The Adelaide Crows and Geelong Cats go head-to-head in a top of the table clash which should be a belter of a game. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:50pm (AEST).
Despite sitting at, or near, the top of the ladder for much of 2017, in many ways the Adelaide Crows are still flying under the radar.
At 12-4, Don Pyke’s side own the outright best record in the competition, while their percentage of 140.4 is a full 22 points higher than that of the second-placed Cats.
They’ve enjoyed victory over fellow top-eight sides in the Giants, Port Adelaide, Richmond and Melbourne and won seven of nine at their Adelaide Oval fortress and for all intents and purposes have been the team to beat in 2017.
Surely a win over second-placed Geelong casts aside all doubt that it’s Adelaide’s flag to lose?
Geelong come into this game as underdogs, but their play in 2017 has also been of frightening calibre.
A three-game losing streak in May had them looking somewhat shaky, but since then it’s six wins, one draw and one loss as Chris Scott’s chargers have hit their stride in time for a deep run into the finals.
The Cats enjoyed a comfortable victory over Adelaide in their Round 11 clash, leading at every break on a Friday night in Geelong to claim a resounding 22-point victory.
Doing the double on the Crows would see the club leapfrog into first on the ladder. It would also significantly shorten their premiership odds.
Geelong have had some kind of spell over Adelaide for quite some time, with the Cats triumphing in five straight encounters against the Crows and eight of the last 10.
The last time Adelaide won consecutive games against Geelong was a four-game run from 2001 to 2003. In the 20 games played since, the Crows have put together just five wins.
Prediction
Adelaide may be top of the ladder for now but, unlike previous seasons, this year’s competition has never found itself in the stranglehold of whoever’s on top.
Melbourne and Hawthorn have already triumphed at the Adelaide Oval, so there’s very good reason to believe Geelong, who’ve owned the Crows in recent years, can do the same.
Cats by 13 points.
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Cat
Roar Guru
How many times did it happen when the player had no prior opportunity? If the umpire does not deem there to be prior opportunity the ball is allowed to be knocked out of the tackle, spilled, dropped or whatever without penalty. Amazes me how few people actually understand the rules.
Cat
Roar Guru
The umpiring may have swung Geelong's way in the end (though not nearly as much as the crying in this thread indicates) but it also damn sure helped Adelaide get their lead in the first quarter when the game was still any ones to win. The frees for the first quarter were 10-2 Adelaide way. Geelong couldn't get any flow going because the umpires kept giving the ball back to Adelaide all quarter long. Let me be crystal clear: Geelong did not do enough to win, umpires didn't cost anyone the game.
Craig Delaney
Guest
Very wierd.
Craig Delaney
Guest
Agree Cat, a free is a free.
Craig Delaney
Guest
One ump called 'holding around the middle' against Otten and indicated with both arms. I couldn't see it on replay. I agree with the ruling if it's there - holding the man - but it wasn't and it wasn't consistent. The rule has been laxly adjudicated for ages, and is also badly neglected in ruck contests. Ping the first ruckman to grab his ooponent and it will stop. The umps too often use the excuse that both are doing it to avoid making the call. But almost always the wrestle is started by one players first. Lots of obvious jumper holding, players checked in the run for the ball, and so on, are missed. The umps kept Geelong in the game, and I'm not one to blame the umps for results.
Cat
Roar Guru
You said,
. Since the game was in Adelaide wasn't Geelong supposed to lose in Adelaide?Cat
Roar Guru
Craig Webber
Guest
Joe, I have not had a chance to view the complete replay to help recall each instance, as I was at the game. I may have incorrectly included some freebies that didn't end up with a goal due to poor kicking. In addition to the two you mention there were many other frees given in Geelongs forward 50 (chopping hand etc) that in the context of the game were very borderline,and exactly the same infringements went unrewarded down the other end. Instead of letting the soft and inconsequential go like usual, the umps excessively interfered with play, detracting from the overall spectacle. 61 free kicks is ridiculous and almost unheard of.What is more is that when they call the soft ones (especially in front of goal) they inevitably miss more at that level than they call - leading to inconsistency, in this case to the benefit of Geelong. Whilst my "creamed" comment was a extravagant and emotional, the umpires certainly ruined what would have been a great game between two skillful sides with Geelong coming back. I have never previously witnessed the umpires being booed leaving the ground after the home side has won. Even Don Pyke who avoids mentioning umpires as a rule said he was confused at times ... equivalent to the Scott brothers saying they want to rip the umps a new one.
Mattician6x6
Guest
I will tip Geelong confidently in 2 of those. Pies @ g?, Syd @kp?,gws@kp?
anon
Roar Pro
Could all go pear-shaped quickly for Geelong. Collingwood seem to be a nuisance for Geelong at the MCG. Sydney is playing better footy, but the match is in country Victoria. That'll be an even money match.
Joe
Guest
You seem very confident in your analysis. Geelong have Carlton at Etihad, Collingwood at the MCG, and GWS/Richmond/Sydney at Kardinia. Tips for those 5 games?
Joe
Guest
Tuohy's handball landed maybe half a metre over the boundary with two Cats players close, it's ridiculous to complain about that. That's skill error, not deliberate, that would be called the same 99 times out of 100. I'd love to hear what the 5 goals were that Geelong were gifted. I remember 2, Taylor was pushed in the back before the marking contest but that shouldn't have been a free, and there was the one where Danger was bumped in the centre that was just soft. What were the other 3?
Mattyb
Guest
Gene,any statistics to go with that?
Mattician6x6
Guest
Anon- something we can agree on, Geelong are over rated and have been shaky post bye. 3 pt wins down to last 30 seconds vs freo & hawks, a draw vs gws which was a loss until after the siren and a according to script win against Brisbane are not premiership credentials and when they've had chances to make statements vs wce & crows they have wilted to comprehensive losses were late flurries of goals have flattered them.
Razzar
Guest
Can only concur about the umpiring, especially after halftime. Toohey punches ball straight over boundary line. Surely you don't just have to kick it out to be deliberate. Another five more frees in the last quarter Geelong wins. Razor Ray is umpiring well below AFL standard. But Aiding Geelong's scoring, 10 out of 10.
Mattician6x6
Guest
His excuse after the west coast game is Geelong can't win after the bye, king of excuses cat is, just give it 24 hours and he will be rummaging thru champion data for stats to try and reinforced his opinion. He doesn't have a natural feel for the game at all.
Slane
Guest
'what other sport gives you a score for missing- none' Darts. Gaelic football(over the bar is only worth 1). 10 pin bowling. Lawn Bowls(all the other variations) Archery. Shooting. Quidditch. You know, any sport that has multiple different scores. You could even argue that a drop kick goal in rugby is only really kicked because the team has missed scoring a try. Personally, I find it laborious to watch a sport that has no penalties for being tackled. Oh, you got caught with the ball. Here have another shot at scoring...
Mattyb
Guest
Settle down John. The game certainly needs to move beyond Victoria but those things hopefully will be sorted out. If the game goes national it will go gangbusters.
Swanny
Guest
The cats just are a team that choke in the big games
anon
Roar Pro
Keep Dangerfield in close check and you have half the job done. Danger doesn't like the physical stuff. Got to make him EARN his kicks. Great win Adelaide. I had said many times this week that Geelong's supposed dominance over Adelaide was FAKE NEWS because all but one game was played at Kardinia Park.