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There’s only one match left on the calendar now, and it’s the biggest one of all – the Adelaide Crows and the Richmond Tigers in the 2017 AFL Grand Final.
First off, congrats to Cam for decisively winning our tipping game this year. He’s not only the only expert to beat The Crowd, but he’s done it by a lengthy margin.
Is he going to get one more tip right this year by picking Richmond (come on Cam, you know you want to)?
If he does then that’ll mean I’ve missed out, because personally, I’m tipping the Crows to win on Saturday and it might not even be that interesting.
Richmond arguably has the best two players on the ground in this match in Dustin Martin and Alex Rance.
But, the lower half of their team just doesn’t compare to Adelaide’s. The Crows have a great mix of depth and star power, their only true weakness being perhaps one more genuinely elite midfielder.
What has made Richmond a great team this year is their intensity and defensive pressure. We saw this at its peak in the game against Geelong three weeks ago.
I expected Richmond to bring this again in their preliminary final but to be honest, they didn’t quite live up to that expectation and had some periods where their intensity lapsed.
Luckily for them, GWS weren’t on the ball enough to take advantage of it – but a better team will, and Adelaide certainly are that better team.
Perhaps Richmond can rise to a new level this week, perhaps they’re saving their best for last – if so they’re in with a genuine chance.
Personally though I reckon the Crows have much more left in the tank than the Tigers and will win by six goals.
Cameron Rose
Richmond
Grand final day, and how fitting that the two clubs competing have embodied a sense of team better than any other throughout the year.
Yes, Richmond has Dustin Martin and Alex Rance, and Adelaide has Eddie Betts and Rory Sloane, who give us regular superstar moments, but football is a team sport that relies on 22 moving parts, working together and sacrificing for each other.
The Tigers and Crows have given us this all year, and particularly as they have cut a swathe through the finals series.
Adelaide have shown themselves to be the better side through the course of the year, but is there that much between them at this time of the season?
Both teams beat GWS by 36 points this finals series. The Crows beat Geelong by 61, the Tigers beat them by 51.
The difference is that Adelaide’s wins were at Adelaide Oval, while Richmond’s were at the MCG, and we know where the grand final is played.
In order to win, the Tigers need to shut down Tom Lynch and Rory Laird. I think they can. Richmond by 14 points.
| Grand final | Josh Elliott | Maddy Friend | Tim Lane | Cam Rose | The Crowd |
| ADE vs RIC | ADE | ADE | ADE | RIC | ADE |
| Last week | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 120 | 123 | 126 | 132 | 128 |