Review Qualifying Final v North Melbourne: Friday 8 November @ Ikon Park

[brucetiki]

Adelaide v North Melbourne
Friday 8 November
6:45pm Adelaide time, 7:15pm Melbourne time
Ikon Park

2 weeks after the sides faced off at Norwood, North Melbourne and Adelaide meet again to kick off the finals series.

North Melbourne have gone through the minor round undefeated while the Crows limp into the finals after not losing to Geelong last week. Can the Crows cause one of the upsets of the season, or will North cruise into a Preliminary Final.

 

[JP Sauce]

We should have beaten them 2 weeks ago.

 

[GreyCrow]

We should have beaten them 2 weeks ago.

What do we need to do different?

I think we need to stop their space ahead of the ball. They get numbers ahead and link up

 

[Cromulant]

What do we need to do different?

I think we need to stop their space ahead of the ball. They get numbers ahead and link up

Finals are all about scoreboard pressure.

In so many games we've left the door open and the oppo have walked straight through, and a side as good as North will do it again if we let them

 

[radiojake]

Got my ticket!

 

[Two Eight]

Reckon NM due for a loss. Probably meet them again in the GF. Adelaide by 7 points.

 

[cmndstab]

Ponter is still a chance for this weekend, and will undergo a fitness test today. The ankle roll was not too bad apparently.

Also apparently Boileau had a compound dislocation in her finger last week where the bone came through the skin But no actual fracture so she's a chance to be available this week as well, subject to passing a test today.

Varnhagen also had a thumb dislocation, and is listed as a test this week too.

Other than them, it's just Smith and Jones on the injury list.

AFLW: Injury Update Qualifying Final

The latest on the Crows' injured players

www.afc.com.au

 

[cmndstab]

And, in related news, Emma Kearney is a test to return this week, but only completed half a session today.

 

[Firewalker]

What do we need to do different?

I think we need to stop their space ahead of the ball. They get numbers ahead and link up

Play someone… anyone within 5 metres of Garner and Riddell…

Simple as that for me, if Clarke goes into tomorrow with that exact same plan as recent games against North and you see no one lineup on those 2 players at the opening bounce it’s already done - game over.

Watching his presser yesterday Clarke looked as fired up and lively as ‘Ötzi’ the 5,000 year-old frozen mummy was when they found him in the Alps so I’m really not expecting much.

Charlton and/or Thompson needs to go to Riddell in a purely defensive model to match her pace around stoppage and really put a hard tag on her, even with Riddell’s ridiculous ability to go-and-go like an energiser bunny around stoppages I reckon you might be able to get her as she’s not used to purely all the attention given Garner takes nearly all of it in that North midfield.

Speaking of which the Crows need to rob Peter to pay Paul and go with Chelsea Randall as a full-time matchup with Garner tomorrow. Randall is the only player the Crows have that can match up on Garner defensively but can also hurt Garner going the other way, when Marinoff or Hatchard get matched on Garner like in previous encounters at stoppages especially in defence they get killed as they ball hunt and it costs the team dearly on the scoreboard. They need to change it so neither end up in that matchup if they want to be any hope.

Do I think either moves will be made though? No, they’ll probably do exactly what they’ve previously done & just ‘play their way’ and it will cost them yet again. Expect North to also push a ridiculous amount of extra numbers high up the ground and use that slingshot method to again expose the Crows high defensive line by either using their free high half forwards that have pushed up into the middle to run it into the 50 or use the likes of O’Loughlin, Shierlaw and Randall to run back into a emptied out 50.

 

[cmndstab]

Tarlinton in, Allen out. Ponter named to play.

Probably the right calls in the end. Allen looked all at sea last week, at least we got to see that before it really counts. And Tarlinton in at least gives up options to try something different up forward, while still leave the Biddell/Prowse/Allan trio down back.

Varnhagen, Ballard and Allen are the emergencies.

AFLW Team Selection: Qualifying Final

The Crows take on the Kangaroos on Friday night

www.afc.com.au

Kearney not named to play, which is handy. Bruton is back though, she often torches us so hopefully we have some plan for her.

 

[Firewalker]

Tarlinton in, Allen out. Ponter named to play.

Probably the right calls in the end. Allen looked all at sea last week, at least we got to see that before it really counts. And Tarlinton in at least gives up options to try something different up forward, while still leave the Biddell/Prowse/Allan trio down back.

Varnhagen, Ballard and Allen are the emergencies.

AFLW Team Selection: Qualifying Final

The Crows take on the Kangaroos on Friday night

www.afc.com.au

Kearney not named to play, which is handy. Bruton is back though, she often torches us so hopefully we have some plan for her.

Well you couldn’t play Allen after last week’s ludicrous display, Tarlinton’s selection does maybe show a slight change of tack, maybe they could look to force Birch to play on an actual opponent for a change and one that’s significantly taller than her. Can argue Tarlinton shouldn’t have been dropped after the Melbourne game anyway.

That being said given Clarke has shown so little trust in his bench strength all season I doubt Tarlinton will get much game time anyway.

 

[cmndstab]

Well you couldn’t play Allen after last week’s ludicrous display, Tarlinton’s selection does maybe show a slight change of tack, maybe they could look to force Birch to play on an actual opponent for a change and one that’s significantly taller than her. Can argue Tarlinton shouldn’t have been dropped after the Melbourne game anyway.

That being said given Clarke has shown so little trust in his bench strength all season I doubt Tarlinton will get much game time anyway.

Yes, I'm expecting the usual sub-50% game time for Levy, Kustermann and Tarlinton, with Tonon and Mueller the only ones to see decent minutes.

Sad that Boyle-Carr has fallen so far away. I wonder if the load got too much for her? They were giving her almost no TOG near the end and now even Varnhagen is ahead of her.

 

[Firewalker]

Sad that Boyle-Carr has fallen so far away. I wonder if the load got too much for her? They were giving her almost no TOG near the end and now even Varnhagen is ahead of her.

Looked totally lost by the end of that North game and had a couple of blues under pressure against some high quality opposition which is more than understandable given her delayed start to the game & this season, Clarke looked to put a line through her halfway through that North game. One thing’s for certain I think the club will let it be known post-season they’d like her to be in the country a fair bit earlier next year compared to this year.

 

[radiojake]

Day for it

 

[radiojake]

Wow an AFL official actually referred to the game as Australian Rules Football during the opening

 

[JP Sauce]

Got the anthem wrong haha

 

[Firewalker]

Randall put body on Garner then just ran off and left her alone at the stoppage, she gets the clearance that leads to the goal. Horrible from such an experienced player.

 

[JP Sauce]

Randall put body on Garner then just ran off and left her alone at the stoppage, she gets the clearance that leads to the goal. Horrible from such an experienced player.

We are awful at any sort of defensive effort in the midfield.

 

[Firewalker]

Ponter looked out of legs a few minutes in

 

[Firewalker]

Gould triple teamed… still kicks it to her

 

[Firewalker]

Ponter looked out of legs a few minutes in

Well Randall at least managed to find her having a breather at the top of the square

 

[JP Sauce]

Gould triple teamed… still kicks it to her

Honestly still our best option most of the time. She's a beast!

 

[JP Sauce]

Good finish. Gotta make the most of our chances for... maybe the first time this year?

 

[Firewalker]

Tackling has been super to start.

Ground ball still a big worry that needs to improve as the game progresses.

 

[JP Sauce]

Wow great non-panicky work on that goal!