Forward Scout: Crows

LAST Saturday’s 26-point win over Richmond in Melbourne was the Brisbane Lions’ first over the Tigers in five years, and came just seven days after their first victory over Essendon in three seasons.

The back-to-back success has lifted the Lions into the top eight, although the log-jam of teams on either three or four wins extends from third to 14th.

The recent run for the Lions next opponent, Adelaide, has not been so good. The Crows have lost their past two, a Showdown shellacking against Port followed by a 32-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Former captain Chris McDermott has come out and called the Crows a ‘’rabble’’ despite them being just one win from third place.

All Australian defender Nathan Bock is expected to miss another week with a hamstring injury which is a huge plus for the Lions and in particular captain Jonathan Brown who has kicked just 11 goals in 10 matches against the Crows.

For the Lions, livewire Rhan Hooper made a successful return in the reserves outfit last week with four goals and will be available for selection after not playing since round two.

Forward Scout:
The club: Adelaide Crows

2009 to date: Like almost every team in the League the Crows have been up and down like a yo-yo so far this season. Strangely, they are unbeaten on the road but winless at home, although the Crows home games have been against quality opposition in Geelong, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide.
 
The coach: Whether it’s his calm demeanour or his geographic location, Neil Craig somehow flies under the coaching radar despite a brilliant record since taking over midway through 2004. Despite having a limited number of genuine superstars at his disposal, Craig has mustered a 60 per cent winning rate and seemingly always had the Crows over-achieving. He is able to integrate younger players to the squad and watch them develop more quickly than many think. Craig is always evolving and this year has encouraged his team to play-on more quickly than in previous seasons.

The gun: Simon Goodwin. In his second season as the Crows’ skipper, Goodwin is having another outstanding campaign. At 32, the four-time All Australian has lost little of his class, and his sense for the ball and penetrating left boot are often the driving force behind any Adelaide success. A super professional player, Goodwin has not pushed forward as much in 2009, but is more than capable of getting on the scoreboard.

The sleeper:  Jason Porplyzia. After a breakout 2008, Porplyzia is again proving to be a more than capable forward through the first seven rounds of this season. He is the Crows’ leading goalkicker with 18 (and only one behind!) after bagging a career-high 32 last year. The 24-year-old has got over some shoulder concerns towards the end of last season and his evasion and accurate kicking make him a dangerous target in the forward half.

The bolter: Taylor Walker. He’s only 19 and has just seven games under his belt, but Taylor Walker has already shown he is a young forward to be reckoned with. Quick on the lead and strong overhead, the New South Welshmen kicked four goals against the Dogs on Sunday to be a shining light in the disappointing loss. He now has 13 for the season and is someone that needs close attention. Walker is in the top-15 in the league for marks inside the forward 50m.

Strengths: Adelaide have developed a hard earned reputation for being tough at the ball and disciplined all across the ground. They work for one another and despite conceding eight goals in the third quarter against the Dogs, the Ben Rutten-led defence is excellent. If you win the hard balls and clearances you know you’ve done a good job against the Crows.

Weaknesses: For the past few seasons the Crows have played a slower brand of footy that isn’t predisposed to high or quick scoring. Even though they’ve tried to address that this season, the goals still aren’t flowing too freely. If a team can slow the ball movement, particularly the run of players like Goodwin and Andrew McLeod, Adelaide often has trouble putting a winning score on the board.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.