Johncock was missing from the Brisbane game in that he would certainly have been playing if fit.
I wouldn't have him in Crows best 18, but he might currently just pinch a spot on the bench (that is, he might just sneak into the best 22). IMO.
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Johncock was missing from the Brisbane game in that he would certainly have been playing if fit.
I wouldn't have him in Crows best 18, but he might currently just pinch a spot on the bench (that is, he might just sneak into the best 22). IMO.
- Banned
- #27
No idea what the problem was with the weather last night. Not humid at all, about 22. How is that an advantage to the Lions.
OK then maybe it wasn't the conditions, despite reports that it started out OK (22) but got warmer (27) and started out dry (60%) but got more humid (90%) later, take Homers word since these were only media reports and Homer has posted on Bigfooty.
But even if it wasn't the conditions then it was the travel and the fact that it is February (combined) meaning a lack of match fitness to overcome the away ground disadvantage. Whatever. Sure Brisbane had a lot of players missing, and I have no doubt that Brisbane are a quality team and probably deserved favourites for the flag this season.
But the fact is that Crows were not full strength either, they were just as underdone as Brisbane but had the added disadvantage of playing away at the toughest venue to win for a visiting side in Australia, they lost their CHB early in the game, yet still they won the match.
No-one can tell you what this really means and no-one is claiming Crows to be a top four threat or anything, but perhaps earlier tipping about Crows being on a slide, headed for 12th spot and about to sack their coach were just a little off the mark maybe?
- Banned
- #29
We had our woolies on on Saturday night, it was chilly.
Don't understand the 27 and humid. It started out ok, but we got cool later on, hence the jumpers.
Look Crows had 4 out including the CHB during the game.
Lions had Voss, Leppa, C Scott, D White, Pike,Black, Lynch , Keating, Notting to name a few. Leppa, Scott, White and Pike make up their back line.Voss and Black are the better part of their midfield, Lynch is their FF.Keating is on of their ruck combo.
The Crows seem to lack the intensity, the will to win. They were quiet, no talk. They seemed fit, running flat out. Fitness wasn't an excuse, even in the end they seemed fit. So they will be happy with that.
Clarke dominated in the middle, but the Crows failed to capitalise on that.brisbane were soundly beaten in the middle but still managed to win the 2nd half.
Don't understand the 27 and humid. It started out ok, but we got cool later on, hence the jumpers.
Look Crows had 4 out including the CHB during the game.
Lions had Voss, Leppa, C Scott, D White, Pike,Black, Lynch , Keating, Notting to name a few. Leppa, Scott, White and Pike make up their back line.Voss and Black are the better part of their midfield, Lynch is their FF.Keating is on of their ruck combo.
The Crows seem to lack the intensity, the will to win. They were quiet, no talk. They seemed fit, running flat out. Fitness wasn't an excuse, even in the end they seemed fit. So they will be happy with that.
Clarke dominated in the middle, but the Crows failed to capitalise on that.brisbane were soundly beaten in the middle but still managed to win the 2nd half.
Well, I wasn't there so I can't really comment on the weather, I'm just going on what was said, particularly at half time. But weather aside it was at the Gabba and Crows had the disadvantage of that, which many other sides have found insurmountable for a long time.
Let me just clear up a few points though. Crows had 4 key position players out, Stevens, Fitzgerald, Hewitt & McGregor after the injury. In addition, they were missing Massie, Gallagher & Johncock from the players they would have originally have taken to Brisbane, had Crows really been "full strength". In other words Crows were about 7 short of full strength, not 4.
Clarke did well in the first half, McDonald won the second half, and fed good supply to Lappin & Akermanis out of the centre. Brown was hard for Crows to stop up forward for Brisbane after McGregor went off. Crows were missing their two key position forwards all game, and their CHB for the second half. That has got to make it tough to capitalise no matter how well your midfield is going.
Is anyone else looking forward to the inevitable ok.crows vs Dan26 battle? Should be a cracker.
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I think they're cousins.
