TonyK
CibbuanoRound eleven preview: Essendon v Adelaide
June 6th 2009 14:03
VENUE and TIME: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 7 June, 2.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 26, Essendon 15, Adelaide 11
LAST TIME: Adelaide 19.15 (129) def Essendon 10.13 (73), Round 20 2008 at Etihad Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: Essendon has won 11 of its past 12 matches against Adelaide in Melbourne.
FORM: Essendon was given a major reality check last Sunday when they were thumped to the tune of 64 points by a red-hot Geelong side. The Bombers are in tenth place on the AFL ladder with a 5-5 win-loss record. Adelaide strung together back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they downed Hawthorn by 27 points at AAMI Stadium. The Crows have also won five of their first ten matches.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Bombers welcome back Courtenay Dempsey who missed the clash against the Cats with strained ankle ligaments and Kyle Reimers for his first game of the season after being sidelined with a quad injury but they will be without Henry Slattery (hamstring), Andrew Welsh (ankle) and young ruckman Tom Bellchambers who will miss up to six weeks with a knee injury. Dustin Fletcher (leg fracture), Michael Hurley (broken wrist) Scott Gumbleton (back) remain on the sidelines while number one ruckman David Hille (knee) is out for the season. For the Crows, ruckman Jonathan Griffin (calf) will miss at least another week while forwards Brett Burton and Trent Hentschel are five weeks away from returning from knee injuries.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Michael Doughty vs. Jobe Watson
Watson has been his side’s most consistent midfielder so far this season, averaging 27 disposals per game.
The 24-year-old is highly effective at winning the football at the stoppages and using it cleanly by hand to find the likes of Andrew Lovett and Alwyn Davey in space.
Limiting his influence at the stoppages will be a key for the Crows if they are going to shut-down the Bombers’ running game.
Doughty, who has done a good job on Carlton skipper Chris Judd and Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell in the past fortnight, will be given the job of running with Watson.
Not only has he quelled the influence of two of the premier midfielders in the competition but he has also won his fair share of the football - he collected 26 and 25 possessions in the wins over the Blues and the Hawks.
Adelaide will need Doughty to do the same on Sunday otherwise Watson will be able to dictate terms and dominate.
Cale Hooker vs. Taylor Walker
Walker played the best game of his brief career last weekend, booting five first half goals against the Hawks in a performance that earned him the NAB Rising Star nomination for round 10.
Hooker kept Geelong young gun Tom Hawkins goalless last weekend and will most likely line-up on Walker in what shapes as being an intriguing match-up between two promising youngsters.
Walker is at his damaging best when leading into space so Hooker will need his midfield to apply relentless pressure and not allow the Crows to deliver the football cleanly inside 50.
Expect Hooker, who collected 22 touches and booted one goal in the loss to the Cats, to run off Walker at every available opportunity and try and hurt him on the rebound.
Ben Rutten vs. Matthew Lloyd
Lloyd played a key role in Essendon’s last win over the Crows in round 17, 2007, booting five goals to help lift his side to a 12-point victory.
The Bombers will need a similar performance from their skipper if they are going to record a valuable win.
However, Lloyd faces a tough afternoon at the office with Rutten, who kept Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead to just one goal last weekend, to be his opponent.
If Lloyd is going to have any hope of winning his duel with Rutten he will need his midfield to break the lines and move the football quickly inside 50 otherwise the Crows will be able to push numbers back and punish the Dons on the rebound.
Heath Hocking vs. Scott Thompson
Thompson was instrumental in the win over the Hawks with a game-high 38 possessions and seven inside 50’s.
The last time these two sides met in round 20 last year Thompson starred with 31 touches, one goal and four inside 50’s in a performance that earned him the three Brownlow medal votes.
Shutting down the drive Thompson provides through the middle will be a key for the Bombers if they are going to starve the Crows forwards of quality supply.
Hocking has been given some big run with roles so far this season and looms as the obvious candidate to run with the former Demon.
