Season 2018 - Adelaide

Football Discussion Non Essendon Stuff
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Adelaide

Coach – Don Pyke

2017 –
Points For – 1st
Points Against – 4th

Top 5 Best and Fairest

  1. Matt Crouch
  2. Rory Sloane
  3. Rory Laird
  4. Sam Jacobs
  5. Richard Douglas

2017 Rising Star Noms

Wayne Milera (Rnd 10)

Ins – Bryce Gibbs, Sam Gibson, Darcy Fogarty,Andrew McPherson, Patrick Wilson, Lachlan Murphy, Jackson Edwards,

Outs – Scott Thompson, Troy Menzel, Dean Gore, Jonathon Beech, Sam Shaw, Jake Lever, Harrison Wigg, Charlie Cameron

My Prediction

Far and away the best performed team in the home and away last year, when the pressure came on in the grand final, they totally went missing.

The backline is going to be weaker than last year. Losing Lever is a big one. He was important for them back there. Adelaide though has depth. Alex Keath is not the answer from what I saw last year. He can hold down a KP spot and potentially shut someone down but Lever was great with intercept marking and setting up play. Tom Doedee could finally get a run. Kelly and Laird of the half backs are good and Talia is a fantastic KP back. They are still good back there.

The midfield had questions marks last year but they stood up. The Crouch boys were fantastic and Sloane had a really good year. They bring in Gibbs this year which will strengthen the midfield even further. I think they could use a little more speed which Cameron used to bring in patches but Milera with another year in the system should be able to increase his time in the middle.

The forward line is real good. Tex, Lynch and Jenkins give them marking options and they welcome back McGovern who always knows where to be and constantly finds himself in dangerous positions. Throw in Betts and you have the most potent forward line in the competition.

Jacobs is a very good durable ruck. Gives good service and gets the job done.

To be honest, Adelaide surprised me last year with how consistently good they were. There are still serious question marks after the finals but you would have to back them to finish around the top of the table again. They have a midfield that is hard as nails ad a forward line that finds goals when they need them. If they aren’t in the 1-2 range I would be surprised.

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Yep, genuine flag contender again this year. Can’t really see them dropping out of top 4.

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They should regroup after losing their first round match.

Seriously good side last year, who should be just as good this year.

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I see what you did there.

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Crows Best 22
B: Brown Talia McGovern
HB: Kelly Hartigan Laird
C: Atkins Sloane B Crouch
HF: Lynch Walker© Douglas
F: Betts Jenkins Milera
Foll: Jacobs M Crouch Gibbs
I/C: Knight Mackay Greenwood, Seedsman
EMG: Otten, Doedee, Hampton

My Tip is McGovern goes back to defence, as a tall intercept defender with great hands.
leaves forwardline with 3 talls still - Walker, Jenkins and Lynch. Otten is also a chance to come in forward or back if tall coverage needed.
Milera (16 games last year) to come in and play in Camerons role 90% forward with 10% midfield to add some speed through the middle (Similar to Tippa i guess).
I think Crows might try and play a bit smaller this year, along with other clubs after Tigers success, so that probably leaves Otten out of best 22.

Brodie Smith is out for the year with ACL so has been left out.

NOTES: Half-back flanker Brodie Smith will most of the season with a torn ACL, but is a chance to return late in the year. When he’s out, Paul Seedsman or David Mackay will likely shift to defence, while Curtly Hampton will also be pressing his claims. Andy Otten, Tom Doedee and Alex Keath will be considered if the Crows want a like-for-like replacement for Jake Lever. I can’t find room for pacey forward/winger Wayne Milera or experienced former North Melbourne midfielder Sam Gibson, but both will be close to selection.

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ADELAIDE skipper Taylor Walker is in a moonboot and won’t play in either AFLX or the JLT Community Series after straining a foot tendon.

The Crows say the plantar fascia injury will restrict Walker’s training over the next fortnight, but he is expected to make a full recovery in five to six weeks.

Adelaide, the 2017 runners up, is six weeks away from its round one match against Essendon on March 23.

Crows general manager of high performance, Matt Hass, told the club’s website, “Taylor had some soreness in his foot during training last week and after further assessment the strain was revealed,” Hass said.

"Fortunately, the injury doesn’t require surgery and he will make a full recovery after a period of rest.

“He will not take part in AFLX or the JLT Community Series, but is focused on being available for round one.”

The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes and supports the arch of the foot.

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I’d be very surprised if he is ready for round 1. Think it’s a bit more problematic than the club are letting on

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Sounds like if he plays he’ll be very underdone

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problematic
undedone

he’ll play and kick 8 goals

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Moonboot 2016, Turf toe 2017 (well done Ambo), Moonboot 2018, are we seeing a pattern here?

Should he change his name to Taylor Limper ?

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NICK
GILL

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They were pulling goals from their you know what that day FFS

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We don’t have Colyer so that negates Walker’s absence

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If there was a time for us to get them it would be with 4 of their previous best team out.

Walker. Cameron. Smith. Lever.

Albeit Gibbs has come in though.

They will not be as strong as previously and we will be much stronger.

I’m so pumped for this game.

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When you have Jenkins, Betts, Lynch, does McGovern in for Walker really hurt them?
Milera for Cameron.
Lever, for all his praise, can be covered.
Smith is a player they don’t have a replacement for.
Not exactly.

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Although I agree that they will be right in the mix again this year, their overall season last year wasn’t actually as good as some appear to be implying.

They only finished on top by having a better percentage than Geelong…and 15 wins is the fewest to take top spot this century.

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News from the AFL.

Adelaide
“Taylor Walker is only hopeful of playing Round 1. He’ll miss every pre-season game with a plantar fascia strain.”

If he played like he did in the Granny, it wouldn’t make a difference if he played or not.

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If we played intense footy the way Richmond did in the granny, we’d be a chance to win regardless of who Adelaide select to play.

I want to play teams fully fit and firing. It’s easier to gauge where we’re at that way.

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Riley Knight with ankle surgery yesterday and won’t be ready for round 1

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In theory you are right

But in reality the season is just about getting as many wins as possible to position yourself into finals, preferably top 2 with home final.

A full strength Crows lineup we would not be expected to win against so if they are missing some key players and we snag a win that not expected to will be a very good thing.