Once upon a time, going down to play the Adelaide Crows at AAMI Stadium was as daunting a prospect for Swans fans as, say, facing off with Collingwood. The Crows were a real bogey team, even when the Swans were beating just about everyone else. I’ve lost track of how many frustrating Sydney vs. Adelaide games I’ve sat through in my life. It used to be rough up here, but an away game was enough to make you want to pull your hair out. For whatever reason, they could never seem to get it together.
Fearless Prediction: Swans by 24
The Crows used to be at the very top of the AFL food chain. Let’s not forget that they were just one win away from playing the Swans in the 2005 Grand Final, falling short against the West Coast Eagles in an entertaining and hotly-contested Preliminary Final the day after the fast-finishing Swans had run over the top of St Kilda in the final quarter on an amazing night at the MCG.
Now, Adelaide are mired right down the ladder, without a hope or a prayer of playing finals football this year, despite having perhaps the most favourable schedule of any team in the league. It’s an interesting parallel in Football Department skill and mentality for the Swans have never really left the finals picture, despite one year where we didn't play September football, but the Crows, in recent years, have lost a lot of star players and have suffered.
Huge kudos here to the Swans, who’ve dealt with the loss of key cogs – Kirk, Roos, O’Loughlin, Crouch – and continue to make smart trades, turning guys who had been fringe players elsewhere into regular, solid contributors in red and white. At the same time they’ve selected draft choices with an incredible amount of wizardry, finding guys like Hannebery, Jetta, Dennis-Lane, Jack and Johnston and turning them into strong players.
That considerable one-two punch has kept us there or thereabouts in terms of finals contention. And it’s what will ensure that the Swans go into this game as warm-to-hot favourites, even though it’s at AAMI Park. After last week’s spirited performance against Collingwood, I see no reason why the Swans can’t notch up a pretty solid win here. A win we need after an insipid performance two weeks ago vs. Carlton and last week's narrow defeeat.
It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that Adelaide is on the ropes. Their coach is under siege from fans and media alike, their new kids aren't as good as the guys who’ve departed recently, their execution is poor, and the bottom line is that their football department hasn’t handled the transition as well as the Swans have.
The Crows looked somewhere between marginal and downright horrible for most of the season. In Round One, they scored a surprising victory against Hawthorn. On the flip side are horrible performances like the one against Collingwood, where they gave up a fourth-quarter lead of nearly four goals. The Pies smashed them late, putting eleven between the big sticks to turn a hard loss into a crushing win.
A few thoughts on the Swans side:
I hate to say it, because I really had high hopes for the guy, but I think the Jesse White ship has sailed. The big man with the impressive tattoo isn't going to be the next Barry Hall. At least, not from where I’m sitting, watching the games. He drifted somewhere between ineffectual and uncertain on the field on Saturday night. As my good friend Ben Carter suggested, maybe the tattoo down one arm has left him off balance. Thanks for that, BC. Watching footy next to you is never boring. All aboard the Comeback Train?
What the Swans need to regain is a killer presence up forward, someone who puts the fear of you-know-what into the opposition. Barry Hall used to give opposition defences fits every week and, with all due respect to the ever-growing Sam Reid, the kid doesn't quite do that just yet. We need another target up forward. When Mumford is back, I vote for pushing Seaby forward, with Roberts-Thompson secondary ruckman. He might be the tall timber we need, at least until we can chase a real key forward.
Good news on the Kieran Jack injury. It’s not as bad as first thought, which is a serious relief, because KJ is vital to the cause. He’s one of those guys you need to have on the field as much as possible, a vital player in the engine room that is our midfield. If he doesn't go, often the Swans don't, either. We need him doing his thing whenever possible. I for one noticed a difference in the midfield in the weeks when he wasn't there.
Also, props to Kieran Jack for bouncing back after being nearly knocked cold by Jude Bolton very early last week. He looked pretty rough after the clash, and perhaps thought, dazed and confused, that he was playing rugby in Hawaii. The footage definitely wasn't pretty, but he got off the carpet, came back into the game and did his thing. Everyone says that Bolton is tough and has a hard head. Now, Kieran can tell you just how hard.
We have a good stretch coming up: Adelaide this week, Gold Coast next week and Fremantle at home the week following. Three eminently winnable football games. If we want to at least have a shot at doing something other than making up the numbers come finals time, we need solid, winning performances for all three.
Play hard this week, Swans. Play with the same commitment and grit that you showed us on Saturday night and you’ll win.
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