TonyK
CibbuanoRound sixteen preview: St Kilda v Adelaide
July 18th 2009 15:30
VENUE and TIME: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 19 July, 4.40pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 29, St Kilda 12, Adelaide 16, Drawn: 1
LAST TIME: St Kilda 15.11 (101) def Adelaide 10.9 (69), Round 2 2009 at AAMI Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: St Kilda has won four of its past five against Adelaide with three of those wins coming at Etihad Stadium.
FORM: St Kilda maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 20-point win over West Coast at Subiaco Oval last Sunday. Adelaide stretched its winning streak to seven with a 117-point demolition of a hapless Fremantle side at AAMI Stadium. The Crows are in fifth spot on the AFL ladder with a 9-6 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Saints are still without experienced defender Max Hudghton (ankle) while Max Hudghton while Jarryd Allen is sidelines indefinitely with a hip injury. Xavier Clarke is out for the season with a serious knee injury. For the Crows, star forward Brett Burton makes his return from a knee injury but veteran midfielder Tyson Edwards (hamstring) will miss the clash against the ladder leaders. Trent Hentschel (knee), Jarrhan Jacky (hamstring) and Nick Gill (ankle) are at least a couple of weeks away while Brad Moran (knee) and Shaun McKernan (broken arm) are sidelined indefinitely.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Clinton Jones vs. Scott Thompson
Thompson has been one of his side’s most damaging midfielders so far this season, averaging 27 possessions per game.
The former Demon provides plenty of drive through the middle - he leads the Crows for clearances and is second for inside 50’s.
Limiting his influence in the middle will be a key for the Saints if they are going to contain the likes of Jason Porplyxia and Kurt Tippett.
Jones has been given the job on the opposition’s most influential midfielder each week so far in 2009 and has more than held his own.
Expect the former East Fremantle product to be given the task of running with Thompson in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
Thompson will need his teammates to block for him at the stoppages as Jones will apply relentless pressure all day.
Nathan Bock vs. Nick Riewoldt
Riewoldt failed to have his usual impact against the Eagles, managing just one goal.
The Saints skipper rarely has two quiet games in a row and will need to be contained if the Crows are going to continue their winning streak.
Bock has the height and tank to run with Riewoldt and will be given the job on the St Kilda star in what will be a crucial match-up in determining the outcome of this contest.
St Kilda was guilty of being sloppy with their use of the football going forward at times in the win over the Eagles - they can’t afford to do the same against the Crows otherwise they will be punished on the rebound by the likes of Bock who has averaged 23 disposals per game so far this season.
Robert Shirley vs. Leigh Montagna
Montagna continued his brilliant run of form with a game-high 44 possessions and 12 inside 50’s against West Coast.
The 26-year-old is damaging with his ability to break the lines and use the football cleanly.
If the Crows are going to have any hope of containing a potent St Kilda forward line that is the third most productive in the AFL they will need to shut-down Montagna.
Shirley is a traditional tagger in the sense that he isn’t capable of hurting his opponent going the other way, therefore he will need to be switched on defensively for the full quarters and not give Montagna any time or space in which to work in otherwise he will cut Adelaide to shreds with his sublime skills.
Zac Dawson vs. Kurt Tippett
Tippett has been a revelation up forward this season and has been particularly impressive in the past couple of weeks, booting 10 goals in his past two games to take his season tally to 32 majors.
The promising 22-year-old will find the going a lot tougher against a Saints side that has the conceded the least number of points this year.
Dawson has been an integral part of St Kilda'a backline and will most likely be given first crack at Tippett.
If Tippett is going to have any hope of having an impact on the scoreboard he will need his teammates to move the football quickly into the forward line otherwise the Saints will have time to push numbers back and they will continually rebound the football out of defensive 50.
VERDICT: St Kilda could be a little vulnerable after a bruising encounter with Geelong and a trip to Perth and there is no better side to take advantage than Adelaide which has been firing on all cylinders in recent times. Instrumental in the Crows’ success has been Tippett and Porplyzia but they will struggle to have the same sort of impact that they have had in their side’s winning run against the best defence in the competition. Saints by nine points.
ST KILDA v ADELAIDE
ST KILDA
B: Jason Blake, Sam Gilbert, Zac Dawson
HB: Steven Baker, Sam Fisher, Farren Ray
C: Brendon Goddard, Andrew McQualter, Leigh Montagna
HF: Jason Gram, Nick Riewoldt, Robert Eddy
F: Clint Jones, Justin Koschitzke, Stephen Milne
Foll: Michael Gardiner, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo
I/C: Raphael Clarke, Sean Dempster, Steven King, Adam Schneider
Emg: David Armitage, Ben McEvoy, Jarryn Geary
In: King, Schneider
Out: Luke Ball, Ben McEvoy
ADELAIDE
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andy Otten
HB: Simon Goodwin, Nathan Bock, Brent Reilly
C: David Mackay, Scott Thompson, Richard Douglas
HF: Chris Knights, Scott Stevens, Andrew McLeod
F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, James Sellar
Foll: Ivan Maric, Bernie Vince, Patrick Dangerfield
I/C: Michael Doughty, Robert Shirley, Brad Symes, Brett Burton
Emg: Phil Davis, Jared Petrenko, Brodie Martin
In: Burton, Douglas
Out: Tyson Edwards (hamstring), Nathan van Berlo
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 29, St Kilda 12, Adelaide 16, Drawn: 1
LAST TIME: St Kilda 15.11 (101) def Adelaide 10.9 (69), Round 2 2009 at AAMI Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: St Kilda has won four of its past five against Adelaide with three of those wins coming at Etihad Stadium.
