Adelaide v Essendon: Brodie Smith says loss to Bombers the worst he’s felt since falling short in 2017 GF

The emotion on Brodie Smith’s face was clear when the final siren sounded on Sunday. The star Crow says the Essendon defeat was the most devastating since his team lost the AFL grand final nearly three years ago.

Reece Homfray and Liz Walsh

8 min read

July 27, 2020 - 2:54PM

Crows

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Adelaide midfielder Brodie Smith said some players at the Crows have not been this shattered since the 2017 grand final after falling three-points short of their first win of the year against Essendon on Sunday.

The Crows have now lost 11 games in a row and all eight under new coach Matthew Nicks this year and Smith said kicking 1.6 in the final quarter on the weekend was devastating.

“We really wanted to win, we’ve been so close and to be right in the fight and to win that game not just for us but for the young boys who played, Nicksy, the coaches, we just wanted to win so bad,” Smith told The Lowdown Podcast.

“We’re definitely sick of losing, there’s no hiding from that and yesterday it really hit us hard.

“I had some extra emotion after the game because I had that last kick, but I know speaking to a couple of other boys they were saying that’s as sad as they’ve felt after a game of footy for a long, long time.”

Asked whether that was since the 2017 grand final he said, although he didn’t play that day, “yes”.

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Paul Seedsman, Brodie Smith and Shane McAdam lead the Crows off the field after the Essendon loss. Picture: Sarah Reed

“I guess the frustration is we’re getting there and we’ve put a lot of work in to improve, we know we came back (from the COVID break) way off the mark and got better but it’s time to win games of footy,” he said.

“The last two weeks we believe we were right in the game and been the better side we feel, and on the weekend we lose by a couple of points after kicking 1.6 in the last quarter and having all those inside 50s.

“To fall so close really, really hurt, but now as a senior player and leaders it’s up to us to make sure this doesn’t break the boys and we stay positive.”

Smith took the loss extra hard after he had a flying shot on goal to win the game but sprayed it wide.

“It was a really good last quarter, we just couldn’t put a score on the board,” he said.

“I was running on the outside screaming for a handball, and Tex got it and fired a handball out, unfortunately it just bounced to the left of me and I didn’t know who was chasing me, and it was the quickest bloke on the ground in Adam Saad.

Daniel Talia consoles Smith after Sunday’s loss. Picture: Sarah Reed

“So I went to snap it around my body he got a touch on me and I bellied the ball out on the full, it was pretty shattering for the siren to go 20 seconds later and realise I had one of the last kicks of the game and if that goes through we win.”

With Rory Sloane still out with a hand injury and stand-in skipper Tom Doedee injuring his hamstring on Sunday, Smith could be the next man up to captain the Crows against North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.

The 28-year-old was elevated to Adelaide’s leadership group this season and said he would embrace any opportunity to captain the club if required.

“It’s something we’ll discuss during the week, but as I’ve said I would have loved to have got it when Sloaney went down so there’s no doubt I’ll be putting my hand up to take the role if that’s the case,” he said.

“Tommy Lynch and Matty Crouch would be just as excited and want to do it as much as I do, so it will be a chat we’ll have in the leadership group but I won’t be hiding away from the fact that I’d love to do it.”

CROWS’ WOES CONTINUE IN ADELAIDE

It might have been scrappy, but a win’s a win and in a compressed season like this one, Essendon coach John Worsfold won’t hide from just how crucial Sunday’s three-point win over Adelaide was to his side’s overall season.

The Bombers now sit inside the eight with a game in hand.

Essendon was 19 points up during the third term, but Adelaide fought back to have a kick at goal to win the game in the dying seconds of the match, but missed.

“In this environment, on the road, we come down and we just want to perform as well as we can, and win, and now we get home and prepare for our next game,” Worsfold said.

“To Adelaide’s credit they really took the game up to us in the second half.

“We didn’t feel we had the game in control, but we dominated ball position in that first half … they evened that part of the game up and kept the game really tight all the way through.”

Worsfold was pleased with the depth of his team that has coped with an injury list that runs 10-deep, but is looking forward to getting Dylan Shiel back from suspension for Friday night’s clash with Brisbane.

Essendon’s Jacob Townsend marks in front of Adelaide’s Luke Brown. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

He said James Stewart, Tom Cutler and Sam Draper were also pushing for selection.

“I’ve been really pleased with having players be able to come in and help us win,” Worsfold said.

“That’s a credit to the group.

“We’ll slowly get some players back over the next three of four weeks which will strengthen our overall position, but we’re confident in the guys that are out there for us.”

