TonyK
CibbuanoMatch preview: Adelaide v Melbourne
September 2nd 2006 00:38
ADELAIDE V MELBOURNE
WHERE & WHEN: Saturday September 2 at AAMI Stadium at 2.40pm (CST)
TV & RADIO: TV: Fox Footy Channel - Melbourne (3pm), Perth (1pm), Sydney (3pm), Brisbane (3pm). Channel 10 - Adelaide (3.30pm). RADIO: 5AA, ABC, Triple M (Adelaide)
HEAD TO HEAD: Adelaide 15, Melbourne 8
LAST TIME: Adelaide 15.12 (102) d Melbourne 14.13 (97) at Carrara, round three, 2006.
TAB SPORTSBET ODDS: Adelaide $1.88, Melbourne $1.83
BETFAIR: Adelaide $2.22, Melbourne $1.75
How the mighty have fallen.
It is hard to fathom that it was just less than two months ago this Adelaide Crows side was considered virtual certainties for this year's flag.
Since then the Crows have lost four of their past five, lost Brett Burton, Ben Hart, Ken McGregor, Trent Hentschel, Andrew McLeod and Chris Knights to serious injuries and skipper Mark Ricciuto remains an uncertainty to return before the finals with a virus.
There may not be much on the line in terms of ladder position riding on today's game, with the Crows guaranteed a top two finish irrespective of the result, but this is their last chance to gain some much needed momentum heading into September.
Injuries have hit Adelaide hard and while coach Neil Craig has said this week the club is still more than capable of winning this year's flag, a wise man would suggest their premiership hopes went out the window in the past month.
The Crows have lost their three leading goal-kickers in Burton, Hentschel and Ricciuto, their drive off half-back with McLeod and Hart- that is very difficult to cover no matter how good your depth is.
Adelaide appeared to be showing some promising signs against Port in the Showdon last Sunday, but wasted opportunities in front of goal dried up any confidence they had left in the tank.
A big concern for the Crows going into today's clash against Melbourne is where are all their goals going to come from.
Matthew Bode is a livewire up forward, but he is a small, Scott Welsh has been in and out of the side and Ben Hudson who is capable of pushing forward has missed a lot of senior football after recovering from a knee injury.
While the Crows are guaranteed of a top-two finish, Melbourne has plenty to play for with a top four berth and a double chance on the line.
The Demons were very impressive against the Cats last weekend at Skilled Stadium for about an hour, and deserved their 38-point lead.
However, coach Neale Daniher has to be mildly concerned with his side giving up a six-goal lead and almost losing the game had it gone on for one more second.
The Dees will welcome back skipper David Neitz who looks to have fully recovered from a hip flexor injury and impressive youngster Matthew Bate.
It isn't all good news in the medical room for Melbourne, with defender Matthew Whelan and hardman Byron Pickett both sidelined with hamstring injuries that would put them in doubt for week one of the finals.
While the Crows are bereft of options up forward, the Dees have a multitude of options in their forward 50, with Aaron Davey, Russell Robertson, Adem Yze and Neitz.
Should they fire the Crows are in trouble.
AAMI Stadium hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Demons, with the club losing four out of their five clashes against the Crows at the venue.
Perhaps this is the only positive that the Crows can take into today, with their confidence surely at an all-time low.
If the Demons win their fair share of the football through the midfield, and you would expect them to do so with a rotation of Travis Johnstone, Brad Green, Cameron Bruce, Brock McLean and co their forward should prove too much to bare for the Adelaide defence weakened by injury.
With a top four berth on the line and the Crows depleted by injuries, Melbourne should put aside their poor record at AAMI Stadium to secure a much needed win away from home.Melbourne by 27 points.
ADELAIDE
B: Johncock, Rutten, Bassett
HB: Doughty, Bock, Torney
C: Mattner, Goodwin, van Berlo
HF: Douglas, Perrie, Reilly
F: Bode, Welsh, Biglands
FOLL: Clarke, Thompson, Edwards
I/C: Massie, Shirley, Stevens, Porplyzia
EMG: Meesen, Hudson, Hinge
IN: Massie, Porplyzia, Stevens, Torney
OUT: Hart (achilles), Hentschel (knee), Knights (quad), McLeod (foot)
MELBOURNE
B: Bartram, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Ward
C: Green, McLean, Johnstone
HF: Yze, Miller, Bate
F: Robertson, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Sylvia, Godfrey, Jamar, Bell
EMG: Motlop, Smith, Warnock
IN: Neitz, Bate
OUT: Whelan (hamstring), Pickett (hamstring)
Field umpires: Kennedy, Schmitt, Goldspink
WHERE & WHEN: Saturday September 2 at AAMI Stadium at 2.40pm (CST)
TV & RADIO: TV: Fox Footy Channel - Melbourne (3pm), Perth (1pm), Sydney (3pm), Brisbane (3pm). Channel 10 - Adelaide (3.30pm). RADIO: 5AA, ABC, Triple M (Adelaide)
HEAD TO HEAD: Adelaide 15, Melbourne 8
LAST TIME: Adelaide 15.12 (102) d Melbourne 14.13 (97) at Carrara, round three, 2006.
