Port’s scoring power fades
THE alarming statistics that show how the Power is struggling to score and how the issue could derail its 2018 AFL premiership hopes.
Andrew Capel
Case for the Cats’ defence
PATRICK Dangerfield calls them “Scarlo’s Disciples’’ – a bunch of low-profile defenders who have become statistically the best combination in the league.
Power’s pressure rises off the charts
ONE of the secrets to Port Adelaide’s mid-season charge has been revealed, with Ken Hinkley’s unit producing pressure numbers never before seen in the AFL.
How Port’s Mr Fixit is enjoying a vintage year
BRAD Ebert says Port Adelaide teammate Justin Westhoff is like a good wine — he just keeps getting better. See how the swingman is helping the Power make a tilt for the top four.
Big four back for Crows
Adelaide’s big four Rory Sloane, Rory Laird, Tom Lynch andLuke Brown all look set to return for Saturday’s clash with West Coast after training strongly on Wednesday.
Road to the Draft: King of match-ups off agenda
SOUTH Australian under-18 coach Tony Bamford says he will not pander to the wishes of AFL recruiters and manufacture a battle of the giants match-up between No. 1 draft contenders when SA plays Vic Metro next week.
Crows’ culture is flying high
NEWLY re-signed Adelaide forward Tom Lynch says he could have commanded more money from Victorian clubs but wanted to stay at the Adelaide Crows even with all the fallout from the club’s pre-season camp.
Fifteen shades of Gray: Why Robbie is in own league
PORT Adelaide superstar Robbie Gray in a league of his own, having had more 20-plus disposal, three-plus goal games in the past five seasons than any other player.
Road to the draft: Where to rank Rankine?
AFL talent ambassador Kevin Sheehan says he cannot wait for the day South Australian excitement machine Izak Rankine puts together a “complete’’ game of football.
How free-scoring Crows have had wings clipped
A YEAR ago it wasn’t a matter of how many goals Adelaide would kick but who would kick them. Now the Crows are having trouble scoring at all. See how drastically the goals have dried up up in this week’s Number Crunch.
Year of the Croweater: The road to the draft
IT has been labelled an AFL ‘superdraft’ where SA could have its greatest haul of top-10 picks. And the boys lived up to the hype in the opening round of the national AFL under-18 championships. Andrew Capel follows their progress in his Road to the Draft.
No excuses for Crows after disastrous loss in Perth
THIS time there can be no excuses. The Crows’ top four hopes are over before their mid-season bye and their finals hopes are in serious jeopardy after an unforgivable loss to the youngest Fremantle side coach Ross Lyon has ever fielded.
Damning numbers show Port shooting itself in foot
CHAD Wingard says Port Adelaide ‘can’t pinpoint’ why it is such a bad kicking team. But the numbers don’t paint a pretty picture.
Wingard: I’ve got no excuses
PORT Adelaide star Chad Wingard is making no excuses for his form slump, declaring “I’m not going to chuck any out there’’.
How Crows star in making is rising to challenge
HE was the draft smoky with the basketball background who had to agonisingly wait three seasons to play an AFL game. Now Crow Tom Doedee is the AFL Rising Star favourite.
The unlikely duo packing midfield punch for Crows
HUGH Greenwood and Cam Ellis-Yolmen are the unlikely midfield duo who might have saved the Crows’ season from spiralling into disaster. See how the unsung pair stack up against the AFL’s top contested possession-winning combinations.
Hungry Jack racks them up
JACK Macrae is the Western Bulldog with bite, leaving the Crows with plenty of thinking to do before their Adelaide Oval clash.
Fog’s time to shine up forward
ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke has pinpointed last year’s first-round draft pick Darcy Fogarty as the obvious replacement for fallen forward Mitch McGovern.
Why Crows have edge: Showdown 44 depth chart
ANDREW Capel ranks Adelaide and Port Adelaide’s movers and shakers in his Showdown 44 depth chart.
Record-breaking Rory’s magnificent seven
THE records keep tumbling for Crows defensive ball magnet Rory Laird — and they are enough to cause Port Adelaide sleepless nights before Showdown 44.
Going the distance: Seed leads the metre eaters
ALMOST washed-up a year ago, Crow Paul Seedsman has become the No. 1 in the AFL for metres gained.
AFL bans Cornes from running
PORT Adelaide runner Chad Cornes has been suspended for one week for swearing at North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein at Etihad Stadium last Saturday.
Otten takes long road to the ton
AFTER 11 years on the list, Andy Otten will break a longstanding Adelaide record when he finally plays his 100th game against Gold Coast.
Marshall pays emotional tribute to his dad
TEENAGE Port Adelaide forward Todd Marshall has paid tribute to his late dad, saying he will never forget the moment the pair shared when he made his AFL debut in Ballarat last year.
Better than Lever? You bet
ADELAIDE Crows defensive revelation Tom Doedee has had a better start to his AFL career than the man he replaced in the Crows backline — one-time linchpin Jake Lever.
