The evolution of Greater Western Sydney has been impressive – from uncompetitive, to bad, to competitive, to good – but for them to take the next step as a real contender (which appears inevitable), they need to take their show on the road.
In Round 10, however, the Giants once again came up short away from home against a decent team – If not for some wayward kicking, the Crows would have put the visitors away nice and early.
There has been much discussion this season about West Coast’s uninspiring form outside of WA, but very little about the Giants’ struggles away from their home grounds.
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Since the beginning of 2015, GWS have been a formidable host, winning 13 of 16 games while scoring on average 102 points per game and conceding just 75.
In 16 games out of their comfort zone, they have just five wins, scoring 75 points a game and conceding 83. Simplistically, they’re a six-goal worse side as visitors.
That’s not quite as drastic as the Eagles – who are on average more than 55 points worse off away from Subiaco in their past 32 home-and-away games – but it’s nonetheless a significant differential and one they’ll likely need to improve if they are to maintain their top-four position.
The Giants have just eight road wins in their short history, the best of which was probably their round-five defeat of St Kilda at Docklands.
Not that Adelaide will give a stuff about GWS’s road struggles. The Crows comprehensively outplayed the Giants on Saturday night thanks in large part to the contributions of a few players even die-hard footy followers would struggle to pick out of a line-up.
Rory Atkins collected a career-high 28 disposals and Jarryd Lyons added 20, including six clearances, to help turn what looked a midfield mismatch – seriously, look at the teams from that game and name Adelaide’s fourth-best midfielder – in the Crows’ favour.
Losing the midfield battle to the Crows, who have a nuclear arsenal in their forward half, is bad news.
It was an important victory for Adelaide, who in ten games have already played six of the top-seven teams for two wins and four losses. For them to be 6-4 at this point with a percentage of 119 is nothing to sneeze at.
At the MCG on Sunday, the Bulldogs also got a significant win. Aided in no small part by Magpies dropping like flies, the Dogs won at a venue they won’t visit again in the home-and-away season.
Much like the Giants and Eagles, the former Footscray are a different team depending on the venue. Since Luke Beveridge took the reins, the Dogs are almost an eight-goal better side at Etihad Stadium.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Bulldogs did what good teams do: get four points when below their best on another team’s turf.
It’s turf Melbourne would no doubt have preferred to play on. Instead of hosting the Power on their home field, the Demons (who are 4-2 at the MCG this season) took a young side to Alice Springs where they played poorly in a “home” loss.
Melbourne would’ve pocketed some much-appreciated coin for the journey, but I wonder what four points are worth.
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