Essendon will need Hocking to be switched on at the stoppages and not allow Thompson any time or space otherwise he will continually win the football in close and pump it inside 50 to the likes of Taylor Walker and Jason Porplyzia.
VERDICT: Essendon will fancy their chances of recording their sixth win of the season on Sunday given their record against Adelaide in Melbourne but with Patrick Ryder forced to do pretty much all the ruck work against a Crows side that boasts three ruckmen you would expect Neil Craig’s men to win more of the football at the stoppages. Expect the Crows to break the game open in the first half as they have done in the past two weeks and eventually hold on for a win in Tyson Edwards’ 300th game. Crows by 21 points.
ESSENDON v ADELAIDE
Essendon
B: Courtenay Dempsey, Tayte Pears, Mark McVeigh
HB: Brent Stanton, Adam McPhee, Cale Hooker
C: Ricky Dyson, Heath Hocking, Kyle Reimers
HF: Angus Monfries, Jay Neagle, Andrew Lovett
F: Alwyn Davey, Matthew Lloyd, Sam Lonergan
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Jobe Watson, Brent Prismall
I/C: David Zaharakis, Bachar Houli, Scott Lucas, Hayden Skipworth
Emg: Leroy Jetta, Tyson Slattery, Darcy Daniher
In: Dempsey, Lucas, Prismall, Reimers
Out: Henry Slattery (hamstring), Jason Winderlich (ankle), Tom Bellchambers (knee), Leroy Jetta
New: Brent Prismall (Geelong)
Adelaide
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andy Otten
HB: Michael Doughty, Nathan Bock, Andrew McLeod
C: Chris Knights, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay
HF: Nathan van Berlo, Kurt Tippett, Bernie Vince
F: Jason Porplyzia, Taylor Walker, Scott Stevens
Foll: Brad Moran, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson
I/C: Brad Symes, Ivan Maric, Richard Douglas, Patrick Dangerfield
Emg: Jared Petrenko, Brent Reilly, James Sellar
No change
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 26, Essendon 15, Adelaide 11
LAST TIME: Adelaide 19.15 (129) def Essendon 10.13 (73), Round 20 2008 at Etihad Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: Essendon has won 11 of its past 12 matches against Adelaide in Melbourne.
FORM: Essendon was given a major reality check last Sunday when they were thumped to the tune of 64 points by a red-hot Geelong side. The Bombers are in tenth place on the AFL ladder with a 5-5 win-loss record. Adelaide strung together back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they downed Hawthorn by 27 points at AAMI Stadium. The Crows have also won five of their first ten matches.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Bombers welcome back Courtenay Dempsey who missed the clash against the Cats with strained ankle ligaments and Kyle Reimers for his first game of the season after being sidelined with a quad injury but they will be without Henry Slattery (hamstring), Andrew Welsh (ankle) and young ruckman Tom Bellchambers who will miss up to six weeks with a knee injury. Dustin Fletcher (leg fracture), Michael Hurley (broken wrist) Scott Gumbleton (back) remain on the sidelines while number one ruckman David Hille (knee) is out for the season. For the Crows, ruckman Jonathan Griffin (calf) will miss at least another week while forwards Brett Burton and Trent Hentschel are five weeks away from returning from knee injuries.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Michael Doughty vs. Jobe Watson
Watson has been his side’s most consistent midfielder so far this season, averaging 27 disposals per game.
The 24-year-old is highly effective at winning the football at the stoppages and using it cleanly by hand to find the likes of Andrew Lovett and Alwyn Davey in space.
Limiting his influence at the stoppages will be a key for the Crows if they are going to shut-down the Bombers’ running game.
Doughty, who has done a good job on Carlton skipper Chris Judd and Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell in the past fortnight, will be given the job of running with Watson.
Not only has he quelled the influence of two of the premier midfielders in the competition but he has also won his fair share of the football - he collected 26 and 25 possessions in the wins over the Blues and the Hawks.
