Round 9 – Brisbane v Adelaide: No Surprise, Unfortunately

 

AFL Round 9 2017 – Brisbane v Adelaide: No Surprise, Unfortunately.
May 22, 2017 by Peter Schumacher

 

I had high hopes that Brisbane could win this game even though it was first v eighteenth. After all, even The Lions couldn’t possibly have had a score-line of ten goals four against, to zip, at quarter time, which feat Adelaide had managed to achieve against all odds, against the Kangaroos just a fortnight earlier. Indeed, given the fact that last week they had been thrashed by Melbourne, scarcely a high ranked side, at home, I thought that The Crows were really on the road to oblivion. I made my views known to those who wanted to listen, or perhaps more tellingly to those who didn’t. As for my mob, well there was a reason that they were bottom, they simply had not been good enough but there had been moments, quarters even, where some promise has been evident. “After all,” went the mantra, “they are a really young side which has potential”. Besides, no Sloane, “Stone the Crows”.

 

I must admit that I viewed this game after the event because we had as house guests that evening long standing friends, (he a Collingwood supporter) and it had been agreed that it would be more sociable to yarn over a meal rather than ruin an evening seeing our teams get walloped. I haven’t spoken to him since the visit but I bet he wishes that he had seen his game live on our 79 inch LG (specifically purchased to enjoy AFL games in their fullness and purity).

 

So, I sat down on Sunday morning to see the Crows put in their place. And it got off to a great start, really did, the Crows were “fumbly”, “lacking poise “(according to the commentator) hesitant and looked really vulnerable as time after time the Lions found space with the opposition lagging in their wake. So, it was no surprise at all, what with Rich, and Hipwood, making their presence felt, with Robertson effectively blanketing Sloane, that Zorko, and Zorko again, saw Brisbane two goals up. Zorko, what a magician. Sloan off, probably because he was being totally ineffective. But then Brisbane (Close and Zorko) missed shots that they had to get. Eddie Betts was being effectively covered by Gardiner. Hamilton dropped an easy mark about ten metres out. But all good things come to an end, Tom Lynch scored an absolute stunner from the boundary, 48 metres out. The goal umpire was flattened in his endeavour to position himself correctly to judge the kick. Hipwood missed a chance to goal, not being able to hang onto a really good pass. TAYLOR WALKER 10 METRE PASS: HAVE TO BE JOKING! GOAL: BLOODY HELL! Meanwhile Rich was everywhere, but Brisbane were missing absolutely gettable goals. At last: Brisbane’s McCluggage goaled, good kick, too. Brisbane up by 10 points, should have been at least 25. On the siren, Gardiner whacked Betts who somehow found time to deliver to Greenwood who goaled. The Lions only up by three points. I was extremely uneasy, far too many missed chances.

 

So, the second quarter started. Hipwood was described as being like a baby giraffe, seemed to be a pretty apt description to me. Eddie Betts got out on his own in the left forward pocket, goaled from an acute angle. Adelaide up by four points. Clay Beams injured, hamstring, when you are down you are down. Somehow Betts bounced a goal through, having tackled the ball off his opponent first to make position to do so. Hard to imagine one better. Brisbane still missing shots, completely spoiling minutes of good work immediately prior. With the score 34 to 25 Close missed a soda from 20 in front. Absolute coach killer. Barret for Brisbane did kick straight having earned a free from a great tackle. Brisbane trailed by two points only, now one as Dayne Beams just missed from a long way out. Bull rushed down to the other end, Greenwood behind the pack, goal, and then another from 50 out. Three goals on debut. This, had I known it was the beginning of the end for the Lions. Adelaide up thirteen. Atkins missed, what an Akermanis look alike though. Milera goaled for Adelaide. Up by twenty. Berry for Brisbane hit the post. Betts to Lynch, another Crows goal. Rich missed yet another and Martin another. Otten on the siren extended the Adelaide lead to thirty points. BRISBANE COULD WELL, AND SHOULD WELL, HAVE GONE INTO HALF TIME ON EQUAL TERMS, but as it was, Adelaide were up by the thirty.

 

The third quarter was one way street with the Crows kicking 7 goals to one with Charlie Cameron really marking his emergence with a four-goal quarter. By now Brisbane were completely out of their depth and they were down forty-two to one hundred and eleven. The route continued in the last quarter but to a lesser extent with Adelaide running out easy winners by eighty points. In the final analysis, sadly from my view point, they were simply far too good. It was not a good week for Queensland football.
Adelaide 3.3 10.5 17.9 21.14 140
Brisbane 3.6 4.11 5.12 7.18 60
Goals Adelaide: C. Cameron 4, E. Betts 3, H. Greenwood 3, T. Lynch 3, T. Walker 3, A. Otten 2, B. Crouch, J. Galluci, W. Milera.
Goals Brisbane: D. Zorko 2, J. Barrett 2, H McCluggage, J. Walker, M. Hammelmann.
Best Adelaide: Lynch, Laird, Cameron. Betts
Best Brisbane: Rich, Beams Zorko.
Injuries Adelaide: C. Hampton (ankle)
Injuries Brisbane: C. Beams (hamstring)
Umpires: Kamolins, Harris, Deboy. Crowd at Gabba 13802

MY VOTES: 3. Lynch, 2. Laird, 1. Rich.
BROWNLOW TBA (TBA) 3, TBA (TBA) 2, TBA (TBA) 1