Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: Round Two preview – Collingwood vs. Adelaide

True Believers, all,

Into the season.  A good start, but we need to establish some momentum.  This week will be a test.

 

THE GAME:

Adelaide at Etihad – at least it isn’t in Adelaide, though if memory serves we did have something of a good travelling record.  Not good against Adelaide last year – beaten by them twice, but neither at Etihad.
Saturday, 11 April; bounce: 4.35 pm.
No Free to Air.  Find a friend with Fox.
Weather: Hey, it’s Etihad. Who cares (apart from the walk to and from the car / station)?

Us: Replacements for Sidebottom and De Goey in ‘run on’ side are Broomhead and Seedsman.  Further ahead, if we can ‘battle through’ the next month or two until many of our players will become available (Caff, Sidebottom, Greenwood, Reid, Young, Scharenberg) we’ll have a wealth of  talent to pick from.  See comments below re specific responses to ‘Them’.  What we need is the same as last week, particularly pressure, preferably for the whole game.  My comments earlier this week regarding the need for a “stop and hold and restart” game plan also will apply with a team as talented as Adelaide, if they start getting a ‘run on’.  Forwards – Trav’s work at CHF was solid.  We need to work on the next step – from him to Forwards leading out from the goal; .  Good crumbing by ‘the smalls’ – shown by the diversity and number of goal kickers.  Backline – will be a challenge.  Consider augmenting with a loose man (from where?)?  Midfield – pretty good depth of talent.

Them:  Adelaide are a good side, no question, based on one game this season, so far.  Tex Walker, as the new Captain, Dangerfield (always), Sloane, Douglas, Talia and Laird all bear watching; as does Eddie Betts (yep he’s there now).  Scott (North) suggested his side “was ambushed” – an “ambush” normally relies on surprise: 10.7 to no score from midway through the First Quarter isn’t really a surprise, unless you weren’t expecting it.  Can’t see it actually.  Perhaps he should have a chat to his brother and come up with a common excuse (I thought Geelong were awful – no fight at all).  Remember Dangerfield ripped our heart out in both games last year; and Eddie Betts has always performed against us.  Who to watch – closely?  Dangerfield – certainly – Adams’ tag?  Betts – yes, but tag him with someone who can match his mobility (a small in a tagging role, not Brown, please). Walker – yes, 6 last week – Goldsack or Tooves (or maybe Langdon, he’s really been showing maturity way beyond his experience)?

Your views?

Picks?  Pies by 17.  Your guesses?

Here’s the TEAM LINE-UPS 

 

GAME PREVIEWS

Collingwood’s MATCH PREVIEW.  I have been reliably informed that David Natoli will not be doing his ‘Ultimate Previews’ on the Pies homepage.  This is a great loss.  He brought a wealth of knowledge and style to the previews, even greater impartiality than some (more than me).  Our thanks to him; and if this situation changes, and his previews continue, please let me know!

The AFL’s match day preview can be found via the team line-ups link, above.

And Rohan Connolly’s FOOTY FIX for The Age. He’s picking Adelaide.  I disagree with that pick, of course (as I did with his pick last week).

 

OTHER:

Eddy Watch:  Quiet’ish (for Eddy).

History of Collingwood vs. Adelaide BY THE NUMBERS

Fan numbers:  Come on, get out there and encourage membership. Have a look at the (just a few) tailored membership offerings the club has put together . Hawthorn’s “fair-weather” supporters are increasing – No one is ever going to accuse a Pies supporter of being a “fair-weather” supporter (we have too much experience of adversity)

Waiting for the B-sample test results for Keeffe and Thomas; due on 14 April – ; and

Interested in a quaint little ‘weekender’ from which you could get to the footy with a Pies’ history and demonstrate your innate Pies’ taste?  EMILY POWER profiles this gem down on the Peninsula.  (It’s actually pretty close to Frankston – you could go and watch St Kilda train.)

 

Go PIES!