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Bulldog Revolution
06-08-2010, 10:29 AM
Match preview – Dogs Vs Crows

The selected squads

Adelaide
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Scott Stevens
HB: Michael Doughty, Nathan Bock, Nathan van Berlo
C: Brad Symes, Bernie Vince, David Mackay
HF: Ricky Henderson, Taylor Walker, Chris Knights
F: Rory Sloane, Kurt Tippett, Richard Douglas
Foll: Jonathon Griffin, Scott Thompson, Brent Reilly
I/C (from): Phil Davis, Ivan Maric, James Sellar, Jason Porplyzia, Brodie Martin, Chris Schmidt, Matthew Jaensch

In: Johncock, Knights, Sellar, Martin, Davis
Out: Patrick Dangerfield (hand), Jack Gunston

Western Bulldogs
B: Easton Wood, Brian Lake, Dale Morris
HB: Ryan Hargrave, Tom Williams, Lindsay Gilbee
C: Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Liam Picken
HF: Robert Murphy, Liam Jones, Brad Johnson
F: Jarrad Grant, Barry Hall, Daniel Giansiracusa
Foll: Ben Hudson, Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen
I/C (from): Dylan Addison, Nathan Eagleton, Andrejs Everitt, Shaun Higgins, Josh Hill, Brodie Moles, Jordan Roughead

In: Addison, Hill, Eagleton

Whats gone right for the Crows in 2010?

Not a lot. They struggled to register a win pre-season and started the year playing dreadful footy. The conditioning program was being blamed, and injuries to key players Vince, Symes and Bock saw them get off to slow starts individually. During the year they had the Tyson Edwards farewell game debacle, and a host of players, including veterans McLeod and Goodwin, have struggled to reach the heights of last year, i.e Knights, Thompson, Tippett, Porplyzia, Vince etc. They did look to be turning the corner after a potentially season defining victory against the Cats but then were rolled by the Power and turned in one of the worst goal kicking performances in recent history to lost to the Tigers in Round 18. Tippett has struggled to convert, and the Porpoise has not been the same danger player in 2010.

What has gone right for the Dogs?

A somewhat slow start after a flying preseason NAB cup premiership the dogs season has slowly gathered momentum. When vacancies have arisen in the team the Dogs coaching staff have inserted kids (Jones, Wood, Roughead & Grant) which I think is a credit to them given they could have fallen back on more experienced options when we were not flying.

Over the past 4 weeks we are winning by about 10 goals on average, and haven’t really been tested. The spread of goal kicking has improved, our centre square work has improved. How much of that is the ineptitude of our opposition and how much of that is our superior form and talent? All will be revealed in time (finals).

Team strengths:

Not too far off a full strength Dogs lineup minus Harbrow and Minson and look Adelaide actually aren’t that far off either missing Dangerfield and the two veterans Mcleod and Goodwin, but its arguable that they shouldn’t be leaning on those two too much at this stage anyway.

Matchups

I haven’t seen a lot of Adelaide this year so maybe my thoughts wont be that insightful here.

Reilly is there main tagger and would appear likely to get Cooney, with Douglas or Van Berlo probably most likely to shadow Griffen.

Is Boyd the most likely to go head to head with Vince? or would be Picken be an option there? Or do they play Picken on Thompson?

Tippett in size and shape would seem the ideal matchup for Williams, with Lake able to help out but also as the second option if Plan A doesn’t work. Morris would seemingly get Porplyzia. I cant remember who got the job on Knights last time and it could be a scalp for Wood, or someone that Hargrave, Gilbee or Murphy might get and be able to run off.

Whilst Rutten is super competitive will he have the agility to go with Hall? Bock (Suns bound) is an option, and likely in his 4th last game with the Crows, will be a difficult matchup for Jones, but our boy should learn a bit from it.

The Crows backline doesn’t look weak but it doesn’t have the drive or dynamism of the Dogs. Will Stevens, Bock and Rutten all play down back against us? Grant would appear to have too much toe for Stevens.

Result

Last time the two teams met on a Friday night in Round 5 it was a 49 point win to the Dogs in what was a very low standard match from both teams.

Adelaide are in the position where the bulk of their seasons form suggests they are not a good side, but they definitely have some good talent in the team, but seem to be only able to put it together intermittently.

They have been baked by their coach, challenged publicly, and rightly so given some of the most mistifying goal kicking I’ve ever seen. However, will they respond? Impossible to know. Craig is no certainty to be coaching them next year, and the writing may be on the wall at the end of Round 19.

I expect a more spirited performance from the Crows, but I don’t see them kicking enough goals against our backline and I think whilst their midfield contains some hardworkers unless Vince and Thompson are firing they lack the class and our perhaps outweighed by our depth of contributors.

Dogs by 24 points.

Greystache
06-08-2010, 10:48 AM
Good review BR. Adelaide are a funny team, on paper they have some talented players but they just don't seem to have clicked this year.

Personally I think we'll see Lake go to Tippett and Williams will take Walker.

Throughandthrough
06-08-2010, 11:34 AM
Johncock is perhaps the Crows most important player to match up on, gives them a lot of drive out of defence.


Richard Douglas will possibly win the Crows B&F this year.

Chris Knights playing his first AFL game since last time we met, and has done nothing in his couple of games in the SANFL.