He said his relatively young side would grow in confidence and improve its decision-making skills on the back of the win over the Crows.

“We’re seeing a lot of good stuff in the way we want to move the ball,” Worsfold said.

“Your training program is way different than it’s ever been, so in terms of trying to move the ball down the ground under real pressure and you’ve only got nine players in a group, it’s very unrealistic, you’re not getting a good look at your pressure transition.

“So when you do practice your ball movement, it’s generally under no physical pressure, which can mean players certainly aren’t used to doing it under the heat that they would be, come game day.”

Brad Crouch holds his injured hamstring at three-quarter-time of the Crows’ clash with Essendon. Picture: Sarah Reed

CROWS THEIR OWN WORST ENEMY: NICKS

They are the words no player wants to hear: “We’re our own worst enemy at the moment”, but that’s – once again – Crows’ coach Matthew Nicks’ assessment of his winless side.

“Unfortunately, (the loss) is a painful one for all of us and we missed opportunities,” Nicks said.

“And we missed them through the first half … we’re moving the ball forward and we’ve got a two-on-one inside 50 and we find the opposition defender with a kick.

“I think our stats look OK disposal efficiency wise (74.4 per cent), but there were critical moments when we didn’t score.”

Brodie Smith – who missed his kick towards goal in the dying seconds of the game – was visibly devastated after the Crows’ spirited three-point loss to Essendon, but Nicks had nothing but praise for his midfielder.

“He wasn’t the only one (who was upset),” Nicks said.

Matthew Nicks is still yet to register his first win as Adelaide’s coach. Picture: Sarah Reed

“You feel gutted after losses like that where you had a real opportunity to win it, so for Brodie, he gave everything in that game and … he’s now had three solid weeks in a row where he’s played some great footy, so the emotion’s a good thing.

“I’m frustrated for our group, because I know the work they’re doing and I feel for our players and our staff … for some our guys, as you saw with Smithers (Smith), it’s an emotional time, it’s incredible what one kick can do at the end of a game for one side and the other.

“Personally, I’m hurting as well.”

Nicks said his side – winless at 0-8 and on the bottom of the ladder – would get back to work, concentrating on improving connection between the midfielders and forwards.

“That’s an obvious area that stands out,” he said.

With both Brad Crouch and Tom Doedee suffering hamstring injuries in the loss, Bryce Gibbs could fight his way back into the side, with Nicks saying Gibbs played a scratch match against Port Adelaide on Saturday and was among the Crows’ best.

HOW THE MATCH PLAYED OUT

ESSENDON INJURIES

With 10 players sitting on their injury list, including Dylan Shiel (suspension), Cale Hooker (calf), and Dyson Heppell (ankle), this was an undermanned Bombers’ side.

But there were still plenty of big names running around: midfielder Zach Merrett dominated and had 33 disposals and six clearances and was best on ground.

Working alongside him was Andrew McGrath, whose two first-half centre clearances were more than the entire Crows side put together.

Adam Saad was the best of the defenders, while forward Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti shook off his one-touch first quarter, finishing with 13 touches and two goals.

This was a significant win for the Bombers who are now 5-2 (with a game in hand).

Essendon’s Andrew McGrath competes with Adelaide’s Brodie Smith. Picture: Sarah Reed

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

It was the bump that set the intent for the Crows early: only two minutes into the game, the running Tom Doedee gave Essendon’s Will Snelling a savage “Welcome back to Adelaide” bump that left the former South Australian winded on the bench. It was tough, hard footy.

Doedee, who’s stepped into injured Rory Sloane captaincy, stood tall down back as usual until his day was over in the third term, when he came off the ground needing ice on his hamstring. It’s devastating not only for Adelaide, but for the 23-year-old who was shining in the captain’s role.

Snelling meanwhile fought his way back into the game and finished with 19 disposals and laid 10 tackles.

The sound from the crowd says it all ðŸ’¥@MonsterEnergy | #AFLCrowsDons pic.twitter.com/XjAEY5OoTE
— AFL (@AFL) July 26, 2020

CLEARANCE CONCERNS

Crows coach Matthew Nicks laid down a challenge to his inside-mids this week, imploring them to change their mindset at centre bounces and improve their centre clearances.

The Crows lost centre clearances 7-14 against St Kilda and 4-13 against West Coast and it’s no surprise that going into this round, Adelaide was also ranked worst in the league for clearances per game.

By halftime, the Crows were severely down in the centre clearances (1-7), but their third quarter effort saw them fight back (5-9).

The Crows lost clearances overall 29-37 and centre clearances 6-11.