Round 11 – Adelaide v Collingwood: Hope springs eternal! (Floreat Pica Society)

You would think that this week’s game should be a given – Crows bottom of the ladder without a win and barely firing a shot…oh that pre season camp was the beginning of the end for a club that used to exude pride and effort. But this is a very dangerous game for The Mighty Fighting Magpies – or what used to be The Mighty Fighting Magpies.

 

Recent time’s have seen us put in some pretty insipid performance’s, and with so many of our best not available for this game, where do we gain an advantage? Daicos has a been a bright light in a very dull tunnel lately, and great to see Dunn and Broomhead get another chance in the team, however, there selection does not give me a heap of faith in finding a victory. Big game for Stephenson especially, as he has not produced his natural spark so far this season. Personally, think a bit of time in the guts might see him get a consistent touch of the footy, something missing of late. Grundy hasn’t been as dominant as the previous season’s have produced, and it will be interesting to see if Crisp and Maynard get extra midfield time this week ( which could mean any number of games!!!). Overall, playing an ordinary side, but we’ve played ordinary ourselves over the last month, and so far down into our squad depth to not be certain what will occur tonight. But Hope Springs Eternal!!!

 

1st Quarter

 

Struggling to find many positives early, with The Crows using the pill better than we are able to, and scoring opportunities present for them. Sidey could have taken the shot early from close to the boundary line, but his errant pass misses the target; something that occurs many times in the first half. First goal to Adelaide, with a nice kick from a holding the ball decision, the classy finish something we’ve lacked recently. Crows turn over in our forward 50 leads to Daicos kicking back to back goals for The Pies, following on from his sensational match winner against The Swans. Stengle kicks another for Adelaide, his second, to give them a 7 point lead. Thomas has been involved more than has for last season and half, which could be important.

 

2nd quarter

 

Work circumstances don’t allow me to do an in depth summary of each quarter, but the second quarter mirrored the first. Better ball use lead to a 9 point Crows lead, with Adam’s, Crisp and Dunn being effective. Dunn kicked a goal midway through the 2nd quarter, and felt that this may be a defining moment for our season. He’s rated one of the best clubman in our game. Having been through 2 reconstruction’s, and being one of our most important players when he went down in The Gold Coast game in 2018, right in front of where I was sitting, thought it could be season defining. Well it didn’t prove to be so for the rest of the first half, but that all changed in the third.

 

We suddenly seemed to find our mojo, play with a bit of run and flair…things started to happen. Adelaide 3.4 (22)Collingwood 2.1 (13)

 

3rd Quarter

 

A 2 goal first half continues our struggle to find goals, but the third quarter began to break that trend. After several poor entries into the 50, it took one of The Crows best ball user to find A Pies forward, pinpointing Stephenson 50 out directly in front. A great kick begins our rise. Our next goal featured Brown delivering forward to contest provided by Stepho, with Ruscoe in perfect roving position and clean finish. Trey puts himself in good spots, and you have to love his Mum, so future look bright for him. His next goal 5 minutes later produced the celebration of the night. Crisp, with one of several penetrating forward 50 entries, kicked to a contest, and Trey ran into goal, fumbled, soccered again, and then goaled. 7 point lead. Mayne just scares me with ball in hand, highlighted by a shocking kick in the back line, before Roughie copped a huge shoulder to the head from Darcy Forgarty, who is much a much bigger build than John Fogarty, and certainly not as good a singer. Stephenson finishes with late goal, and we have 10 seconds left from the bounce. Sier kicks forward, to Cameron, who converts. Adam’s, Crisp, Maynard, Grundy, Noble, Dunn amongst our best, Darcy Cameron has been good and really worked his way into the game with several strong grabs.

 

4th Quarter

 

McAdam takes a nice grab, kicks the goal, early for The Crows, and it’s game on. We just need to find a win!!! We respond with a pretty ugly goal, Sidebottom just soccering from outside 50, that bounced to Thomas, who of one step, scores a goal who expect your small forwards to finish. As said his best game all year, but still well short of his 2018 form. Crisp then delivers a delicious pass to Mihocek, another “sausage roll” and probably match winning lead. Crisp again, this time to Cameron, gives us 10 goals 1. That’s unheard of for The Pies, especially this year, and despite a few awful attempts we have been much improved in this area. Game petered out at the finish, but a 10.2 (62) to 5.8 (38) victory started to see us with more run on and attack. Stephenson still not at best, Noble and Magden getting a feel for the game, Ruscoe and Cameron look like providing options up forward.

 

Votes

 

3) Taylor Adams. 27 possessions, typical bull at a gate style, and be close to our best and fairest at this stage. Mad Collingwood mate reckons he saw our next captain tonight in Taylor, and totally agree.

 

2) Jack Crisp. 22 possessions, but so many off his inside passes led to shots at goal, and most in a good position. Great down back as well, certainly been a great pick up.

 

1) Tough to pick. Was going to give it too Dunn on totally sentimental grounds, but ultimately Darcy Cameron for me. 9 marks and 15 possessions, 2 goals. Good all round game, and really worked into the contest.

 

So lucky we were playing the bottom side, but at least we found some sort of spark. Lot to improve, but maybe that Lyndon Dunn goal see’s a lift in our Mighty Fighting Magpies

 

Mark Mullins

 

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