Nope. Had a bit of a sample of that now & again. Its a bit like talking to a brick wall, only the wall shows more intelligence and responds more to any points you happen to make.
cjwalkley
Premiership Player
So you would have a spine of Fitzgerald, Stevens, Hewitt, and Mcgregor?? I guess Bassett, Hart or Smart won't get a game this year then.
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Hart and Smart have never been a top choice for key positions
cjwalkley
Premiership Player
But neither has Hewiit! A bloke who has played around 45 games in 5 years is definitely not a first choice key defensive post player!!
Schell was the player who intrigues me most for the Crows. Had huge wraps on him at Freo last year, but was a disappointment and although he kicked 3 goals Saturday night I just get the feeling he isn't up to senior AFL footy.
Can that fella, ok.crows, get his hand off it.....Johncock being rated as a regular senior player. Really it's February. You aren't even waiting to dub him a March Champion.
Hewitt was the first choice for CHB late last year and McGregor was playing in SANFL. McGregor has had far and away a better preseason apparently, so on Saturday McGregor was chosen before Hewitt.
Now that McGregor has strained a medial ligament, that puts Hewitt back in line for CHB. Hart & Smart are not in the running for that spot.
Johncock is another who has had a sterling preseason. I am repeating comment from Roo & other Crows players (I think it was Bickley) that Johncock was certainly in line to play for Crows this year. Even then I have not put him definately down in Crows best 22, but certainly he was going to go to Brisbane, putting him in the best 26 identified by Crows coaching staff at this point of the season.
PS: My first choice for the spine would be Fitzgerald, Stevens, McLeod, McGregor/Hewitt, Bassett. I can't decide between McGregor or Hewitt, but I note that McGregor certainly has got the nod from Crows selectors.
Neither. It is February and this is the pre-season.
I only note that a hell of a lot of people apparently have written Crows off for the year and they are the favourite tip for the side most likely to slip out of the 8. Come the Wizard Cup and there were most people on here tipping Crows to lose against Lions, for many it was an automatic selection and one had Crows down to lose by 50 points.
Come the actual game and even though Crows are six short of the group they would have taken they are touted as "full strength". True Lions are even more players short but if they can note that then why should Crows be labelled as "full strength"?
Lots of people are saying that Crows have no forward line, our two key position forwards are out, and yet still we get 14 goals in a night game.
It was the Lions they played and it was in Brisbane and Lions did show some form, particularly Lappin, Akermanis, Scott, Hart & Brown. But in the end Crows did win the game after all so where is there any problem in giving Crows some friggin credit for it?
Yes that is it, and peeved is a bloody good word.
I know, I know, it is only preseason.
But I still can't figure why crows cop flak about "embarrased if they lose" when they win an away game against the premiers for goodness sake!
Make sense out of that if you can!
please,please i cant believe all this crap being written about teams losing because they had 5 or 6 top players out or whatever
its only a pre season comp which most sides dont take seriously anyway.Most teams are just happy to get out there and be better for the run. The only players that take these games seriously are the young kids who are keen to impress which is why the top line players hardly ever play!
Having said that you cannot possibly follow any form showed by the first round of the wizard cup.
I cant see how the likes of Hewitt,Fitzgerald,Macgregor and Massie would have made a huge difference to the Crows side at the weekend as someone suggested earlier.
They are hardly household names that you would bank your future on.Hewitt and Massie in particular are 2 rejects that have spent considerable time at their former clubs and have shown nothing!
Bring on the real stuff in a months time so we can see where we are at
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its only a pre season comp which most sides dont take seriously anyway.Most teams are just happy to get out there and be better for the run. The only players that take these games seriously are the young kids who are keen to impress which is why the top line players hardly ever play!
Having said that you cannot possibly follow any form showed by the first round of the wizard cup.
I cant see how the likes of Hewitt,Fitzgerald,Macgregor and Massie would have made a huge difference to the Crows side at the weekend as someone suggested earlier.
They are hardly household names that you would bank your future on.Hewitt and Massie in particular are 2 rejects that have spent considerable time at their former clubs and have shown nothing!
