TonyK
CibbuanoElimination Final Preview: Adelaide v Essendon
September 3rd 2009 15:45
VENUE and TIME: AAMI Stadium, Friday 4 September, 8.15pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 27, Adelaide 12, Essendon 15
LAST TIME: Adelaide 21.4 (130) d Essendon 18.6 (114), Round 11, 2009 at Etihad Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: Adelaide has won five of its past seven matches against Essendon.
IN FINALS: Adelaide 0, Essendon 1
FORM: Adelaide finished the home-and-away season with wins over Hawthorn, West Coast and Carlton. The Crows’ 72-point demolition of the Blues at Etihad Stadium last Saturday earned them a home final. Essendon bounced back from a shocking loss to Fremantle in round 21 with a hard-fought 17-point win over Hawthorn in a fiery clash at the MCG to claim their first finals berth since 2004.
MEDICAL ROOM: Adelaide midfielder David Mackay will play against the Bombers despite suffering an ankle injury against the Blues but Nathan van Berlo (back) will miss. Key defender Nathan Bock will miss his fifth match in a row with a heel injury while Robert Shirley (hamstring) is at least a week away from resuming. Ruckmen Jon Griffin (calf) and Brad Moran (knee) remain unavailable while Shaun McKernan (fractured forearm), Chris Schmidt (shoulder) and Brodie Martin (knee) won’t play again this season. For the Dons, Mark McVeigh will take his place in the side despite injuring his hand in the win over the Hawks while Courtenay Dempsey returns from a hamstring injury. Kyle Reimers (knee) and David Zaharakis (thigh) remain unavailable while speedster Alwyn Davey (shoulder) won’t play again in 2009 unless Essendon progresses to a preliminary final. Michael Still (shin), Scott Gumbleton (back), John Williams (shoulder) Bachar Houli (fibula fracture), David Hille (knee) and Jason Laycock (foot) are out for the year.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Michael Doughty vs. Jobe Watson
Watson has been instrumental in Essendon’s success this season, averaging 25 possessions per game.
The 24-year-old is damaging with his ability to win the football at close quarters and use it cleanly by hand to find his teammates in space.
Adelaide will be keen to quell his influence in the middle as it will go a long way towards shutting down the Bombers’ running game.
Doughty did a good job on Carlton skipper Chris Judd last weekend and will be given first crack at Watson.
It is vital for Adelaide that Doughty not only applies plenty of defensive pressure but is also proactive as it will force Watson to worry about his direct opponent which in turn will help limit his impact on the contest as a creative midfielder.
Andrew Welsh vs. Scott Thompson
The last time these two sides met in round 11 Thompson was among his side’s best with 33 disposals and six inside 50’s.
Thompson is an integral part of the Crows’ midfield with his ability to win the contested football and deliver it inside 50.
Keeping Thompson will be a key for the Bombers if they are going to have any hope of starving Adelaide’s multi-pronged attack of quality supply.
Welsh has been given some big run with roles during his 144-game career and looms as the obvious candidate to match up on Thompson.
The Bombers will need Welsh who has averaged 20 possessions per game this year to try and test out the defensive side of Thompson’s game otherwise the former Demon will dictate terms and dominate.
Ben Rutten vs. Michael Hurley
Hurley showed he is a star of the future with four goals against Hawthorn last Saturday.
The promising 19-year-old has booted seven goals in his past two matches and will need to fire once again.
However, his task won’t be an easy one as he will most likely be matched up by one of the best one-on-one defenders in the competition in Rutten.
Essendon will need to break the lines and deliver the football quickly and cleanly inside 50 to give Hurley the best chance of having an influence on the outcome of the match otherwise the Crows will continually punish the Dons on the rebound.
Tayte Pears vs. Kurt Tippett
When these two sides met earlier in the year Tippett starred, booting a career-best seven goals to lift his side to a 16-point win in a high-scoring affair.
Tippett is Adelaide’s second leading goal kicker this season with 47 majors and he will need to be contained if Essendon is going to have any hope of recording an upset win.