Expect crowd favourite Phil Davis to bust his balls in an effort to make Craig look silly for dropping him the last two weeks

Rutten and Doughty have both lost a yard (or two) in speed

Taylor (wont handball) Walker is very greedy, and last wek couldn't get a kick unless he sat on an electric fence. Lucky not to get dropped, IMHO.


Henderson is a livewire forward, and is pretty big, needs to be watched carefully. Can kick a goal.

Porpoise having a woeful year, and has played defence the last two games. With Davis back in will go forward again.

Sloane is very hard ai it, wins his own ball, but disposal by foot can fall away under pressure.


Maric and Griffin seem to tag well together as ruckmen, but we have them matched fine.

Mofra
06-08-2010, 12:12 PM
Good report, interesting one will be Bock on Jones. Bock has been out of form recently and must fancy his chances against an inexperienced 19 year old.

I noticed last week that Jones & Hall were very effective in "spreading" which meant the opposition tall forwards are more likely to be one on one with their opponent (no Lake-like chop-outs). If Hall's on in this game, Rutten is not likely to get any help given the way we have been setting up.

I Think we have a real ruck advantage and hope we use it.

Mantis
06-08-2010, 02:18 PM
Good job on the preview BR.

As with you I haven't seen a great deal of Adelaide this year, but the one game I did see and took notice of is when they knocked off Geelong a couple of weeks back. Their presure on the ball carrier in that game was great and on that performance I thought they would make a late run for the finals, but that hasn't eventuated. I guess at their best they could prove a threat to our team which is clicking into gear, but their best hasn't been on show all that often.

Their tall forwards could prove a handful if they get clean delivery so it will be up to our forwards and mids to pressure the ball carrier to help out our backs. As with Mofra I can see our rucks getting on top and have read with interest concerns about the form and fitness of Maric so hopefully Huddo & Roughy can give our mids good supply. They will need Griffin to have a good game or should that be Griffen.... 'dfa' can you help me out with this one??

EasternWest
06-08-2010, 03:31 PM
Good job on the preview BR.

As with you I haven't seen a great deal of Adelaide this year, but the one game I did see and took notice of is when they knocked off Geelong a couple of weeks back. Their presure on the ball carrier in that game was great and on that performance I thought they would make a late run for the finals, but that hasn't eventuated. I guess at their best they could prove a threat to our team which is clicking into gear, but their best hasn't been on show all that often.

Their tall forwards could prove a handful if they get clean delivery so it will be up to our forwards and mids to pressure the ball carrier to help out our backs. As with Mofra I can see our rucks getting on top and have read with interest concerns about the form and fitness of Maric so hopefully Huddo & Roughy can give our mids good supply. They will need Griffin to have a good game or should that be Griffen.... 'dfa' can you help me out with this one??

Sure.

They (Crows) will need Griffin to have a good game ;).

Good preview BR. It's hard to accurately assess a team you don't see a lot of, but any team that knocks off the Cats we must be wary of and get on top early.

bornadog
06-08-2010, 03:39 PM
Good one Br

Adelaide always worry me, especially at footy park. The weather may play a role like a couple of years ago, but I am still expecting a win.

LostDoggy
06-08-2010, 04:18 PM
Good job on the preview BR.

As with you I haven't seen a great deal of Adelaide this year, but the one game I did see and took notice of is when they knocked off Geelong a couple of weeks back. Their presure on the ball carrier in that game was great and on that performance I thought they would make a late run for the finals, but that hasn't eventuated. I guess at their best they could prove a threat to our team which is clicking into gear, but their best hasn't been on show all that often.

Their tall forwards could prove a handful if they get clean delivery so it will be up to our forwards and mids to pressure the ball carrier to help out our backs. As with Mofra I can see our rucks getting on top and have read with interest concerns about the form and fitness of Maric so hopefully Huddo & Roughy can give our mids good supply. They will need Griffin to have a good game or should that be Griffen.... 'dfa' can you help me out with this one??

Agree - this will be the area to watch - dogs have been a lil bit sus where there is major pressure on the ball carrier causing skill errors, namely kicking efficiency to drop - key - get off to a good start, shut the crowd up.

Bulldog Revolution
06-08-2010, 08:13 PM
Adelaide are actually a team with a fair bit of talent. For whatever reason it just hasn't clicked this year

Knights and Vince are emerging stars. Thompson is a super talent and Johncock when on dangerous.
Up forward Porplyzia and Tippett were excellent last year, and they have a raft of hard working mids in Reilly, Van Berlo, Johncock, Doughty, Symes, and McKay. When they beat Geelong it was these guys setting the tone.

Griffin seems to have got an opportunity at last after a lot of tough love from Craig. I always thought he was going to be good Griffin but Craig really gives his ruckmen tough love unless they compete like Huddo, who they decided to give tough love contract negotiations to, and who decided to move on.

mjp
06-08-2010, 08:37 PM
They will need Griffin to have a good game or should that be Griffen.... 'dfa' can you help me out with this one??

I thought it was Gryphon?

EasternWest
06-08-2010, 09:00 PM
I thought it was Gryphon?

Don't start :eek:.

LostDoggy
06-08-2010, 09:01 PM
Higgins is out with the flu, Whats the goe with Harbrow?

If dogs get off confidently with the first goals the game will be on our terms,

Go Dogs...................................

LostDoggy
06-08-2010, 09:02 PM
sorry, go

LostDoggy
06-08-2010, 11:18 PM
Harbrow apparently got corked at training...