Bring on the real stuff in a months time so we can see where we are at
regards (sick of bull****)
As long as the players u are missing aren't all forwards, all running midfielders, all defenders or all ur talls, u should be fine. Carlton were missing Whitnall and Mckernan - their tall forwards. Collingwood were missing Tarrant, Rocca, Fraser and Molloy - tall forwards. The Pies also didn't have Presti and Wakelin (Plugger better get weeks) and were too short down back. Sydney's talls had a field day. It depends who is out and what role they play...
cjwalkley
Premiership Player
I actually agree that it is only pre-season and not much can be taken from the results, however it makes sense that it would have been pretty disturbing for the Crows to have lost.
Of the players you mentioned the Crows had missing, only Stevens would get a game for the Lions. In comparison Voss, Black, Keating, Notting, Leppitsch, Lynch, Pike and Chris Scott would all be in Adelaide's top 18. If the Crows didn't beat the Lions, even up at the Gabba with the respective sides they had in, then it wouldn't augur well for Adelaide's season. But the Crows didn't lose, they haven't really copped flak, the jury is still out after only one game.
However winning one game against the team the lions had on the field isn't going to make people who had the Crows to finish 12th change their minds!!!
Hawthorn was missing both key defenders and a small defender who has played the last 48 games straight.
Some flak quotes from the media:
"ADELAIDE: Encouraging signs for the Crows even though they only fell in against what was basically a Brisbane reserves team." - not too bad.
"I always thought the Crows, of the team they brought up and put on the field, were going to be a tough opposition," Lions coach Leigh Matthews said
- despite what cjwalkley said about the players Crows had missing, they were still players Crows would rather have selected over the team that Matthews liked the look of.
"After leading by 35 points at half-time, the Crows tired in the second half – which they attributed to the oppressive conditions – but were relieved to save face and escape with the victory."
- it is preseason, why should Crows have to 'save face' over a narrow loss (if in fact they did lose) but it is OK for Carlton to lose to the spoon favourites by heaps?
"The home side had the ball in its possession and was heading into attack when the final siren sounded, saving the Crows from an embarrassing loss, given their early dominance."
- this is what I just don't get - why would it have been embarrasing for Crows yet OK apparently for the likes of tigers or blues or pies to lose badly?
"Adelaide should have gone on with it after leading by 35 points at half-time. Instead, it was was found wanting ..."
- how about some credit for good play in getting such a lead, which turned out to be matchwinning.
As an aside, have a look at this bit:
Now that is taking the "cold showers for opposition sides" approach to the exact opposite for the exact same desired effect.
cjwalkley
Premiership Player
The Old Dark Navy's
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- #48
Some teams were selected to have a good chance at victory, some teams were selected to have a look at newer players to hopefully fill some deficiencies before the real season starts. Adelaide had players out but not as many and not of the same standard as the Brisbane players missing. West Coast also have a couple missing but collectively they were light years away from the calibre of Carlton players missing. A 35 point loss for a quasi-VFL side was not earth shattering though I did hope that we would give a better account of themselves. If we perform as badly against Geelong next week after the likely regaining of McKay and/or Houlihan and/or Ratten, then we have a more substantial problem. Even if we are missing McKernan and Whitnall up forward, I expect McKay and Ratten to provide enough poise to improve the players around them 100%.
IMO there would have been no shame for anybody to lose first up because skills were rusty and coaches were trying things.
Here we go again. You guys have such over-inflated opinions of your own players.
Brisbanes missing players were better than, and a bit more numerous, than Crows missing players. Similar story for Carlton and West Coast.
If Brisbane & Crows were both at full strength, IMO Brisbane would have won, but they are the flag favourites after all and it was at the Gabba. No othher team in the league can win there, why should Crows cop flak when they do win there, for goodness sake! It makes no bleeding sense!
If Carlton were at full strength and so were West Coast, then Carlton may have made up the difference to West Coast, but I doubt it.
Carlton seriously have some work to do. Good luck to blues if they improve enough to be competitive, but at the moment I can't see it happening.
