How the Crows turned the tide after leaking inside 50s
A MONTH ago, Adelaide’s backline was battling to hold back a flood of opposition ventures inside the 50m arc. The Crows have turned the tide in stunning fashion, says Andrew Capel.
Andrew Capel
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A MONTH ago the dam wall was close to bursting.
“We’re giving up too many inside 50s, we need to rectify that,’’ Adelaide coach Don Pyke said after his then 4-4 side fell to Geelong by 26 points at Adelaide Oval, having lost the inside 50 count heavily for the third time in four weeks.
“We’ve identified some areas where we have to improve in to compete consistently and regularly against the top teams.
“We have to defend the ground more effectively, force turnovers further up the ground.
“That’s a work in progress and we’ve addressed — as a group — how we can rectify that.
“We’ll see the results of that in the coming weeks.’’
After the Crows fell to the Cats, first-year coach Pyke’s team had slumped to 14th in inside 50 differential, at -8.
They had conceded 59.6 inside 50s a game, while averaging a modest 51.4, and had won only three inside 50 counts in the first eight rounds.
Adelaide had won four matches on the back of some blistering slingshot football from the back half but leading AFL analyst and dual North Melbourne premiership player David King warned that the Crows’ game, while attractive and freewheeling, wasn’t sustainable against the best teams or in big games.
Adelaide’s time in the forward half differential of -5:47 was the fifth-worst in the league.
Before being territorially thumped by Geelong, the Crows lost the inside 50 count 37-68 to the Western Bulldogs the previous week.
They even coughed up 70 inside 50s to archrival Port Adelaide in round two, losing the count by 15, despite winning by 58 points.
What a difference a month makes.
Since Pyke turned the blowtorch on his players following the loss to the Cats, Adelaide has not only stemmed the tide but opened its own floodgates.
In a remarkable turnaround the Crows lead the AFL in inside 50 differential from rounds nine to 12, where they have reeled off four consecutive wins against Gold Coast, high-flying GWS, St Kilda and West Coast, which had won 17 of its previous 18 matches in Perth.
Significantly, they have won the inside 50 count in each of those matches by a combined 115, 267-152, including a 65-35 road thumping of the Eagles.
Adelaide’s +28.8 differential is a whopping 12.8 better than the next-ranked side, Hawthorn.
The Crows have conceded an average of just 38 inside 50s in the past month — ranked No. 1 in the league.
Its time in the forward half of +21:11 also is ranked No. 1 while it has created the second most turnovers (average 30.5) in the forward half — a far cry from its 15th-placed ranking after round eight.
This has allowed the Crows to lock the ball in their attacking half and pressure the opposition into submission.
Ace midfielders Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson have been integral to the turnaround, ranking fourth and sixth respectively for forward half pressure points, which incorporate key pressure ingredients such as tackling and harassing.
Adelaide’s ability to improve its contested possession differential (-1.4 to +11) and clearance differential (-2.2 to +8.5) also has helped stop the defensive bleeding.
“In the past month the defensive side of our game has gone up to another level,’’ Sloane said.
“We’ve worked on our defensive side and not giving up so many inside 50m. As you saw at the start of the year, we were giving up way too many, which was really hurting us.
“That’s probably been the best part, especially in this past month, and is probably the most improvement we’ve had (in one area this season).
“We play our best when everyone contributes, not only in getting the ball but also defensively.’’
It is that team defence mantra that has helped turn the Crows from show ponies to work horses and the real deal.
THE TURNAROUND
Adelaide’s shocking inside 50 differential threatened to blow its season out of the water four weeks ago. After Geelong dominated the count 61-44 in beating the Crows by 26 points at Adelaide Oval in round eight the alarm bells went up.
A month later Adelaide has not only turned back the tide but created its own tsunami to emerge as a genuine premiership threat.
Inside 50 Differential
Rounds 1-8
Rounds 9-12
RIDING THE WAVE OF SUCCESS
Adelaide has improved dramatically in a host of key categories in the past month.
THE HEAT IS ON
Midfielders Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson have ignited Adelaide’s forward half pressure charge.
Forward half pressure points — Rounds 9-12
andrew.capel@news.com.au
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