Pears has been a solid performer down back in 2009 and will line-up on Tippett who is strong overhead and good at ground level for a big man.
The young Essendon defender will need his teammates to suffocate the Crows’ midfield with their pressure skills otherwise Tippett will get enough quality supply to kick a bag.
VERDICT: Essendon has a poor record at AAMI Stadium, having won just four of 14 matches against Adelaide and it is hard to see them recording a rare win over the Crows at the venue on Friday night given that they will be without skipper Matthew Lloyd, ruckman Patrick Ryder and Sam Lonergan due to suspension. Adelaide has tasted success in just two of their seven finals games during coach Neil Craig’s reign and they will be keen to avoid being knocked out of September action in the first week for the third year in a row. The Crows have a solid back six and too many quality players in the middle and up forward for the Bombers to contain and should romp to an easy victory. Crows by 55 points.
ADELAIDE v ESSENDON
ADELAIDE
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andy Otten
HB: Brad Symes, Scott Stevens, Michael Doughty
C: Bernie Vince, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay
HF: Patrick Dangerfield, Trent Hentschel, Andrew McLeod
F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Chris Knights
Foll: Ivan Maric, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson
I/C: Brent Reilly, Brett Burton, Richard Douglas, James Sellar
Emg: Phil Davis, Rory Sloane, Tony Armstrong
In: Douglas
Out: Nathan van Berlo (back)
ESSENDON
B: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Tayte Pears, Jarrod Atkinson
HB: Henry Slattery, Dustin Fletcher, Adam McPhee
C: Andrew Lovett, Ricky Dyson, Mark McVeigh
HF: Jason Winderlich, Michael Hurley, Angus Monfries
F: Cale Hooker, Jay Neagle, Andrew Welsh
Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Brent Stanton, Jobe Watson
I/C: Hayden Skipworth, Courtenay Dempsey, Brent Prismall, Heath Hocking
Emg: Darcy Daniher, Michael Quinn, Leroy Jetta
In: Dempsey, Skipworth, Bellchambers
Out: Matthew Lloyd (susp), Patrick Ryder (susp), Sam Lonergan (susp)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 27, Adelaide 12, Essendon 15
LAST TIME: Adelaide 21.4 (130) d Essendon 18.6 (114), Round 11, 2009 at Etihad Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: Adelaide has won five of its past seven matches against Essendon.
IN FINALS: Adelaide 0, Essendon 1
FORM: Adelaide finished the home-and-away season with wins over Hawthorn, West Coast and Carlton. The Crows’ 72-point demolition of the Blues at Etihad Stadium last Saturday earned them a home final. Essendon bounced back from a shocking loss to Fremantle in round 21 with a hard-fought 17-point win over Hawthorn in a fiery clash at the MCG to claim their first finals berth since 2004.
MEDICAL ROOM: Adelaide midfielder David Mackay will play against the Bombers despite suffering an ankle injury against the Blues but Nathan van Berlo (back) will miss. Key defender Nathan Bock will miss his fifth match in a row with a heel injury while Robert Shirley (hamstring) is at least a week away from resuming. Ruckmen Jon Griffin (calf) and Brad Moran (knee) remain unavailable while Shaun McKernan (fractured forearm), Chris Schmidt (shoulder) and Brodie Martin (knee) won’t play again this season. For the Dons, Mark McVeigh will take his place in the side despite injuring his hand in the win over the Hawks while Courtenay Dempsey returns from a hamstring injury. Kyle Reimers (knee) and David Zaharakis (thigh) remain unavailable while speedster Alwyn Davey (shoulder) won’t play again in 2009 unless Essendon progresses to a preliminary final. Michael Still (shin), Scott Gumbleton (back), John Williams (shoulder) Bachar Houli (fibula fracture), David Hille (knee) and Jason Laycock (foot) are out for the year.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Michael Doughty vs. Jobe Watson
Watson has been instrumental in Essendon’s success this season, averaging 25 possessions per game.
The 24-year-old is damaging with his ability to win the football at close quarters and use it cleanly by hand to find his teammates in space.
