Where will we finish next year?

[Vooligan]

People seem to forget we have the potential to improve even more next season.

If you ask me, our premiership window is just about to open.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

People seem to forget we have the potential to improve even more next season.

If you ask me, our premiership window is just about to open.

my thoughts exactly

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Neither is available ....so what's purpose of discussion

Goddard has laready knocked Freo back because he doesn't want to go interstate

There is no such thing as unavailable.

If the player(s) and the two clubs want the deal to happen it will.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

There is no such thing as unavailable.

If the player(s) and the two clubs want the deal to happen it will.

Thats what i said Carl .....the players DO NOT want to deal

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Thats what i said Carl .....the players DO NOT want to deal

Yes, none of the 800 players in the league are interested in switching clubs

 

[ok.crows]

We will most likely only play 1 bottom 8 team twice, that being Port. You can bet that we'll get the Perth trip twice, likely in the last round as well. But I have faith in this group. After last night, we now have the belief that we can take it up to the best. My tip is 2-5 finish.

The system is apparently that a team which finishes in the top 8 (as Adelaide did this year) plays double-up games in the following year against two teams from the bottom 8 and three teams from the top 8. For Adelaide, Port will be one of the two sides from the bottom 8 this year, so there will be one other.

The hardest draw that Adelaide can get in 2013 is therefore: Hawks, Sydney, Collingwood, Port and one other bottom 8 side as the double-up games.

There will be 11 home games (12 games at AAMI) and 11 away games (10 interstate games), as there is every year.

The only way to make the Crows draw harder is to put the easiest games at AAMI and the hardest ones interstate. Doing this probably gives the Crows of 2013 12 easy wins at home plus some wins away ... because there aren't 10 sides who can beat Adelaide away, perhaps there will be five or six who can. This is still a top 8 finish.

If the AFL did it the other way around and scheduled the hardest opponents at AAMI and the easiest opponents interstate, the Crows might even be strong enough in 2013 to finish top in 2013 despite whoever the double-up games are against.

 

[Red Crow]

The only thing I can see stopping us from finishing top 4 is injuries. If Kurt leaves it will be a blow, but nowhere near a fatal one.

With another pre-season to get even stronger again, and more time to work through gameplans etc with Sando, there is no reason not to take a step further again next year. We'll be adding Crouch to our team, the boys will know what finals are like and what is required to perform at that level, and the hurt from last night will drive them harder.

The system is apparently that a team which finishes in the top 8 (as Adelaide did this year) plays twice in the following year two teams from the bottom 8 and three teams from the top 8. For Adelaide, Port will be one of the two sides from the bottom 8 this year, so there will be one other.

The hardest draw that Adelaide can get in 2012 is therefore: Hawks, Sydney, Collingwood, Port and one other bottom 8 side as the double-up games.

That is what the AFL have alluded to certainly, but it isn't a hard and fast rule. Hawthorn this year played only Port twice from last years bottom 9, and Coll/Geel/Syd/WCE from top 8. Similarly the reverse is supposedly true, where bottom 10 teams only play two finalists twice, but even that isn't necessarily the case. Port didn't get that this year (allegedly due to asking for higher drawing games) and, even we didn't get that. Although Freo were touted as a top 4/8 team this year (and proved it in the end), they still finished outside the 8 last year. The only top 8 team we played twice was Geelong.

 

[kirky]

The system is apparently that a team which finishes in the top 8 (as Adelaide did this year) plays double-up games in the following year against two teams from the bottom 8 and three teams from the top 8. For Adelaide, Port will be one of the two sides from the bottom 8 this year, so there will be one other.

The hardest draw that Adelaide can get in 2013 is therefore: Hawks, Sydney, Collingwood, Port and one other bottom 8 side as the double-up games.

There will be 11 home games (12 games at AAMI) and 11 away games (10 interstate games), as there is every year.

The only way to make the Crows draw harder is to put the easiest games at AAMI and the hardest ones interstate. Doing this probably gives the Crows of 2013 12 easy wins at home plus some wins away ... because there aren't 10 sides who can beat Adelaide away, perhaps there will be five or six who can. This is still a top 8 finish.

If the AFL did it the other way around and scheduled the hardest opponents at AAMI and the easiest opponents interstate, the Crows might even be strong enough in 2013 to finish top in 2013 despite whoever the double-up games are against.

We played Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle and Geelong plus an up and running Carlton (at the time) all away from home in 2012. Difficult to see it get much harder for away from home games.

 

[OrdinaryJoel]

Anywhere in the Top 4 is my guess... and a confident guess as well!

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I believe it was from Rucci when he was mentioning what was planned for Footy Park in its last season. The reason was we played Hawthon in our first game and thus we will play them in the last regular season game at the stadium.

On the draw we finished 3rd overall this season (2nd regular season) so we will have a harder draw. I highly doubt we will play Gold Coast or West Sydney twice next year as we are already likely to play Port twice.

Correct, the AFL are going to schedule a home game against the Hawks in the final round to mark the last AFL game at football park as they played the 1st game - they will be even be keener now after the cracking preliminary final.

We should get a harder draw, but will still finish top-4, as long as we have a reasonable run with injuries. Injuries/form, rather than the draw are more important to a higher finish.

 

[Stiffy_18]

If we keep Tippett, anything other than top 4 would be a major disappointment!

 

[ok.crows]

That is what the AFL have alluded to certainly, but it isn't a hard and fast rule. Hawthorn this year played only Port twice from last years bottom 9, and Coll/Geel/Syd/WCE from top 8. Similarly the reverse is supposedly true, where bottom 10 teams only play two finalists twice, but even that isn't necessarily the case. Port didn't get that this year (allegedly due to asking for higher drawing games) and, even we didn't get that. Although Freo were touted as a top 4/8 team this year (and proved it in the end), they still finished outside the 8 last year. The only top 8 team we played twice was Geelong.