TAB SPORTSBET ODDS: Adelaide $1.88, Melbourne $1.83
BETFAIR: Adelaide $2.22, Melbourne $1.75
How the mighty have fallen.
It is hard to fathom that it was just less than two months ago this Adelaide Crows side was considered virtual certainties for this year's flag.
Since then the Crows have lost four of their past five, lost Brett Burton, Ben Hart, Ken McGregor, Trent Hentschel, Andrew McLeod and Chris Knights to serious injuries and skipper Mark Ricciuto remains an uncertainty to return before the finals with a virus.
There may not be much on the line in terms of ladder position riding on today's game, with the Crows guaranteed a top two finish irrespective of the result, but this is their last chance to gain some much needed momentum heading into September.
Injuries have hit Adelaide hard and while coach Neil Craig has said this week the club is still more than capable of winning this year's flag, a wise man would suggest their premiership hopes went out the window in the past month.
The Crows have lost their three leading goal-kickers in Burton, Hentschel and Ricciuto, their drive off half-back with McLeod and Hart- that is very difficult to cover no matter how good your depth is.
Adelaide appeared to be showing some promising signs against Port in the Showdon last Sunday, but wasted opportunities in front of goal dried up any confidence they had left in the tank.
A big concern for the Crows going into today's clash against Melbourne is where are all their goals going to come from.
Matthew Bode is a livewire up forward, but he is a small, Scott Welsh has been in and out of the side and Ben Hudson who is capable of pushing forward has missed a lot of senior football after recovering from a knee injury.
While the Crows are guaranteed of a top-two finish, Melbourne has plenty to play for with a top four berth and a double chance on the line.
The Demons were very impressive against the Cats last weekend at Skilled Stadium for about an hour, and deserved their 38-point lead.
However, coach Neale Daniher has to be mildly concerned with his side giving up a six-goal lead and almost losing the game had it gone on for one more second.
The Dees will welcome back skipper David Neitz who looks to have fully recovered from a hip flexor injury and impressive youngster Matthew Bate.
It isn't all good news in the medical room for Melbourne, with defender Matthew Whelan and hardman Byron Pickett both sidelined with hamstring injuries that would put them in doubt for week one of the finals.
While the Crows are bereft of options up forward, the Dees have a multitude of options in their forward 50, with Aaron Davey, Russell Robertson, Adem Yze and Neitz.
Should they fire the Crows are in trouble.
AAMI Stadium hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Demons, with the club losing four out of their five clashes against the Crows at the venue.
Perhaps this is the only positive that the Crows can take into today, with their confidence surely at an all-time low.
If the Demons win their fair share of the football through the midfield, and you would expect them to do so with a rotation of Travis Johnstone, Brad Green, Cameron Bruce, Brock McLean and co their forward should prove too much to bare for the Adelaide defence weakened by injury.
With a top four berth on the line and the Crows depleted by injuries, Melbourne should put aside their poor record at AAMI Stadium to secure a much needed win away from home.Melbourne by 27 points.
ADELAIDE
B: Johncock, Rutten, Bassett
HB: Doughty, Bock, Torney
C: Mattner, Goodwin, van Berlo
HF: Douglas, Perrie, Reilly
F: Bode, Welsh, Biglands
FOLL: Clarke, Thompson, Edwards
I/C: Massie, Shirley, Stevens, Porplyzia
EMG: Meesen, Hudson, Hinge
IN: Massie, Porplyzia, Stevens, Torney
OUT: Hart (achilles), Hentschel (knee), Knights (quad), McLeod (foot)
MELBOURNE
B: Bartram, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Ward
C: Green, McLean, Johnstone
HF: Yze, Miller, Bate
F: Robertson, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Sylvia, Godfrey, Jamar, Bell
EMG: Motlop, Smith, Warnock
IN: Neitz, Bate
OUT: Whelan (hamstring), Pickett (hamstring)
Field umpires: Kennedy, Schmitt, Goldspink
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