Sack him! If anyone within the Adelaide Football Club cannot see that change is needed from the top down, then sack the lot of them.
I am potentially overreacting and we are still only 4 games into a 22 game season. The signs are bad, only recently the crows were touted by some in the football media to be a favourite for a top 4 position. I was one of these and now I fear the worse. Favourably, the crows still boast some of the best ball magnets in the competition, have some great depth, and have some emerging talent, but where is this talent. Why are we continually playing like arses on the field. From my perspective and my limited knowledge and one eyed view, the fault lies within the depths of Adelaide Football Club. These are the people who need to change, sack them!
Adelaide coaching staff
The Hawthorn Hawks have been lauded for getting rid of one of the best assistant coaches in the business to explore new opportunities across their game and as explained by Jeff Kennett ‘’the club needs to keep progressing, even if it means leaving some loved members behind’’. Adelaide on the other hand have a selective boys club that is crippling our team. The head of it is Scott Camporeale, has hung around like a smelly fart since 2011, lets hope its his last year. Matthew Clarke whilst accomplished in the AFLW has been with the AFC since 2008. The others are too new to really critique, we need new blood and this responsibility is on the shoulders of the board who seem to care more about profits than success on the field.
It is hard not to critique the coaching when all of the fans and media are saying changes are required but the loyalist Don Pyke says "We've got some things to fix, there's no question...The reality is we didn't have a great deal of winners on the night and we're not going to make massive, wholesale changes on the basis of that.”
Firstly, some things, this is surely an understatement. The loss to North Melbourne was embarrassing and a shell of the 2017 team that looked uber strong. The team just cannot gel, mark, get the ball out of the defensive 50, get the ball inside the forward 50, mark the ball inside 50, and score. This has been happening for the best part of the year and most importantly during massive games like the 2017 Grand Final.
Secondly, time and time again the boys on the field are having these games where ‘’we didn’t have a great deal of winners..’’, this isn’t good enough! We are trying the same thing and getting the same result. Isn’t that Albert Einstein's theory of insanity?
Finally, Don Pyke doesn’t want to make wholesale changes; he’s content with mediocrity. How long can we continue to waste players time in the reserves before the management of the team realises some players need replacing. We won’t be winning many more games if we continue this way and it is heartbreaking to watch. We’ve seen Geelong reinvigorate there team with youth and new players and its working so well they are being lauded. Even Port Adelaide...Port! Have done this to great effect. Regardless of what others are doing, the footy club actually recruited young talent that are being wasted in a reserves league; Darcy Fogarty (No.12 draft), Jordan Gallucci (1st round), Ned McHenry (1st round draft pick), Ben Davis, Elliott Himmelberg, Tyson Stengle, and the list goes on. We’ve tried and tried again and continue on the same path. It is this that frustrates the fans, the people who watch insanity over and over again, which might say a lot about us. It is this that puts the responsibility on the coaches and above to fix the problem that everyone can see.
Since 2015 semi final defeat to Hawthorne, Adelaide are still using the mostly the same 15 players from that event. In 2017 - Adelaide were second best in the competition for inside 50’s with just under 60 per game, today we sitting well below those lofty heights and can barely square a ball to our captain on the lead.
The biggest focus is currently where our team is failing dramatically over the last 2 years, our forwards.
Fans remember our incredible 2017 before the pain of the grand final when Adelaide were destroying teams. Currently Adelaide are kicking 9 goals pg compared with 15 during the 2017 season. There has been a sharp decline since round 22 in 2017 when we lost to Sydney at home kicking 11 goals. In 2018 Adelaide average 12 goals per game.
Players under the scope
Taylor Walker
Our fearless captain, one of the best kicks in the game and one of the most loved personalities of all Crows fans. Of recent times, he often dominates in games of hide and seek before popping up to inspire the team with an almighty pass or goal. All too often in 2018 and still this season, we are seeing a ghost of his former self. Tex’s goal averages have plummeted from his peak of 2012 when he booted 63 goals at 3.3 per game to last year he was kicking 1.9.
Part of the Adelaide problem is the team cannot mark the ball inside 50. Walkers’ marks inside 50 are at 0.2 pg this year,, 1.2 in 2018 and his peak was 2015 and 2012 with 3.1 and 3.5 respectively. While not always contributing on the scoreboard, Tex does influence the game in other ways. This has also been on the decline, his score involvements are at 5 pg this year but were an awesome 8.4 pg in 2016.
Time for something different and sadly, it might start at Tex. Time for Ben Davis to get a run.
Josh Jenkins
Easily our best forward last year but often is frustrating fans with his weak efforts at the contest and decision making. In terms of goals, JJ was kicking 2.6 goals per game in in 2016 and for the last 2 years that has been 2.1 and only 1 per game this year. His tackling actually improved from 2016 to 2018 from 1.9 to 2.8 respectively, but has since registered 2 tackles a game this year. JJ’s score involvements were at 7.8 pg in 2016 and now sit at average of under 5 pg. JJ doesn’t like to tackle, he is averaging under 1 pg inside 50’s this year, there isn’t much pressure coming from a often seen athletic member of our team. JJ’s marks inside 50 are a concern for me and I would only keep him in the team if he was the main ruck option with Himmelberg replacing him.
