Home and away review
Adelaide was clearly the most improved side in the competition this season. Last year, after finishing 14th with only seven wins, the Crows replaced coach Neil Craig with well-regarded Geelong assistant coach Brenton Sanderson.
Unhappy with the Crows’ inability to win contested ball and their lack of physical strength during pre-season training drills, Sanderson set about changing the squad’s mindset and body shape. The resulting turnaround in form was instant and powerful.
By winning the Nab Cup and continuing their improvement to finish 2nd on the ladder with 17 wins and 5 losses, the Crows have set up a home qualifying final against the Sydney Swans.
Only Collingwood and Hawthorn were able to overcome the Crows in the opening 11 rounds, testament to their rapid rise. However, queries on the legitimacy of their lofty position were also raised.
Twelve of Adelaide’s victories in 2012 came against sides outside the final eight – a reflection of the Crows suitable fixture. Five wins and four losses against fellow premiership challengers has many waiting for the finals to truly judge Adelaide’s resurgence.
To be fair, you can only beat the sides you are faced with, and Adelaide won regularly.
Ever reliable midfielder Scott Thompson had another superb season, benefitting from Sanderson’s focus on contested elements that Thompson excels at and prides himself on.
The development of players like Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker, who have emerged as consistent elite performers, was another major catalyst in Adelaide’s home and away success.
Key Player – Patrick Dangerfield
To repeat a sentiment from Herald Sun football writer Mark Robinson, Patrick Dangerfield is a ‘jet’. Incredible pace, upper body strength and a deadly, penetrative kick makes Dangerfield what his name suggests – threatening in all areas of the ground. His great balance between contested and uncontested play and innate goal kicking nous also creates a dilemma for opponents. The 22-year-old is extremely difficult to tag.’Danger’ is a genuine match winner.
Why Adelaide can win the flag
Contested Ball – The correlation between winning the hard ball and winning the game has never been more apparent and Adelaide’s record this season is further evidence of this. In each of the Crows’ 17 triumphs, they won the contested possession count. Sydney was the only side to average more contested possessions than the Crows, and given that finals football is predominately built on contested play, they should have a foothold in all matches purely on that basis.
AAMI Stadium – Adelaide has won 11 of 12 matches at home in 2012, with interstate specialists Collingwood the solitary side to beat the Crows on their turf. Having the qualifying final at their fortress, and the preliminary final if successful this weekend, the Crows can use that deserved advantage to catapult themselves into a grand final appearance. From there, anything could happen. Ironically, Collingwood could end up being their preliminary final opponent at AAMI stadium.
Why Adelaide can’t win the flag
MCG requirement – Adelaide has only played at the MCG twice this season – they lost to Hawthorn by 56 points in Round 3 and thrashed Melbourne by 69 points in Round 22. Victorian clubs Hawthorn, Collingwood and Geelong are possible opponents for the Crows in September, and all three of those sides are very familiar with the grand final venue. It will be a significant hurdle for Adelaide in its premiership pursuit.
Finals inexperience – This season is the first time Adelaide has featured in the finals since 2009. In that campaign, the Crows fell agonisingly short in an epic semi-final against Collingwood. It was former players like Simon Goodwin, Tyson Edwards and Andrew McLeod that were the primary leaders carrying the side during that period, meaning the vast majority of the current squad haven’t experienced the intensity of September. In fact, nine players from that clash with Collingwood are no longer at the club. That’s not to say that their young stars can’t have an impact and forge finals reputations, it’s just an added difficulty when the whips are truly cracking.
Best possible result – Preliminary Final
Adelaide has had an impressive season and like any of the other top four sides, the Crows have the talent, structure and all-important double chance to make it to the big dance. However, their finals inexperience by comparison to battle-hardened sides like Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney appears to be the major shortcoming that is likely to prevent the Crows from progressing past the second last week of the finals.
Paul Bastin is a third-year Bachelor of Media Studies student at La Trobe University. He is the current deputy sports editor for upstart. You can follow him on Twitter: @paulbastin10