Rising Star: The Hulk v The Extractor
AFL Rising Star judges face a tough task – separating an imposing power forward and a tough-as-nails midfielder who is already a force to be reckoned with. Andrew Capel looks at the stats.
No doubt Tom is Crows’ Linchpin
HE is the Crows’ “Connector”. And while Tom Lynch doesn’t have the high profile of fellow forwards Taylor Walker and Eddie Betts he looms as arguably Adelaide’s most important attacking weapon.
Crows’ forward guns firing
IF the Crows can sneak into the top eight by season’s end, their potent and multi-faceted attack could prove a major force in the finals, reports Andrew Capel.
Dazzling Danger among Brownlow favourites
HIS future remains clouded but Patrick Dangerfield could follow in the footsteps of the player he inherited the number 32 jumper from & become Adelaide’s second Brownlow Medallist, reports Andrew Capel.
Sam is Crows’ man of steel
THERE is no secret identity involved here – ruckman Sam Jacobs is the Crows’ man of steel. Andrew Capel examines why “Sauce” is a ruck superhero for the Adelaide Football Club.
Port must beware The Interceptor
PORT Adelaide will need to be precise in the crunch game against the Western Bulldogs, because The Interceptor – Easton Wood – will be ready to pounce on anything less than perfect. Andrew Capel reports.
Clear and present Danger
PATRICK Dangerfield may stay or go at the end of the year, but one thing is certain — that he has given his all for the Crows this season. Andrew Capel looks at the (very) impressive stats.
Number Crunch: The wizardry of Wingard
“HE can make something out of nothing and those sort of players are really special.’’ With those words, Port Adelaide assistant coach Tyson Edwards summed up Power wizard Chad Wingard.
Flying Fyfe on record Brownlow pace
FREMANTLE juggernaut Nat Fyfe is on track to shatter Magpie Dane Swan’s (modern era) record for the most Brownlow Medal votes in a season. Andrew Capel explains just how dominant he has been.
Crows relying on Tex to find his target
TAYLOR Walker has lost his shooting touch.And if “Tex’’ doesn’t quickly rediscover it, the Crows hopes of a first finals appearance in three years could go down the gurgler, reports Andrew Capel.
Crows, Power shoot themselves in foot
THE Crows and Power should be kicking themselves for their horrendous disposal efficiency – which is among the AFL’s worst and is costing them games, says Andrew Capel.
Andrew Capel’s Numbers Crunch
THEY are the barometers — the players that your club needs to play well to win. See which players Andrew Capel discovered must be running hot for your club to fire.
Why Clurey is backing himself to hold his spot
DEFENDER Tom Clurey, who played just one game in three seasons before replacing injured Jackson Trengove in the team against Melbourne last week, has turned his back on more dollars to re-sign with the Power.
Loud praise for a quiet hero
A QUIET, softly-spoken lad from Roxby Downs has Power fans — and his teammates — loudly singing his praises. Andrew Capel charts the startling progress of defender Jack Hombsch.
Fyfe – the big one that got away
THE Power and Demons should be filthy. Between them, they had seven chances to grab Nat Fyfe at the 2009 draft but missed him. He’s shown them the error of their ways, says Andrew Capel.
Kane able to stand among the greats
THE numbers don’t lie. A statistical analysis of Kane Cornes’s 299-game career — with one more typically big effort to come — reveals just how good he has been for Port Adelaide, reports Andrew Capel.
Why Eddie Betts is worth his weight in gold
EDDIE Betts has been worth his weight in gold since moving to Adelaide from Carlton. Andrew Capel reports how a Phil Walsh decision to give him more time in the midfield has proven a masterstroke.
Carlton rings changes — dials wrong number
WHEN former AFL powerhouse Carlton won the Chris Judd sweepstakes before the start of the 2007 season it was supposed to ignite an exciting new era for the Blues.
Port Adelaide season review
PORT Adelaide was one kick from a Grand Final, see how Andrew Capel reviewed the Power’s season and his 2014 player ratings.
The Insider: Billionaires v Cherry Pickers
IT has been billed as the Bondi Billionaires versus Clarko’s Cherry Pickers. Andrew Capel looks at how the Grand Final teams were built.
Port Adelaide — the AFL’s Power finishers
BRAD Ebert is not sure whether it’s physical or mental, but he’s sure of one thing — Power can overrun any rival in the last quarter.
The Freo funnel — Dockers are the corridor kings
THEY are renowned for their defensive prowess but when the Dockers attack they do it with a killer mentality and impressive strike rate.
Power leader’s a proven big game hunter
WHEN it comes to playing well in big games, Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak stands head and shoulders above his teammates.
Insider: Trengove is Port’s barometer
NO Trengove, no Port Adelaide. Sounds dramatic but the statistics point to just that. He has proved to be a winner in the Ken Hinkley era.
Close encounters of the worst kind
COME September all that matters in wins and losses but the Crows and Power are being hurt by an inability to snatch the close ones.
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