Year
|
D
|
G
|
% Diff
|
T
|
% Diff
|
I50
|
Mi5
|
% Diff
|
CM
|
Si
|
T50
|
2019
|
12.5
|
1
|
-52%
|
2
|
-29%
|
2.5
|
1.5
|
-32%
|
1.2
|
4.8
|
0.8
|
2018
|
12.9
|
2.1
|
0%
|
2.8
|
12%
|
2.6
|
2.2
|
10%
|
1.2
|
6.5
|
1.2
|
2017
|
13.2
|
2.1
|
-19%
|
2.5
|
32%
|
2.7
|
2
|
-17%
|
1.2
|
6.3
|
0.8
|
2016
|
12.1
|
2.6
|
18%
|
1.9
|
46%
|
2.5
|
2.4
|
-8%
|
1.2
|
7.4
|
0.6
|
Tom Lynch
Tom’s season so far has been a little slow to start with with some reasonable and some below par performances romancing the crows faithful. Often seen as the link man, unfortunately when the teams inside 50’s are at a 4 year low and only 36 against North Melbourne you consider what this man has been doing. Well I was surprised that some of his key stats have improved this year. He currently gets a spot in my team.
Year
|
D
|
% Diff
|
T
|
% Diff
|
I50
|
SI
|
% Diff
|
2019
|
21
|
8%
|
1.8
|
13%
|
3.8
|
8
|
23%
|
2018
|
19.5
|
-5%
|
1.6
|
-27%
|
2.6
|
6.5
|
-18%
|
2017
|
20.5
|
5%
|
2.2
|
10%
|
3.3
|
7.9
|
-9%
|
2016
|
19.5
|
3%
|
2
|
5%
|
3.4
|
8.7
|
16%
|
David Mackay
A player who has frustrated many over the years. Sometimes showing flashes of brilliance's, especially when under the pump, but mostly under performing and keeping the younger players out of the squad. Mackay is often the scapegoat of armchair critics like myself as his on field performances do not live up to the frequent selection he gets. Unfortunately for Mackay, he hasn’t done enough over his career to warrant a spot especially if its delaying important game time for the younger players. Mackay average disposals are down from 20 in 2016 to 16 in 2019, Tackles from 4.3 to 1.8, on the plus side, his inside 50’s are on the rise this early in 2019 but from 3.5 in 2016 he only averaged 2.4 across 2018. It is time for a change for the future. Thank you for your service...mmmK
Year
|
D
|
% Diff
|
T
|
% Diff
|
I50
|
% Diff
|
R50
|
% Diff
|
2019
|
16.5
|
-1%
|
1.8
|
-33%
|
3.8
|
58%
|
3.2
|
28%
|
2018
|
16.6
|
-2%
|
2.7
|
-23%
|
2.4
|
-20%
|
2.5
|
47%
|
2017
|
16.9
|
-15%
|
3.5
|
-19%
|
3
|
-14%
|
1.7
|
0%
|
2016
|
19.8
|
43%
|
4.3
|
19%
|
3.5
|
46%
|
1.7
|
-11%
|
Some boring statistics
Nothing to see here, hopefully I am wrong about it all and the team find there way. Make me eat some dirt.
Year
|
Ladder
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
K
|
HB
|
D
|
M
|
T
|
% Diff
|
GA
|
G
|
% Diff
|
HO
|
CL
|
% Diff
|
CG
|
% Diff
|
R50
|
i50
|
% Diff
|
2019
|
-
|
1
|
|
3
|
219.5
|
166
|
385.5
|
95.8
|
59.8
|
-7%
|
6
|
9.2
|
-27%
|
33.5
|
34
|
-9%
|
52
|
5%
|
41.5
|
50
|
-5%
|
2018
|
12
|
12
|
|
10
|
223.6
|
159.4
|
383
|
91.5
|
64.6
|
-10%
|
8.3
|
12.7
|
-20%
|
64.6
|
37.4
|
-6%
|
49.3
|
-12%
|
36.7
|
52.8
|
-8%
|
2017
|
1
|
15
|
1
|
6
|
218.8
|
173.6
|
392.4
|
90.9
|
71.9
|
5%
|
10.8
|
15.8
|
-4%
|
45.4
|
39.6
|
3%
|
56.2
|
12%
|
34.8
|
57.5
|
-1%
|
2016
|
5
|
16
|
|
6
|
220
|
171.5
|
391.5
|
94.8
|
68.8
|
14%
|
11.8
|
16.5
|
15%
|
38.8
|
38.5
|
-5%
|
50
|
1%
|
33.4
|
57.9
|
5%
|
Good luck next weekend.