Adelaide will need Doughty to do the same on Sunday otherwise Watson will be able to dictate terms and dominate.
Cale Hooker vs. Taylor Walker
Walker played the best game of his brief career last weekend, booting five first half goals against the Hawks in a performance that earned him the NAB Rising Star nomination for round 10.
Hooker kept Geelong young gun Tom Hawkins goalless last weekend and will most likely line-up on Walker in what shapes as being an intriguing match-up between two promising youngsters.
Walker is at his damaging best when leading into space so Hooker will need his midfield to apply relentless pressure and not allow the Crows to deliver the football cleanly inside 50.
Expect Hooker, who collected 22 touches and booted one goal in the loss to the Cats, to run off Walker at every available opportunity and try and hurt him on the rebound.
Ben Rutten vs. Matthew Lloyd
Lloyd played a key role in Essendon’s last win over the Crows in round 17, 2007, booting five goals to help lift his side to a 12-point victory.
The Bombers will need a similar performance from their skipper if they are going to record a valuable win.
However, Lloyd faces a tough afternoon at the office with Rutten, who kept Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead to just one goal last weekend, to be his opponent.
If Lloyd is going to have any hope of winning his duel with Rutten he will need his midfield to break the lines and move the football quickly inside 50 otherwise the Crows will be able to push numbers back and punish the Dons on the rebound.
Heath Hocking vs. Scott Thompson
Thompson was instrumental in the win over the Hawks with a game-high 38 possessions and seven inside 50’s.
The last time these two sides met in round 20 last year Thompson starred with 31 touches, one goal and four inside 50’s in a performance that earned him the three Brownlow medal votes.
Shutting down the drive Thompson provides through the middle will be a key for the Bombers if they are going to starve the Crows forwards of quality supply.
Hocking has been given some big run with roles so far this season and looms as the obvious candidate to run with the former Demon.
Essendon will need Hocking to be switched on at the stoppages and not allow Thompson any time or space otherwise he will continually win the football in close and pump it inside 50 to the likes of Taylor Walker and Jason Porplyzia.
VERDICT: Essendon will fancy their chances of recording their sixth win of the season on Sunday given their record against Adelaide in Melbourne but with Patrick Ryder forced to do pretty much all the ruck work against a Crows side that boasts three ruckmen you would expect Neil Craig’s men to win more of the football at the stoppages. Expect the Crows to break the game open in the first half as they have done in the past two weeks and eventually hold on for a win in Tyson Edwards’ 300th game. Crows by 21 points.
ESSENDON v ADELAIDE
Essendon
B: Courtenay Dempsey, Tayte Pears, Mark McVeigh
HB: Brent Stanton, Adam McPhee, Cale Hooker
C: Ricky Dyson, Heath Hocking, Kyle Reimers
HF: Angus Monfries, Jay Neagle, Andrew Lovett
F: Alwyn Davey, Matthew Lloyd, Sam Lonergan
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Jobe Watson, Brent Prismall
I/C: David Zaharakis, Bachar Houli, Scott Lucas, Hayden Skipworth
Emg: Leroy Jetta, Tyson Slattery, Darcy Daniher
In: Dempsey, Lucas, Prismall, Reimers
Out: Henry Slattery (hamstring), Jason Winderlich (ankle), Tom Bellchambers (knee), Leroy Jetta
New: Brent Prismall (Geelong)
Adelaide
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andy Otten
HB: Michael Doughty, Nathan Bock, Andrew McLeod
C: Chris Knights, Simon Goodwin, David Mackay
HF: Nathan van Berlo, Kurt Tippett, Bernie Vince
F: Jason Porplyzia, Taylor Walker, Scott Stevens
Foll: Brad Moran, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson
I/C: Brad Symes, Ivan Maric, Richard Douglas, Patrick Dangerfield
Emg: Jared Petrenko, Brent Reilly, James Sellar
No change
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