire week away from the club dealing with some personal issues. The media has jumped on this story like beggars would a gold piece, with an almost disgusting over reaction to one player's personal problems and his absence from the club for a week. Harry is back at the club now and he will receive all the assistance he requires to get him back playing football, but more importantly to help him get through this tough time.
On the field is a massive boost for the Magpies this week with reigning Copeland Trophy winner Dayne Beams returning for his first game in 2013. The star midfielder suffered a quadricep injury just days before Collingwood's round 1 fixture and re injured it while trying to make a comeback about 6 weeks ago. Beams' performance in the VFL on Saturday was nothing short of sensational as the premiership winning midfielder lifted his young team-mates over the line with two last quarter goals. Beams has been named in the side with youngster Ben Kennedy the unlucky one to be omitted from a strong Magpies lineup.
The win against Carlton showed what the Magpies are capable of, and the inclusion of Beams and the new tactic of being able to move Ben Reid forward may lead to a resurgence from a Magpies line-up that has struggled for consistency so far in 2013. A win against the Crows would be yet another step in the right direction for a club that has overcome plenty of internal crisis' so far this season.
For the first time this year Collingwood have some depth also, with Lachlan Keeffe, Ben Kennedy and Tyson Goldsack named as the emergencies. The Pies also have a few youngsters pushing up for selection with first round pick Brodie Grundy having his best game of his short VFL career so far last weekend against Box Hill. Collingwood should win this game, they should be high on confidence coming off a great win over the old rivals but the Crows are still a dangerous team, so the boys in black and white will have to play near their best to notch yet another win up for season 2013.
OPPOSITION ANALYSIS
Adelaide entered 2013 knowing it was going to be a tougher year than 2012, a season where they only marginally failed to make the grand final after that loss to the Hawks in an epic preliminary final. Losing Kurt Tippett was always going to make life more difficult and then the worst case scenario occurred when their remaining elite key forward, Taylor Walker went down with a knee injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Crows weren't in a terrible position a few weeks back but 4 losses from their last 5 games has all but ended their hopes of playing finals this year, with only an upset win and a subsequent winning run their only chance of reigniting their season. The Crows still have talent on every line though, even with their injury concerns.
If there's one area of the ground that the Crows are still going well in, it's their backline, with club stalwart Ben Rutten and Daniel Talia holding down the key position spots. The two reliable tall defenders are assisted by names such as Otten, Smith, Lyons and Henderson and a midfield that has a defensive mindset, even if it is struggling to get the ball itself. This weekend it will be interesting to see who the Crows have to deal with, but it would be tempting to see Talia vs Reid and Rutten vs Cloke, as the visitors would consider themselves a big chance of at least breaking even in those battles. Collingwood's small forwards haven't been that dangerous this season so Adelaide will also be confident of restricting their effectiveness, but it's just a matter of whether the probability of a large discrepancies in inside 50's will overwhelm the capable Crows defense.
The Crows midfield really should be performing better than it is, but those who know the Crows well would tell you that there's more reasons than meet the eye why the Crows are struggling in the key midfield stats categories. Patrick Dangerfield has done his best to carry the team this season, but constant interruptions to the seasons of his assistants in the midfield has at times meant he has had to carry too much on those broad shoulders. Scott Thompson is still a warrior, but along with Bernie Vince is a week to week proposition on fitness due to the injuries he is carrying, and the loss of Brent Reilly for the season has just added to the problems. Sam Jacobs has battled manfully in the ruck but the Crows have struggled to find a replacement for Tippett as that second ruckman/forward and McKernan being suspended this week makes that problem even more obvious. The Pies rucks aren't top class either, especially with Jolly missing so maybe this is one game Jacobs can dominate. On paper though it seems as if the Crows will struggle to keep up with a Pies midfield that just seems to be finding it's form, and the probable return of Dayne Beams may just make it too difficult for the Crows to hold on in the middle.