Adelaide will be keen to quell his influence in the middle as it will go a long way towards shutting down the Bombers’ running game.
Doughty did a good job on Carlton skipper Chris Judd last weekend and will be given first crack at Watson.
It is vital for Adelaide that Doughty not only applies plenty of defensive pressure but is also proactive as it will force Watson to worry about his direct opponent which in turn will help limit his impact on the contest as a creative midfielder.
Andrew Welsh vs. Scott Thompson
The last time these two sides met in round 11 Thompson was among his side’s best with 33 disposals and six inside 50’s.
Thompson is an integral part of the Crows’ midfield with his ability to win the contested football and deliver it inside 50.
Keeping Thompson will be a key for the Bombers if they are going to have any hope of starving Adelaide’s multi-pronged attack of quality supply.
Welsh has been given some big run with roles during his 144-game career and looms as the obvious candidate to match up on Thompson.
The Bombers will need Welsh who has averaged 20 possessions per game this year to try and test out the defensive side of Thompson’s game otherwise the former Demon will dictate terms and dominate.
Ben Rutten vs. Michael Hurley
Hurley showed he is a star of the future with four goals against Hawthorn last Saturday.
The promising 19-year-old has booted seven goals in his past two matches and will need to fire once again.
However, his task won’t be an easy one as he will most likely be matched up by one of the best one-on-one defenders in the competition in Rutten.
Essendon will need to break the lines and deliver the football quickly and cleanly inside 50 to give Hurley the best chance of having an influence on the outcome of the match otherwise the Crows will continually punish the Dons on the rebound.
Tayte Pears vs. Kurt Tippett
When these two sides met earlier in the year Tippett starred, booting a career-best seven goals to lift his side to a 16-point win in a high-scoring affair.
Tippett is Adelaide’s second leading goal kicker this season with 47 majors and he will need to be contained if Essendon is going to have any hope of recording an upset win.
Pears has been a solid performer down back in 2009 and will line-up on Tippett who is strong overhead and good at ground level for a big man.
The young Essendon defender will need his teammates to suffocate the Crows’ midfield with their pressure skills otherwise Tippett will get enough quality supply to kick a bag.
VERDICT: Essendon has a poor record at AAMI Stadium, having won just four of 14 matches against Adelaide and it is hard to see them recording a rare win over the Crows at the venue on Friday night given that they will be without skipper Matthew Lloyd, ruckman Patrick Ryder and Sam Lonergan due to suspension. Adelaide has tasted success in just two of their seven finals games during coach Neil Craig’s reign and they will be keen to avoid being knocked out of September action in the first week for the third year in a row. The Crows have a solid back six and too many quality players in the middle and up forward for the Bombers to contain and should romp to an easy victory. Crows by 55 points.
ADELAIDE v ESSENDON
ADELAIDE
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andy Otten
HB: Brad Symes, Scott Stevens, Michael Doughty
C: Bernie Vince, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay
HF: Patrick Dangerfield, Trent Hentschel, Andrew McLeod
F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, Chris Knights
Foll: Ivan Maric, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson
I/C: Brent Reilly, Brett Burton, Richard Douglas, James Sellar
Emg: Phil Davis, Rory Sloane, Tony Armstrong
In: Douglas
Out: Nathan van Berlo (back)
ESSENDON
B: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Tayte Pears, Jarrod Atkinson
HB: Henry Slattery, Dustin Fletcher, Adam McPhee
C: Andrew Lovett, Ricky Dyson, Mark McVeigh
HF: Jason Winderlich, Michael Hurley, Angus Monfries
F: Cale Hooker, Jay Neagle, Andrew Welsh
Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Brent Stanton, Jobe Watson
I/C: Hayden Skipworth, Courtenay Dempsey, Brent Prismall, Heath Hocking
Emg: Darcy Daniher, Michael Quinn, Leroy Jetta
In: Dempsey, Skipworth, Bellchambers
Out: Matthew Lloyd (susp), Patrick Ryder (susp), Sam Lonergan (susp)
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