Preview Round 9 v North Melbourne @ Coopers Stadium (Norwood)

[brucetiki]

Adelaide v North Melbourne
Friday 25 October
7:15pm
Coopers Stadium (Norwood)

It's the match we've all been waiting for - the Friday night blockbuster against North Melbourne. North Melbourne have been unstoppable this season, while we come into the game with a couple of big wins over bottom 4 sides. Who gets the win?

 

[DJ75]

Adelaide v North Melbourne
Friday 25 October
7:15pm
Coopers Stadium (Norwood)

It's the match we've all been waiting for - the Friday night blockbuster against North Melbourne. North Melbourne have been unstoppable this season, while we come into the game with a couple of big wins over bottom 4 sides. Who gets the win?

Tough and very important game. North look a level above everyone else, and I fear will be too strong for us.
I struggle to see how we kick a winning score and I suspect North's speed of ball movement will catch us out.

 

[GreyCrow]

It will be a nice test of Clarkes coaching nous

On a personal level I felt he has struggled to make decisions in game

Though I do think we are missing that 1 more superstar - and of course North are well drilled

 

[Scorpus]

I sense a boilover. Usually we get up for big games.

 

[Cromulant]

I sense a boilover. Usually we get up for big games.

Except ones against Brisbane

 

[cmndstab]

The real test this week will be seeing if we can stifle North's scoring power. It's unlikely that we'll score big ourselves, but we do have history in managing to stifle even the best teams and create a low-scoring match.

Brisbane are averaging 52 points a game this season, but we held them to 35 - and realistically, it was to 23 until the last few minutes of the match. We could (and should) have beaten them with that score. Even the Melbourne loss, we kept them to only 16 points. Hawthorn are averaging 59 points a game, we kept them to 32. Fremantle are averaging 35 points a game, we kept them to 6. Our defensive structure generally holds up against the better sides, which means we're never out of the match.

North are averaging 60 points a game this season. We need to keep them to 4 or 5 goals if we want to be a realistic chance of beating them. If they are able to score at will against us, like they've done against most other teams (other than in the rain) then we're no chance.

 

[Coopers]

North have had midfield dominance in every game they've played this year though.

Surely they can't dominate Noffy, Hatchard and Jess Allan. Just won't happen.

Feels like this game is going to be decided by the next tier down - the young (soon to be) stars and the players who are a bit down. Will Levy kick 3 again? Can Martin be... useful? Will Kelly

20

Will Kelly

Age

24

Ht

194cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

5.0

1star

K

4.0

2star

HB

1.0

1star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

MG

108.0

2star

D

5.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

1.0

1star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

MG

108.0

2star

D

5.0

1star

K

4.0

2star

HB

1.0

2star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.0

1star

MG

108.0

2star

get off the chain? Can Boyle-Carr kick straight this time? Can Charlton repeat last week?

And the down on form stars... does Ponter have a second effort? Can S Allan stay in the game for 4 quarters?

A few of those things need to go right.

 

[cmndstab]

Based on past matches with North, their midfield will outperform ours, particularly in stoppages. Riddell and Garner always torch us (as they do most teams), although Marinoff's strong form will help matters. But North have to then turn that into effective I50 entries, and our defence is pretty damn good. I'm confident that Biddell and Prowse will do a good job on their players, but North bat pretty deep up forward, and their mids all regularly score goals. We'll need Mueller to be at her best, and hopefully at least one of Randall/Allan floating loose down back.

From there, the question is, can our midfield perform well enough to prevent us from getting boxed inside North's forward half?


Looking back to the prelim final last year which we lost by just one point, North managed to stifle most of our forwards, holding Gould, Jones, Waterhouse, Bonner and Martin all goalless, but Ponter got off the chain with three goals (Hatchard kicked our only other goal). Marinoff was her usual brute self with 26 touches and 12 tackles, and there were good games from Hatchard, Kelly and Biddell. On the other hand, Newman, Randall and Sarah Allan were well down. On the other side of the fence, Jenna Bruton had a career-high 28 touches, and Tahlia Randall kicked two goals.

 

[DJ75]

Great news that Randall is ok and could play this week.
Incredible that she escaped both a fracture and concussion after that heavy a hit.

Currently waiting on the VFL to step in and demand that she not play because 'it looked bad' (as they have done twice to us in the past).

 

[cmndstab]

The fact that she played out the game and looked sharp will help matters. Although that swollen face will be like a big shining target for her opposition! That won't bother her though.

Najwa Allen listed as a test this week. I wonder of they'd bring her straight back in for such an important game? Presumably they'll get her to play at least one or two scrimmage matches before putting her in the side, to ensure she's right for the finals.

 

[jenny61_99]

The fact that she played out the game and looked sharp will help matters. Although that swollen face will be like a big shining target for her opposition! That won't bother her though.

Najwa Allen listed as a test this week. I wonder of they'd bring her straight back in for such an important game? Presumably they'll get her to play at least one or two scrimmage matches before putting her in the side, to ensure she's right for the finals.

Did you see her insta yesterday. Cracked me up. It looks horrendous! (Like a chipmunk with a mouthful of acorns!). She's a tough cookie that one.

 

[cmndstab]

Did you see her insta yesterday. Cracked me up. It looks horrendous! (Like a chipmunk with a mouthful of acorns!). She's a tough cookie that one.

I saw it on here, yes - I can't see a scenario where that swelling goes down by Friday! Tough cookie is right.

 

[Firewalker]

Ahrrg, Clarke pressed the Waterhouse button

Kustermann ‘rested’

 

[cmndstab]

Ballard is seemingly just not in our best 21 anymore? Maybe she's been a bit hampered in the scrimmage matches?

Allen will return via a scrimmage match I guess.

Meanwhile Sarah Allan is named at CHF this week.

It's hard to imagine Waterhouse will provide much, but the reality is our forward line needs something. If Jess gets into some form heading into the finals it will be very helpful... but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[dplggr47]

Ballard is seemingly just not in our best 21 anymore? Maybe she's been a bit hampered in the scrimmage matches?

Allen will return via a scrimmage match I guess.

Meanwhile Sarah Allan is named at CHF this week.

It's hard to imagine Waterhouse will provide much, but the reality is our forward line needs something. If Jess gets into some form heading into the finals it will be very helpful... but I'm not holding my breath.

Perhaps Ballard is just being managed or not back to full fitness standard yet.

 

[cmndstab]

Perhaps Ballard is just being managed or not back to full fitness standard yet.

I guess so. In my mind she had been back for a while, but I went and checked and last week was her first scrimmage match so I guess this is only the second one.

 

[Firewalker]

Ballard is seemingly just not in our best 21 anymore? Maybe she's been a bit hampered in the scrimmage matches?

Allen will return via a scrimmage match I guess.

Meanwhile Sarah Allan is named at CHF this week.

It's hard to imagine Waterhouse will provide much, but the reality is our forward line needs something. If Jess gets into some form heading into the finals it will be very helpful... but I'm not holding my breath.

My only slight positive with Waterhouse up forward is she unlike Ballard and a number of other players used up forward actually takes up front position which means she does sometimes get first to the ball, she doesn’t do the best with that opportunity but I suppose at least she tries to get first hands on it.

I was going to suggest for this game somebody should’ve tried to flood Norwood Oval before the game to get the game postponed & moved to Unley but after last week’s game at Victoria Park I imagine the AFL would just order them to dump a couple of truckloads of sand on the ground and give it the go ahead instead.

Despite actually training there for a change this week the Crows vs Norwood Oval is probably just as big a battle for the team as the Crows vs North battle.