Adelaide's forward line is a mess, there's really no other way to say it, with Tippett leaving and now Walker out for the season, the Crows may have to play Jason Porplyzia at full forward this week. Jenkins and Lynch will be asked to give Porpylzia some help this week but the loss of McKernan makes that forward line even less stable and reliable than it was before. Add that the Pies defense looked near it's best last week (after quarter time) and it seems very unlikely that the Crows will be very efficient when they go forward. The Crows will once again use Dangerfield up forward at times, just like the Pies have done with Dane Swan, basically to fill a gap that exists because of personnel shortages. As the Magpies have discovered though it's pretty tough to win games against good sides when you decide to put your most effective midfielder in a position that relies on effective and constant ball supply.
The best case scenario for the Crows is that this game turns into a low scoring scrap that suits their inability to kick a high score at the moment. The forecast for Friday isn't bad though and as we saw last Friday Night a dry MCG, even on a cold night, is still more than capable of providing a high scoring, entertaining match. The Crows have made just the two changes with Jarryd Lyons and David McKay coming in for the suspended McKernan and the injured Riley. Senior coach Brenton Sanderson has talked tough for a few weeks now about spirit and belief at the club but this really is the last chance for the Crows to resurrect a disappointing season.
TEAMS
Collingwood
B: Nathan Brown, Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid
HB: Clinton Young, Heath Shaw, Marley Williams
C: Steele Sidebottom, Brent Macaffer, Luke Ball
HF: Jamie Elliott, Jarrod Witts, Dane Swan
F: Dayne Beams, Travis Cloke, Josh Thomas
Foll: Ben Hudson, Scott Pendlebury, Jarryd Blair
Int: Andrew Krakouer, Ben Sinclair, Paul Seedsman, Sam Dwyer
Emg: Tyson Goldsack, Lachlan Keeffe, Ben Kennedy
IN: Dayne Beams
OUT: Ben Kennedy (omitted)
Milestones: Luke Ball (200 games), Steele Sidebottom (100 games)
B: Ricky Henderson, Ben Rutten, Luke Brown
HB: Brodie Smith, Daniel Talia, Rory Laird
C: Nathan van Berlo, Patrick Dangerfield, Bernie Vince
HF: Matthew Wright, Tom Lynch, Richard Douglas
F: Jason Porplyzia, Josh Jenkins, Brad Crouch
RUCKS: Sam Jacobs, Rory Sloane, Scott Thompson
INTERCHANGE: Matthew Jaensch, Jarryd Lyons, David Mackay, Andy Otten
EMERG: Ian Callinan, Mitch Grigg, Luke Thompson
IN: Jarryd Lyons, David Mackay
OUT: Shaun McKernan (suspended), Aidan Riley (fractured leg)
TIPCollingwood go into this game with plenty more to play for than the Crows yet as shown above Adelaide might still pose a threat here. The last time the Crows visited the MCG though they were smashed by a Tigers outfit who were probably in the best form of the season and it's worry that Adelaide run into the Magpies at maybe their highest point of the year, having smashed their arch rival in Carlton. The return of Dayne Beams is massive in so many ways for Collingwood, he was a top 10 player in the entire AFL last season, won the Pies best and fairest and is that rare breed of a tough, inside midfielder who also kicks goals. He quite simply makes this Collingwood outfit a better team, even if he is slightly under done after only one VFL game.
Collingwood will win this game, of that I have little doubt and the naming of what is possibly their strongest team of the season so far makes me believe it will be quite comfortable.
Thanks to mattys123
So here it is. The previous last 3 games against the Pies at the MCG have been below a goal and here is hoping this time around it's a close as the previous ones. Collingwood have been one side in the competition that no matter when we play them, despite ladder position, despite form they have always had the wood over us.Our season is over and it's time to start getting back to the basics. Jarryd Lyons has been brought back into the side to cheers from the Bigfooty community, while Matty Jeansch still keeps his name in the side. I would of personally liked to have seen Grigg get ahead of him, but we will be on notice for the rest of the season. A handful of players will be playing for their careers and we need to give them the remaining handful of games to provide what they've got. I'm talking about players like Jeansch, Henderson, Matty Wright, Andy Otten and even Jason Porplyzia to an extent are all playing for their careers here at the Crows.Even though our season is over i see this as a critical game as we haven't been able to knock off a top team this year, and getting a scalp like Collingwood would bring a lot of confidence into the club heading into the arse end of the year.Heres hoping for a good game and a Crows win!