There are exceptions to this general rule, mostly derived from "special requests". For example, Port apparently makes a special request to play double-up games against teams who draw the biggest crowds. Since this yields a financial advantage but also a disadvantage to Port in terms of the difficulty of their draw, the AFL allows such a request.

Adelaide don't make special requests in terms of who they play against. Hence Adelaide's fixture should conform to the general rule.

 

[spenze]

We'd have to wait til ttrade week to make a confident pediction but with a reasonable run we'll make top 4

 

[Cap]

People seem to forget we have the potential to improve even more next season.

If you ask me, our premiership window is just about to open.

you don't think any other team will improve next year?

 

[ok.crows]

We played Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle and Geelong plus an up and running Carlton (at the time) all away from home in 2012. Difficult to see it get much harder for away from home games.

Agreed. The most difficult draw for Adelaide in 2013 involves away games against all the top teams, and three double-up games against top 8 teams. There are possibly five top teams which Adelaide might not win against in away games. Maybe Adelaide drop an away game against a lower team, and maybe they win one against a top team. Maybe one loss at home also against a top team. Still a top 4 finish.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

If Tippett stays... top four.

If Tippett goes... bottom four.

Nah, not really. But the Walker-Tippett combo could be awesome once they figure out how to work together. This is the first season that we've had any semblance of a forward structure or strategy about isolating forwards one-on-one and creating space. Unfortunately suspensions and concussions have prevented them working on the partnership much this season but we saw yesterday what it can bring. They've only started to scratch the surface.

If Tippett goes, we'll be explaining to young disbelieving Crows fans for the next 30 years about how we once had two power forwards at the same time and somehow let it slip.

 

[PCORF]

We need to finish top 4 just to be a chance. 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th after the 24 rounds. Hopefully 1st or 2nd and we can then learn from our mistakes. If we can win lets say 4 out of 6 close games, it will go a long way to achieving that. It made a huge difference this season, winning the close ones. If we had lost those ones we would have never gotten this far. 5th to 8th not good enough.

I just hope yesterday's game does not come back to haunt us next year. And it could if Kurt walks out, the question is who do we replace him with ... Jenkins perhaps?

Remember 2007 ... that was absolute shocking disaster of a season, inconsistent and under-performed. 2006 really hurt and it showed in 2007. We cannot allow for that to happen again.

What we need is a key defender + to keep Kurt if we wanna be a chance to win it all next year.

My 2013 Prediction 5th to 8th.

 

[BundyJack]

If Tippett stays... top four.

If Tippett goes... bottom four.

Nah, not really. But the Walker-Tippett combo could be awesome once they figure out how to work together. This is the first season that we've had any semblance of a forward structure or strategy about isolating forwards one-on-one and creating space. Unfortunately suspensions and concussions have prevented them working on the partnership much this season but we saw yesterday what it can bring. They've only started to scratch the surface.

If Tippett goes, we'll be explaining to young disbelieving Crows fans for the next 30 years about how we once had two power forwards at the same time and somehow let it slip.

Agreed Carl. The double(Walker/Tippett) combo is potentially the best any club has had for years. IMHO unstoppable.

 

[footy_noob]

i think prob 2nd or 3rd. earn a home pre-lim. make gf. win whole thing.

 

[footy_noob]

We will most likely only play 1 bottom 8 team twice, that being Port. You can bet that we'll get the Perth trip twice, likely in the last round as well. But I have faith in this group. After last night, we now have the belief that we can take it up to the best. My tip is 2-5 finish.

i don't know hey... i know that this is completely arbitrary as i don't know the future but i think we would draw 1 more in addition to port, maybe brisbane lions or melbourne fc.

 

[footy4ever]

I've gone 5 - 8 Vlad will make sure our fixture stinks. But it won't stop us going deep into the finals...we were a kick away against this year's finals favourite FFS. Crows will be better for this loss next finals campaign. Buy some Silvo Triggy, I think we could be needing some in a year or two.

 

[Vooligan]

you don't think any other team will improve next year?

Of course they will. I can see the likes of Freo and Carlton pushing for top 4, and Brisbane making the 8. Doesn't mean we will play worse though.

 

[headache1]

We played Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle and Geelong plus an up and running Carlton (at the time) all away from home in 2012. Difficult to see it get much harder for away from home games.

Eagles at Subiaco in the final round. Bookmark it.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Eagles at Subiaco in the final round. Bookmark it.

Wrong, we are playing the Hawks at home.

The draw will not be the major factor in where we finish - form/injuries & keeping Tippett are more important factors.

Anything less than a top-4 finish will be a disappointment.

 

[headache1]

Wrong, we are playing the Hawks at home.

The draw will not be the major factor in where we finish - form/injuries & keeping Tippett are more important factors.

Anything less than a top-4 finish will be a disappointment.

But that would give us important experience at a place where we'll need it in September. Eagles at Subiaco means the farthest distance we can travel to play a quality team in a hostile environment.

Don't disagree with the rest of the post though. Implementing a complete change in gamestyle wih emphasis on ferocious contested ball winning has been a hard slog for our players this season, and they've got through it quite well. We started to look a little underdone toward the end of the regular season (and against Sydney), but got back into form at the right time. What our young players got on Saturday night was invaluable. As a Crows player, you don't get too many opportunities to play infront of a huge crowd at the G. We'll certainly be better off for it next year, and we'll come back stronger and fitter (and with next years Brownlow medalist, Brad Crouch, in the side ).