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The undefeated Adelaide Crows can qualify for next weekend’s NAB Cup grand final with a win against a visiting Collingwood team tonight at AAMI Stadium. Join us for live scores and a blog from the first bounce at 8.40pm AEDT.
Under new coach Brenton Sanderson, the Crows have impressed in this year’s NAB Cup competition.
In round one’s triangular series they accounted for Carlton by nine points before holding off Port Adelaide in a mini-Showdown by a single behind in the final match that afternoon.
Last weekend, the Crows were very good when downing a Brisbane Lions outfit by 51 points at Traeger Park in Alice Springs.
Sanderson has named a strong squad for tonight’s clash. Against what is a very inexperienced Pies line-up, Richard Tambling, Lewis Johnston, Brad Symes, Ben Rutten and Richard Douglas are only noteable absentees from the squad.
The Crows play their best footy at home. Last season, five of their six wins came at Footy Park.
Nathan Buckley’s start at Collingwood has been a pretty quiet one. In week one of the Cup competition, the Magpies had narrow wins over the Western Bulldogs by seven points and GWS Giants by three points at Blacktown.
Playing under the Etihad Stadium roof last Saturday night, Buckley suffered his first defeat at the helm when fellow newcomer Mark Neeld coached his Demons to a nine-point win over the 2010 AFL Premiers.
The Pies have had a torrid pre-season with several players having injury-interrupted preparations.
Bucks has left out 13 established players from the squad for tonight.
Chris Tarrant, Andrew Krakouer, Alan Didak, Tyson Goldsack, Luke Ball, Dale Thomas, Nathan Brown, Dayne Beams, Cameron Wood, Sharrod Wellingham, Ben Johnson, Brent Macaffer and Alan Toovey have not made the trip over to Adelaide – a number of those players are injured.
The Pies have an outstanding record at AAMI Stadium having won their last seven AFL matches at the ground.
Against the Crows, Collingwood have triumphed on the last four occasions but all of those wins have been in close matches.
In the last encounter between the two teams in round nine at Etihad last season, Andrew Krakouer took mark of the year; the Crows led by 12 at three quarter time; Dale Thomas kicked a torpedo goal from 65 metres that changed the game; and the Pies won by a lopsided and flattering margin of 43 points after a 55-point turnaround in the last quarter.
Collingwood are missing too much firepower tonight. The Crows will field an experienced line-up and that along with good form and home-ground advantage will see Adelaide through to the NAB Cup Grand Final after claiming a 26-point win at home.
Can the Crows continue their impressive preseason form? Find out from 8.40pm AEDT as we cover the action with live scores and commentary and if you’re watching, give us your thoughts in the space below.
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