Crows in 2013

[tbagrocks]

After our NAB Cup win I'm sure we all expected a big year, well it was and we got oh, so close to a Grand Final!
But we lost by 5 points so now the guys need to let the burn drive them closer.

Doughty retires and Knights and Tippo may go. Symes and Tambling will struggle to keep a spot and Matty Wright, Talia, Sammy Shaw, Petrenko stepped up, Bernie got his swagger back and Douglas found form, Brodie Smith looks a player to, and Reilly found a spot at Half back to suit his game, Martin and Jaench continue to show ability and plenty to like from the kids in the SANFL

Dangerfield, Sloane, Sauce and Tex all stepped into elite company and will be the Heart of Adelaide for 8 years

tbags 2013 line up (if Tippett goes and not including draft rookies)

Back: L Brown,   Talia,    Rutten
               B  Smith, S Shaw,    Reilly

Mids: Vince,  Thompson,  Mackay
               Jacobs,  Sloane,   Dangerfield

Fwds: Porplyzia,  Walker,  Wright
                Petrenko,  Lynch,   Callinan

Bench: Otten, Van Berlo, Douglas, Jenkins

   will also play games
Martin, Jaensch, Johncock, Henderson, L Thompson,

   may get oppertunities
A Riley, J Lyons, McKernen, Kerridge, Crouch, McIntyre, M Grigg, L Johnston, R Laird

James Craig, McKernen need to start challanging or miss out.
N Joyce and Ellis-Yaoman spent mostly playing reserves for the Eagles
McIntyre, Lyons, Kerridge, Riley, Grigg, Crouch and Laird all showed plenty at AFL and SANFL level, Brad Crouch is waiting for his turn and Sam Kerridge and Mitch Grigg look like they will play AFL footy

the dilema is the Full Forward possition, we have plenty, Lewis Johnston a first round draft pick recruited from Sydney kicked bags of goals for North Adelaide
Tom Lynch showed talant in Crows colours and starred at CHB for Glenelg, and he looks a ripper
McKernen is awkward but developing and ripped some games appart for South Adelaide
JJ, Josh Jenkins looks the one to back up Sauce and play with Tex
Ricky Henderson plays anywhere but his 6 goals v Port in Rd 15 says he could play forward

People still say our soft draw got us to 2nd but we only lost 5 games, Many of these players are young and raw and I do expect improvment from Adelaide and we will push Hawthorn, Sydney, West Coast and Collingwood for top four again.
   
Dare to dream Crows fans the Grand Final is not far away

[Sliam]

Still a couple of years away but theyll be around the top 4 still so you can take a lot out of 2012

[Ricochet]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/department-of-trades/chris-knights-walks-out-on-adelaide-crows/story-fn69a32t-1226481063878

Knights has gone

[Jay]

Looks good Tbag! We'll be improving every year from now, 2014  premiers!

I think JJ should be full forward :)

[Hagebear]

Yeh another year of experience will hold these boys in good stead. Add a bit of ginsls experience also and these boys are goin to be hard to beat in the next few years.

[lachie_001]

Still depends on who we get for Tippett, I'm not sold on ottens just yet either, had a good game against hawthorn but if he cant be consistent then I think crouch should start his afl career in the back lines. Crouch should just ease his way into the midfield as it is going to be too denanding.

B: S. Shaw, B. Rutten, A. Ottens/B. Crouch
HB: B. Reilly, D. Talia, B. Smith
C: D. Mackay, S. Thompson, R. Sloane
HF: R. Henderson, T. Walker, J. Petrenko
F: J. Porplysia, J. Jenkins, M. Wright
Fol: S. Jacobs, P. Dangerfield, N. Van Berlo
Int: R. Douglas, I. Callinan, B. Vince
Sub: G. Johncock
Emg: B. Martin, T. Lynch, B. Crouch/A. Ottens

[team rohan]

Crouch is gonna be in our best 22. Collins rates him as highly as Danger, and he was close to if not BOG for West in their prelim final.

I'm pretty sure Sanderson has said he will be in our best 22 as well.

[tbagrocks]

Such is the depth at Adelaide, who comes out to fit him in?

[team rohan]

I'd have Crouch taking Doughty's spot over someone like Brown/Otten, although it may depend on the opponent. You would probably want to fit him in over Callinan or Johncock as well given his potential.

Will be interesting to see if he does fit in though, or he joins the 10 or so players we rotated through spot 22 last year.

[tbagrocks]

Crouch is a pure contested ball, clearance player, he won't take team structure away by replacing the back or forward pocket, he will probably play 15 plus games as a sub and mid rotation

[Tominator]

If I was head of selectors at West Lakes this would be my best 22

B:   Sam Shaw, Ben Rutten, Brodie Smith
HB: Brent Reilly, Daniel Talia, Nathan van Berlo
C:   Bernie Vince, Scott Thompson, David Mackay
HF: Jared Petrenko, Josh Jenkins, Richard Douglas
F:   Jason Porplyzia, Taylor Walker, Matthew Wright
1R: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane

INT: Tom Lynch, Andy Otten, Ian Callinan
SUB: Brad Crouch

EMG: Graham Johncock, Brodie Martin, Ricky Henderson


The reason I dont have Stiffy in the best 22  cos he didnt have much of an impact, seems a bit past his best and he doesn't really have a clear cut role. He needs to lift his game and so does Callinan with young guys like Kerridge, Grigg, Brown, Riley, Lyons, Martin and Jaensch will all be pushing for consistent games. Brodie Martin especially has been dominating SANFL and with another pre-season under his belt he will become a really good player; Kerridge and Grigg will play a bit later next year; Crouch is gonna be an absolute gun; Jaensch has one of the best legs in the side and he could take Otten's spot, as could Brown, and Riley and Lyons have shown promising signs early in their career

the crows are gonna be an awesome team soon and I cannot wait til they hit their peak... I get the feeling a third GF appearance isn't far away, fingers crossed!

[tbagrocks]

Nice Tom

I just wonder where Sam Kerridge fits in, had a ripper year for Sturt, is a tough nut and clean skills, will be part if there are injuries
pick 27 last year and was great in the nab

[Tominator]

I've seen Kerridge, he is very versatile, can play as a midfielder or off half-forward but has played a lot of footy at Sturt off the half back flank. Ideal sub and I can see him getting games next year

[Wes Mantooth]

One thing to note, is a favourable draw put you guys in second this year, meaning you could lose to Sydney and get another chance. If you're draw wasn't as easy, you could have been out in the first week. And I'm not the only person to think this, a number of Crows fans conceded as much.

I'm sure they'll improve as a team but I'm sure their draw will see them finish with a few less wins than this year.

[lachie_001]

One thing to note, is a favourable draw put you guys in second this year, meaning you could lose to Sydney and get another chance. If you're draw wasn't as easy, you could have been out in the first week. And I'm not the only person to think this, a number of Crows fans conceded as much.

I'm sure they'll improve as a team but I'm sure their draw will see them finish with a few less wins than this year.

Still without the extra gws and gc game the crows still finished 5th. And we did have to beat syndey, geelong and carlton (at their peak) all in a row and we did. I do still think we had a softer draw then others but we still had to win the games to get there. And we finished 14th the year before, so we had a right to that soft draw. I think we will finish top four next year, where in the top four I don't know. Sick of hearing this soft draw though, because its not like collingwood play on the mcg everyweek..