R15 - Adelaide v WC - Essendon v Port

Big game for Adelaide against West Coast. Both teams have followed a similar trajectory this year, both slated as finals and even top 4 contenders and both now looking like they won't make the 8.

Adelaide would take some confidence out of last week, but it will be a tough game Saturday night. Lose and it's lights out. In the end I reckon the home ground advantage will get them over the line.

Adelaide by 25 points

Port have a chance to take another big scalp this weekend with a trip to Melbourne to take on Essendon. They would be brimming with confidence but I think this one might be a step to far for them.

Essendon by 28 points

I reckon both will be quite close, and margin could be less than 20 points for both games.

Agree that both home sides will start favourites.

The Crows just seem to be a dumb team a lot of the time.

Leading by a goal, ball in your forward line with 2 minutes to go, why wouldn't you just build a wall to stop it coming out. At least man on man. How can you let the other team have loose men to run the ball the length of the ground?

They seem to produce a lot of froth and bubble, not a lot of substance ( with some very honorablr exceptions).

Well the Crows stuffed that one up didn't they.

A side with the season on the line, and they put in a performance that was, quite frankly, arrogant. Between Sloane's (and others) botched goal square shot at goal (the one that was a rushed behind after the score review) and an inability to ice the clock when they needed to, and this is side in an incompetent shambles at the moment.

Again they were too busy acting like superstars when they can't do something as simple as ice a game clock or kick a goal in the goal square.

I think that was Jenkins who fluffed the receive.
Honestly, he looks all at sea a lot of the time.
Why they can't park him in the goal square and just let him lead, as he is fairly quick, I just don't know.

The further up the ground he goes, the more unsure he seems.

13 points up with 4 minutes to go, you shouldn't lose if you play sensible footy. But they didn't.

I agree the transition play looked woeful.

What was the idea of playing the clock down just before half time?

The goal West Coast kicked on the siren was inevitable,

If there's 45 seconds to go and you've got the ball on the wing, wouldn't you back yourselves to go long and try to kick a goal?

Dumb.

I was at the game last night and was pretty shattered afterwards. I felt that they went about it the right way for the majority of the game, their tackling pressure in particular was excellent. They definitely had the crowd involved.

In fact I felt relatively confident for most of the game until that last 3 or 4 minutes.

They seem to has lost all poise and confidence, and they are playing like the rookie team of 2010/11 again. Rushing disposal and shots on goal, not confident in their teammates, panicking under pressure.

Just what was last year?? How can one team deliver such contrast in the space of 12 months? Just defies logic.

The worst thing about it is that most of Adelaide's chief playmakers are all still on the field bar Walker really. West Coast had several key playmakers out and yet still were able to guts out an awesome away win.

Oh well, I guess it means we'll get some good draft picks this year - wait, no we stuffed that up as well.  

I should add I was impressed by the performance of Adelaide's defence last night. Henderson looks excellent across half back, and Talia is a human blanket, and Laird & Brown are looking more and more comfortable.

I see McKernan got 2 weeks for his elbow. Very lucky boy, could've easily been a month.

He finally finds some form and then goes and does something like that. Story of our year really.

2 weeks, that's very lenient.

I agree about the defence, they're not the problem. Too many fair haired medium size on-ballers who like to handball:D

The Crows will be better when Crouch, jenkins and a few others get more experienced.
 

Two weeks! Thats bloody lucky in anyone's book. For mine, it was worthy of 4.

redandblack wrote:2 weeks, that's very lenient.

I agree about the defence, they're not the problem. Too many fair haired medium size on-ballers who like to handball:D

The Crows will be better when Crouch, jenkins and a few others get more experienced.
 

Exactly R&B, could not be more right on that one. I just don't understand why they are panicking so much this year. Last year they wanted the footy, this year it's a hot potato. I guess not having clear options in attack at the moment has a bit to do with it, but gees what a reversal in form.

Anyway, enough about my sorry mob - what are your thoughts on Port's efforts on the weekend Booney?

I don't thought their performance against a clear top 4 side on the weekend was pretty solid for the developing team they are.

Apart from 15 minutes in the second quarter Ginge, we matched them.

If Stewart and Schulz had kicked truly early in the last, I think we would have over run them. But those two misses and then an Essendon goal took the wind out of our sails.

Despite the loss, pretty happy with the game. Wines and Wingard stood up again in a big game, my man crush is evenly distributed amongst a few of our young lads, those two the stand outs. Again, Wingard 18 touches and 2 goals. He just does that every week.

Again our forward press kept them in our half for large periods of time in the first and third quarters. Was just that 15 mintues and the 6 straight they kicked from mid-second to half time that cost us the game.

Another step forward.