FORM: St Kilda maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 20-point win over West Coast at Subiaco Oval last Sunday. Adelaide stretched its winning streak to seven with a 117-point demolition of a hapless Fremantle side at AAMI Stadium. The Crows are in fifth spot on the AFL ladder with a 9-6 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Saints are still without experienced defender Max Hudghton (ankle) while Max Hudghton while Jarryd Allen is sidelines indefinitely with a hip injury. Xavier Clarke is out for the season with a serious knee injury. For the Crows, star forward Brett Burton makes his return from a knee injury but veteran midfielder Tyson Edwards (hamstring) will miss the clash against the ladder leaders. Trent Hentschel (knee), Jarrhan Jacky (hamstring) and Nick Gill (ankle) are at least a couple of weeks away while Brad Moran (knee) and Shaun McKernan (broken arm) are sidelined indefinitely.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Clinton Jones vs. Scott Thompson
Thompson has been one of his side’s most damaging midfielders so far this season, averaging 27 possessions per game.
The former Demon provides plenty of drive through the middle - he leads the Crows for clearances and is second for inside 50’s.
Limiting his influence in the middle will be a key for the Saints if they are going to contain the likes of Jason Porplyxia and Kurt Tippett.
Jones has been given the job on the opposition’s most influential midfielder each week so far in 2009 and has more than held his own.
Expect the former East Fremantle product to be given the task of running with Thompson in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
Thompson will need his teammates to block for him at the stoppages as Jones will apply relentless pressure all day.
Nathan Bock vs. Nick Riewoldt
Riewoldt failed to have his usual impact against the Eagles, managing just one goal.
The Saints skipper rarely has two quiet games in a row and will need to be contained if the Crows are going to continue their winning streak.
Bock has the height and tank to run with Riewoldt and will be given the job on the St Kilda star in what will be a crucial match-up in determining the outcome of this contest.
St Kilda was guilty of being sloppy with their use of the football going forward at times in the win over the Eagles - they can’t afford to do the same against the Crows otherwise they will be punished on the rebound by the likes of Bock who has averaged 23 disposals per game so far this season.
Robert Shirley vs. Leigh Montagna
Montagna continued his brilliant run of form with a game-high 44 possessions and 12 inside 50’s against West Coast.
The 26-year-old is damaging with his ability to break the lines and use the football cleanly.
If the Crows are going to have any hope of containing a potent St Kilda forward line that is the third most productive in the AFL they will need to shut-down Montagna.
Shirley is a traditional tagger in the sense that he isn’t capable of hurting his opponent going the other way, therefore he will need to be switched on defensively for the full quarters and not give Montagna any time or space in which to work in otherwise he will cut Adelaide to shreds with his sublime skills.
Zac Dawson vs. Kurt Tippett
Tippett has been a revelation up forward this season and has been particularly impressive in the past couple of weeks, booting 10 goals in his past two games to take his season tally to 32 majors.
The promising 22-year-old will find the going a lot tougher against a Saints side that has the conceded the least number of points this year.
Dawson has been an integral part of St Kilda'a backline and will most likely be given first crack at Tippett.
If Tippett is going to have any hope of having an impact on the scoreboard he will need his teammates to move the football quickly into the forward line otherwise the Saints will have time to push numbers back and they will continually rebound the football out of defensive 50.
VERDICT: St Kilda could be a little vulnerable after a bruising encounter with Geelong and a trip to Perth and there is no better side to take advantage than Adelaide which has been firing on all cylinders in recent times. Instrumental in the Crows’ success has been Tippett and Porplyzia but they will struggle to have the same sort of impact that they have had in their side’s winning run against the best defence in the competition. Saints by nine points.
ST KILDA v ADELAIDE
ST KILDA
B: Jason Blake, Sam Gilbert, Zac Dawson
HB: Steven Baker, Sam Fisher, Farren Ray
C: Brendon Goddard, Andrew McQualter, Leigh Montagna
HF: Jason Gram, Nick Riewoldt, Robert Eddy
F: Clint Jones, Justin Koschitzke, Stephen Milne
Foll: Michael Gardiner, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo
I/C: Raphael Clarke, Sean Dempster, Steven King, Adam Schneider
Emg: David Armitage, Ben McEvoy, Jarryn Geary
In: King, Schneider
Out: Luke Ball, Ben McEvoy
ADELAIDE
B: Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten, Andy Otten
HB: Simon Goodwin, Nathan Bock, Brent Reilly
C: David Mackay, Scott Thompson, Richard Douglas
HF: Chris Knights, Scott Stevens, Andrew McLeod
F: Jason Porplyzia, Kurt Tippett, James Sellar
Foll: Ivan Maric, Bernie Vince, Patrick Dangerfield
I/C: Michael Doughty, Robert Shirley, Brad Symes, Brett Burton
Emg: Phil Davis, Jared Petrenko, Brodie Martin
In: Burton, Douglas
Out: Tyson Edwards (hamstring), Nathan van Berlo
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