Crows good/Crows bad: Round 1 v Essendon

Watching football can be an emotional experience. Particularly if you don’t have children, a mortgage, or other things people often describe as providing perspective. It can be that even if you do have those things.

Sitting in my living room after the Crows-Bombers game, I was struck by a familiar feeling following late night football exposure. How am I meant to go to sleep anytime soon?

So in an effort to regulate my emotions in the aftermath of the match I thought it might be wise to force myself to come up with a logical list of pros and cons for Adelaide from my perspective as a fan.

I hope the task will help me become a better adjusted human in the immediate hour after I watch the game. I will almost certainly stop doing this if the Crows lose again next week.

Crows good
• Tom Doodee. Looked very comfortable in the third tall role. The comparisons to Lever will be incessant, but one thing they do appear to have in common are those little decisions that make you exclaim ‘clever!’

• Darcy Fogarty’s first half was very promising. His attack on the ball and composure stood out. Will be interesting to see if he sustains his place when Walker and Lynch are available for selection, as the forward half starts looking very tall when you start jotting down names.

His exhaustion in the second half might remove that question from the equation in the immediate sense.

• Bryce Gibbs’ third term, and generally whenever he managed to get the ball in some space (which admittedly was not often). A very welcome addition of class.

• Matthew Crouch’s assured hands and decision making in contested situations. Seemed by far the cleanest Crow on the night.

• The new whipping boy in the Kingdom of Crow, Josh Jenkins, was reasonably solid. Jenkins does not play in the mould of a traditional key forward, so he always leaves you wanting more (you-are-really-big-please-crash-into-the-pack-syndrome).

He was by no means a standout, but the off-season calls to fire him into the sun and install new demi-god Fogarty in his place are a pinch premature at this stage.

(Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

• Hugh Greenwood’s goal and the subsequent moment. An early season reminder that these players we cheer and jeer every week are people and not avatars from a video game.

Crows bad
• The game really highlighted the impact of personnel loses, temporary, longer term, and permanent.

o Adelaide lacked consistent lead up targets in the absence of Tom Lynch. The entire segment of the ground between midfield and forty metres out from goal was effectively barren wasteland.

o Essendon’s repeated line breaking from the likes of David Zaharakis, Andrew McGrath, Darcy Parish, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Adam Saad and Conor McKenna eventually overwhelmed the Crows, but it also highlighted Adelaide’s lack of similar play. David Mackay, Rory Atkins and Paul Seedsman are ostensibly in the side in some part to provide this, but they weren’t able to do it nearly as often as their Bomber counterparts.

When they did manage to take a few steps forward the eventual disposal often left a lot to be desired. Brodie Smith’s absence was felt most keenly here. Charlie Cameron was another line breaker, though like the aforementioned players the eventual disposal was often subpar. One suspects this game would have boosted the playing prospects of Wayne Milera and Jordan Gallucci.

(Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

• Lachlan Murphy having 50 per cent of his kicks subjected to video review. That level of scrutiny can’t be good for his self-esteem.

• The hurried disposal coming out of defence. The Bombers pressure around the ball was top notch, and this was another case of Smith’s absence being felt (and Lynch and Walker not being around to push up and provide a contest for the haphazard sprays up the wing. This has never been a strength for Jenkins, while McGovern struggled to complete marks after getting his hands to it in contested situations).

Comparatively, the Crows weren’t able to force as many rushed disposals from the Essendon half backs. Heppell’s 13 marks is testament to how easily they were able to navigate their way out of this area of the ground.

• Related to above, Eddie Betts flying for marks half a dozen times. If there is something the Crows don’t lack, it’s tall forwards who can challenge for the ball in the air. Adelaide would be better served having him waiting for the ball to come to ground to either crumb or apply pressure at the contest.

• The exhausted play in the final term. The usual “delayed pre-season” justification was trotted out on the night, but Richmond looked very mint the previous evening…