Melbourne will take on Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, in what is a real opportunity for Melbourne to cement a spot in the top two.
The Demons currently sit in top spot on 15 wins, taking on the 17th-placed Adelaide side, who sit on six wins.
Considering this, Melbourne simply must get the job done if they want to finish at the very least in the top two, with winnable opportunities for Geelong, Bulldogs and Port Adelaide, who all go into Round 22 two points behind Melbourne on 60 points.
Bear in mind that Melbourne will travel to Geelong next week in a game that could potentially decide the minor premiership.
Melbourne were ultra impressive in their win in the west, coming away with a nine point win to clinch current top spot heading into Round 22, with the Crows putting up an almighty fight against Port Adelaide, as Port currently sit in the top four, leading by 19 points at halftime, before a fourth-quarter fade out, to go down by only four points.
The players that could make a difference, based off last week’s performances for their respective sides:
Ben Brown, with eight kicks, seven marks and three goals.
Alex Neal-Bullen, with 20 disposals, 12 kicks, four handballs and two goals.
Christian Petracca with 28 disposals, 10 kicks, 18 handballs and a goal.
Clayton Oliver, with 28 disposals, 11 kicks and 17 handballs.
Christian Salem, with 23 disposals, 13 kicks, 10 handballs and six marks.
As for Adelaide:
Rory Laird, with 31 disposals, nine handballs, 22 handballs and three marks.
Tom Lynch, with 22 disposals, 10 kicks, 12 handballs and two goals.
Harry Schoenberg, with 31 disposals, 19 kicks, 12 handballs and four marks.
Melbourne have won three of the last five clashes with Adelaide, but Adelaide will remember that in Round 10, they upset the Demons by a solitary point at Adelaide Oval, with Taylor Walker kicking the winning goal, denying Melbourne a 10-0 start to season 2021.
They will have to pull off an upset of greater nature, being at the MCG and considering the Crows are now second-last, with the Demons in red hot form, coming off a 98-point thrashing of Gold Coast and a win in the west last week to clinch top spot.
If Melbourne can defeat Adelaide here, they have a massive chance of a minor premiership.
Prediction: Melbourne by 36 points.
Micko
Roar Rookie
What's WWICD?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Yes, if I was them. WWICD!
Micko
Roar Rookie
So Anderson, Broad, Wood, Robinson as a four man pace attack?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Go with their strengths?
Micko
Roar Rookie
And what are the poms going to do in Australia? They're not playing a specialist spinner at home, so what bowling philosophy are they going to adopt here?!! :shocked: (assuming it all goes ahead).
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
In true Pythonesque manner.
Micko
Roar Rookie
You been watching the cricket? Geez, if the poms didn't have Joe Root, they'd be completely Root-ed! :silly: Only thing stopping England from being done by the Indians in England! :shocked:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I think we've been consistently bad with some spasmodic wins inconsistently
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
No, nuthn.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Numerology then?!
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
No, just a number ....
Micko
Roar Rookie
Based on your astrology charts? :silly:
The Sports Lover
Roar Rookie
The Crows struggle for consistency. They played well last week against Port so they are due for a shocker against the Dees.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
In 2041
Cloak
Roar Rookie
Tomorrow's almost a dead rubber for us - if we win next week, we'll finish top 2 and if the Dogs beat Port we'll finish 1st anyway.
Cloak
Roar Rookie
The Dogs were a statistical outlier, they finished 2016 with a 15-7 record, but the top 8 was so strong that year that they still only finished 7th on the ladder. Compare that with this year, where 7th won't finish with any more than 12 wins - I mean, Melbourne finished 9th in 2017 with a 12-10 record and a percentage of 105% and in 2018 Adelaide finished 12th with a 12-10 record and a percentage of 104.1%.
Micko
Roar Rookie
And I rate the 2016 WB premiership the best I've seen! :thumbup:
Micko
Roar Rookie
And to be fair, 1998 (along with Geelong in 2008!) was a case of the highly fancied minor premier (North Melbourne) choking, with a short term ridiculous lack of ability to kick a ball between two tall sticks! :shocked: :sick:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yep: 1998 Adelaide Crows & 2016 Western Bulldogs. I wonder when we'll get an 8th placed team win the flag?!!
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
I think top four teams have won flag 28 of last 30.