Adelaide v Collingwood - Port v Hawthorn

Ginge, you do the Adelaide game?

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Where do we start?

That would have been the question posed by the coaching staff when discussing how to stop Hawthorns scoring options. Franklin, Roughead, Gunston, Rioli, Puopolo etc, etc et..bloody...c

Clearly is has to be midfield pressure stopping supply or at least pressuring it to the point of it impacting upon the quality of the delivery, which (bar 15 mintues against Essendon) we have done particularly well over the last month.

Can we do it against Hawthorn? I hope so, in fact I believe we can. Can we do it for long enough to win the match? That will be difficult and conditions will be similar to those we faced when playing Sydney. Many saying we beat Sydney at Sydneys game.

Westhoff is a big, big loss. We cant afford to bring in Renouf in the forecast conditions and Trengove, as he did last week, wont be available to pinch hit in the ruck. All hands required on deck down back.

The ommision of Hombsch was the most interesting for mine. He looks nearly ready for a rest, but he is on the emergency list? So was he left out based on form? Tough call, he didnt have a great one against Essendon (subbed out for P.Stewart) but not many of the back half did, in the first half of that match.

Tough contest coming up against the Hawks after their masters (Geelong) gave them another lesson last week. They'll be pissed, the Hawks.Look for them to be really physical early against our young midfield group.

I think we can push them, but the gap between a top 4 and middle of the ladder side will show in the end. Perhaps...

Hawks by 18 in a wet,dour slog.

Do I have to??

Alright. At the start of the year this may well have been considered as a mouthwatering Friday night match up.

Unfortunately both sides have struggled at times this year, Adelaide more so than Collingwood.

In many ways Adelaide went about things the right way last week, tackling pressure was up, confidence was up, run was good. That's what made the loss so deflating though.

This season has been one to forget bar the encouraging development of a few youngsters. That development is what will have me tuning in tonight, not the prospect of victory unfortunately.

The optimist in my suggests that Collingwood have had a rough week and might be ripe for an upset, but the realist says that won't happen.

Collingwood by about 5 goals.

Gingernuts wrote:Do I have to??

I'm glad you did. 

Pretty easy to lose faith in Adelaide right now. I can't see anything other than Collingwood being just too hard at the footy for the Crows, unfortunately.

Same result for Port, with Hawthorn being too skilful, but Port are more likely to show encouraging signs.

Conditions may bring the SA sides back into the contest 'ala PA Vs SYd' but if it what perfect conditions both would cop a flogging this week - AFC to do slightly better than expected though

Well, that was a pretty impressive first quarter by the Crows.

Silly to put Dangerfield back on with that injury.

Not a lot of G & D with Adelaide this quarter.

They look like rabbits in a spotlight.

2 goals to Colingwood in 2 minutes.

Gifted by the Crows with intercepted handballs.

So far:

Thompson really, really struggling.

Lynch really good. Looks terrific.

Porps playing very well.

Jacobs pretty good too.

Crows starting to disintegrate.

Time to go.... Thompson  

Even though we lost I enjoyed watching the game.

What's with Collingwood fans boooing ferociously after the siren - did they not realise they won??...lol.
Chill out people and be happy for goodness sake.

That is all

I'm the same A Mum, enjoyed the game even though we lost.

Some frustrating parts but also some very encouraging things.

Lynch was superb, Crouch was excellent, and I thought our defence looked really good tonight. Brown looks more and more comfortable with every game he plays, and Laird was cool as a cucumber. Porps looked dangerous every time he went near it.

Really it was just some silly mistakes and turnovers at key times that cost us a real shot at the points. Thompson really does stuff up a lot still for a senior player doesn't he?

Even though this year hasn't gone to plan I still think we are on the right track long term. As my wife said tonight - "It's all there" - experience is the key.

I was thinking tonight that perhaps Sanderson tried too hard to impose the 'Geelong way' onto Adelaide over the off season. So much focus on strength that they lost their ability to run and chase.

Gingernuts wrote: Thompson really does stuff up a lot still for a senior player doesn't he?

Not meaning to diss someone who's obviously been a good player for us in the past... but yeah.

I'm surprised you didn't hear 'A Dad' yelling from your place - he was frustrating to watch tonight (Thompson that is, not A Dad...lol).

Thompson - Interesting one for Adelaide. Is he contracted for next year? If not, does he get offered another contract with the likes of Crouch, Laird, Grigg and co. looking for more midfield exposure?

Dangerfield - Why would Adelaide allow him to go back out there on Friday night? He reportedly said to Sanderson at 3/4 time "Put me in the middle, I wont let you down". Well, Patty, even with the amount of intestinal fortitude you posses you sometimes need to balance that with sound thought processes. With Adelaide's season shot before Friday night even started, why the risk the clubs best player? Silly, silly move.

van Berlo - Another tough one for a bloke who has served the club well. Surely he relinquishes the captaincy role to Dangerfield next year. I heard someone say on Saturday morning "van Berlo started on Pendelbury.Hardly got near him. I bet van Berlo couldn't draw a picture of Pendelbury this morning"  

Do like Crouch and Brown, Lynch will be much better with a Walker or improved Jenkins taking the real big, strong defenders away from him. Good prospect.

Spot on, Booney.

I see the Crows doing what Sturt do.
The defensive transitions are not great.
Too many ball watching and not pushing back hard enough to opposition players. At this level, you're dead if you aren't mentally switched on to do those off the ball defensive things.

Saw Crouch not push back resulting in a goal, but plenty of the more experienced types are in the same boat.

As for Port, any chance they had was killed with so many turnovers. I reckon they hit more Hawthorn blokes with handballs than their own players.

Yep good post Booney.

I'm loving Lynchys work at the moment. The thing I like the most is his workrate. When you see him live you appreciate it even more. Must've learnt a few things from Reiwoldt during his time with the Saints.

re Thompson, I've said it before and I'll say it again - the experienced players have been the disappointment this year (25+ years old). Thompson, Vince, Van Berlo, Johncock, Reilly, Porps (coming good now though), Callinan. All have had years they won't remember fondly.