R7 - Adelaide v Melbourne & GWS v Port

Well a captivating week of football lies ahead for the SA based sides as they take on powerhouses Melbourne and GWS.

Expect both to continue their form.

The big discussion point for the week (certainly for Booney anyway) is whether the Taylor 'Tex' Walker will make an early comeback this weekend, or be forced to bide his time in the SANFL for a couple more weeks.

Discuss away....

Port's loss to GWS in Sydney in 2012 was the catalyst for their revival. I don't think we'll be seeing anything like that again. They'll win by 5-6 goals.

I think Adelaide will win by 7-8 goals at Adelaide Oval.

Well, Ginge, I am quite TEXcited to see what happens this weekend. I will await Adelaides selections with great TEXpectation. If he plays SANFL it will be a great TEXperience for the Clare locals, I just hope there is no horse TEXhaust on the Oval when the lads arrive.

If it's really cold, will the lads deal with the TEXtreme conditions?

I trust it's ok with you that I have TEXpressed myself in this manner.....be still, my beating heart.  

On the important stuff, Port will smash GWS by 70+ points. I expect nothing less than a ruthless performance for a team looking to be close to the top of the ladder against a team who will be bottom 2.

Adelaide will compound the hapless start to Melbournes season with another big loss. 60+ points here at AO too.

Please TEXcuse me, I had one more that I forgot to add in.  

Just the mere mention of the name is enough to breakout the KleenTEX

TEXcellent stuff gents!   

I'm afraid the only place anyone will be seeing Tex this weekend will be in Clare.

I get the feeling Sanderson and Co will stick to their plan and leave him in the SANFL for another week or two, particularly after the performance of Podsiadly and his tall forward cohorts last weekend.

I'm not fussed either way personally.

As for the games, both will end up 10+ goal spankings IMO.

Gingernuts wrote:TEXcellent stuff gents!   

I'm afraid the only place anyone will be seeing Tex this weekend will be in Clare.

I wonder how she feels about that - TEXstatic?

Scrunch does it again! Haha. Classic.   

If both win, 4 weekends in a row. Can't remember last time that happened. At a guess 2002 or 2003 when Port were really good and Adelaide finalists.

Actually, it's never happened.

Port & Adelaide both by over 10 goals

Eddie Betts said after the game last week that he's never won 4 games in a row in his AFL senior career- I hope that he breaks that drought this week!!

I'm going to cop it for this,but.....I bet Eddie Betts has never put his head over the ball 4 weeks in a row either!

Don't get me wrong, he's added a lot to Adelaide's forward structure ( more than Petrenko and Porplyzia offered although playing a slightly different role ) and will probably kick 35+ goals this year for Adelaide.....but blimey charlie, he really needs to show some intent at times around the ball and stick his head over it and win it. More infuriating for the opposition when, like he did Sunday, seemingly leaves the ground for a half then pops up with 2 moments of brilliance to help win Adelaide the game.

He far too often tries to soccer a little kick clear of the pack or tap it on to his advantage. Perhaps that aspect of his game is holding him back from being an absolute A grade player like the LeCras, Wingard, Lindsay Thomas' of the competition.

He'd really frustrate me if he was one of mine.

He's sitting in 5th in the league for scoring assists with only elite players ahead of him. I'd say thus far he has been excellent value for Adelaide. (That's not to say there wouldn't necessarily be frustrating or improveable aspects to his game)

I tend to agree with Booney, but Scrunch is also correct.

It leads into the discussion of the make-up of footballers, doesn't it. Perhaps Betts is what he is and if he was also a hard nut, perhaps he wouldn't be so dangerous in other ways?

Footballers are often enigmas. We've all seen the opposites, highly talented players with no commitment and highly committed players without much talent.

Who can work them out?

redandblack wrote:I tend to agree with Booney, but Scrunch is also correct.

It leads into the discussion of the make-up of footballers, doesn't it.  Perhaps Betts is what he is and if he was also a hard nut, perhaps he wouldn't be so dangerous in other ways?

Footballers are often enigmas.  We've all seen the opposites, highly talented players with no commitment and highly committed players without much talent.

Who can work them out?

Fair call - Think it comes down to supporters, media, coaches having different ways of judging and different idea's of what they'd like to see.

I think Betts statistically has proven to be a big tick for the Crows to date. On the flipside JPod wouldn't be, but has started showing signs of improving performance in his role.

Booney wrote:I'm going to cop it for this,but.....I bet Eddie Betts has never put his head over the ball 4 weeks in a row either!

TEXactly right my friend. His highlights package won't show many TEXtracts of him doing the hard clashes to win the ball. But as Scruch said, that is not his skill set although I think he would probably score more if he went hard and won the ball instead of trying to finesse the ball out of a pack or live off spoils and fumbles.

Both teams should win by 10+ goals this week in a coupe, of TExcruitiatingly one sided games.

The numbers prove that more often than not, his touches lead to scores. I'll take that any day of the week.

I'm not frustrated at all about his performances so far this season. I've very confident that his recruitment was and will continue to be an excellent decision by the AFC.

I agree, it's already paid dividends but I like the guys who really earn their kicks, get the knees dirty. Eddie is always pretty clean at the end of the day.

Booney wrote:I agree, it's already paid dividends but I like the guys who really earn their kicks, get the knees dirty. Eddie is always pretty clean at the end of the day.

Absolutely - however you need players of all makes and models to make up a balanced outfit.

Adelaide's finishing and forward entry conversion rate has been lacking for a while now, and I think Betts' helps improve this situation immensly. His clean hands and silky skills can be just as deadly as the proverbial bull who prefers charging through the china shop, if not moreso.

He might dominate a game only on rare occasions, but he has an uncanny knack for popping up in the big moments of games and IMO that's exactly what a small forward is for.

Adelaide with Walker, Jenkins and Lynch as talls. Betts as the opportunist and Petrenko as the muscle/pressure applicator with a Dangerfield/Thompson/Laird/Otten as the other looks pretty potent.

I don't think you'll see Porplyzia at AFL level again and Pods days must be numbered.

Booney wrote:Adelaide with Walker, Jenkins and Lynch as talls. Betts as the opportunist and Petrenko as the muscle/pressure applicator with a Dangerfield/Thompson/Laird/Otten as the other looks pretty potent.

I don't think you'll see Porplyzia at AFL level again and Pods days must be numbered.

Absolutely. I reckon that not having Walker for 12 months will have done Jenkins, Lynch and the whole team a world of good.

At the start of the 2013 season the forward line was very Walker-centric before he went down with his knee injury. I'm hoping that when he returns things will now be a different story with Jenkins & Lynch far more confident in their own abilities, and the midfield being more aware of them as alternative forward targets.

I think by the end of the season, all being well with injury, this forward combo will be stretching many a defence.

Eddie's work around the forward lines is excellent. Happy to have him in the team because I reckon he's been one of our better pick ups in recent years.

No Tex in the team for this weeks game, Adelaide have named an unchanged lineup to take on Melbourne.

Interestingly this means that Ben Rutten will line up in the SANFL for the first time since 2004. Could this be the beginning of the end for Truck?