Adelaide coach Don Pyke says winning against the Eagles on Sunday is key for AFL finals mojo
How a win against the Eagles in Perth on Sunday could provide spark for Adelaide’s 2017 finals campaign.
ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke believes scuttling West Coast’s season in Perth is essential to creating finals mojo despite his team being certain of a top-two minor round finish.
Adelaide will return home with the McClelland Trophy on Sunday by avoiding successive defeats in Perth. It’s the manner in which Adelaide sets about dismantling an emotion-charged Eagles line-up in the last match at Subiaco that interests Pyke.
“Our focus this week is to play a brand of footy we want to take into finals and the result becomes important because winning is important. Winning footy gives us confidence into finals,” said Pyke whose men lost a thriller to Sydney last Friday night at Adelaide Oval.
Brownlow Medallists Matt Priddis and Sam Mitchell will sign off unless ninth-placed West Coast upsets Adelaide and Fremantle conquers eighth-ranked Essendon at Etihad Stadium.
“This week is an ideal opportunity against an opposition that has a lot to play for,” notes Pyke.
Adelaide can’t slip below second but Pyke concedes his men must address lax first quarter starts underlined by Sydney’s four-goal jump last Friday in a three-point loss.
Adelaide booted 11.14 against Sydney including 6.9 in the second half - punished for not hitting the scoreboard when dominating the Swans.
‘That was a credit to Sydney who came out really strong and we were a bit under,” said Pyke. “It is a great test to rebound and start well in the road. In big games of footy you can’t afford to give a four goal lead.”
Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs is pursuing All Australian selection and should give Matt and Brad Crouch an edge in a quest for the 60 touches needed to amass the most disposals by brothers in a season.
West Coast has Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett sidelined leaving Nathan Vardy and Drew Petrie to confront Jacobs.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson notes Adelaide has “improved 10 per cent across all areas” in the 12 months since his men inflicted a damaging, round 23 win at Adelaide Oval. Adelaide’s engine room has been the catalyst for its rise to flag favouritism.
“Matt has had a fantastic season, been consistent, taken his game to another level,” said Pyke of the younger Crouch sibling.
“Richard Douglas has added another dimension. They are a really committed group and probably thought they were being marked hard at the start of the season and have changed perceptions.”
Pyke says key defender Daniel Talia won’t be risked against West Coast as Kyle Hartigan pushes for his first game in two months in Perth on Sunday.
Talia trained lightly on Thursday morning at West Lakes but the defensive linchpin will have to improve considerably today to recover from an ankle rolled against Sydney. Skipper Taylor Walker (toe) also got through training.
“It is a minor ankle strain, it is just how it settles down and if it restricts him. If he is not right we won’t risk him,” said Pyke of stalwart Talia.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON
1. Matt and Brad Crouch, below, have come of age for the Crows this season and should leave Subiaco Oval on Sunday with a record to prove it.
Sharing 60 touches will secure the record for most combined total disposals for brothers in a home and away season, breaking Port Adelaide’s Chad and Kane Cornes’ 2007 tally of 1174.
The Ballarat boys should be up to the challenge having amassed 60 touches against Sydney in Adelaide last Friday night.
2 Matt Priddis and Sam Mitchell will bow out of football with a loss, so the Eagles have every incentive to win at Subiaco’s last game and give the Brownlow Medallists a finals’ send off.
Can the Eagles veterans go with the No.1 contested side this season?
3 Adelaide’s won just nine of 21 first quarters this season and it proved costly against Sydney last Friday night, conceding four goals in a three-point loss.
Getting jumped in finals costs games as Adelaide found out in a semi-final exit to the Swans last September. Skipper Taylor Walker says first quarters are something Adelaide “has to get right” and his Crows have one more chance to do it before finals.
4 Jeremy McGovern this year noted his desire to play AFL with brother Mitch but could end up standing his younger sibling at Subiaco.
Mitch McGovern has been strongly linked with a 2018 return to Perth which should make for an interesting homecoming on Sunday against the Eagles.
5 Rookie defender Alex Keath was given mission impossible against Sydney’s Lance Franklin before Daniel Talia was moved onto the champion last week.
Keath will want to prove he can be a finals performer for Don Pyke and gets another chance against an attack comprising Coleman Medal favourite Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling.
THE QUOTE
In big games, particularly finals, you’ve got to be able to maximise your opportunities so it’s something we’ll heavily focus on.
- DAVID MACKAY
MEDICAL ROOM
ADELAIDE
Cam Ellis-Yolmen knee season
Elliott Himmelberg foot season
Jordan Gallucci fractured cheekbone season
WEST COAST
Matthew Allen foot season
Sam Butler hamstring season
cott Lycett shoulder season
Nic Naitanui knee late 2017 season
Simon Tunbridge hamstring season
Daniel Venables toe season
WHO’S HOT
Rory Sloane - Adelaide
Club champion Sloane earned 140 SuperCoach points against Sydney at Adelaide in the penultimate round. Sloane’s SuperCoach season average is 109 points.
WHO’S NOT
Andrew Gaff - West Coast
Midfielder Gaff had 42 SuperCoach points against Greater Western Sydney in round 22 at Spotless Stadium. Gaff’s SuperCoach season average 92 points.
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