High-octane Adelaide is more than just a scoring machine, writes Andrew Capel

IT is lauded for being an offensive juggernaut but premiership favourite Adelaide is not a one-trick pony, says Andrew Capel in his Number Crunch column.

BRINGING THE HEAT: Charlie Cameron is one of Adelaide’s key pressure players. Picture: Scott Barbour (AFL Media/Getty Images).

IT is lauded for being an offensive juggernaut but premiership favourite Adelaide is not a one-trick pony.

While much of the pre-grand final talk has revolved around opponent Richmond’s ability to bring the heat, particularly in attack, and force the opposition into critical turnovers, the Crows’ pressure is an unheralded strength.

Champion Data has surprisingly revealed Adelaide is, in fact, a better pressure team than the Tigers.

And that should stand it in good stead in the heat of battle at the MCG tomorrow.

As exciting as they are to watch with their hard running and exquisite quick ball movement, the Crows’ overall pressure is higher than Damien Hardwick’s blue-collar Richmond team.

Minor premier Adelaide ranks third in overall pressure factor, with 185 points a game.

The Tigers are fourth at 184.4.

Champion Data awards points for the key pressure acts, including physical pressure, corralling and chasing.

When it comes to forward half pressure – said to be Richmond's main strength – the Crows also rank higher.

Their 178.5 average pressure points also ranks third in the competition, with the Tigers again fourth with 178.3.

Pocket rocket Eddie Betts and speedster Charlie Cameron, who bagged a career-best five goals in the 61-point preliminary final demolition of Geelong, are Adelaide’s chief forward line destroyers when it comes to mowing down the opposition.

They average 28.6 and 26.1 forward half pressure points while the brilliant Daniel Rioli, who kicked a career-high four goals in Richmond’s 36-point preliminary final win against Greater Western Sydney, is the pick of the pressure forwards, averaging 32.1 points when the ball’s in his side’s attacking half.

The Crows bring more heat than Richmond at stoppages (ranked fifth to the Tigers’ 18th on the back of standout midfielder Rory Sloane) but the pressure factor in general play is slightly in Richmond’s favour (first to third).

“Our forward line gets talked about a lot but we base our game on pressure and everyone playing their role,’’ said Adelaide defender David Mackay, saying his team learned a lot from last year’s six-goal semi-final exit to Sydney.

“Last year's loss to the Swans gave us a really good blueprint of what we had to get better at, in particular overall pressure and contested ball, if we wanted to take the next step.

“We’ve done that this year and it’s something we have prided ourselves on. We understand they (the Tigers) will bring a lot of pressure too but that’s a key element of our game as well.’’

Richmond’s finals wins against the Cats and Giants were built on pressure.

They are the number-one ranked defensive side in the competition, conceding an average of just 74.6 points.

And their mosquito-fleet attack, with five smalls headlined by Rioli and only one tall (full forward Jack Riewoldt), is the best in the game when it comes to forcing turnovers in attack, which has been crucial to its two finals wins.

Adelaide coach Don Pyke has pinpointed the Tigers’ pressure, particularly that of its small forward line, as a major hurdle in the chase for the club’s third premiership.

Number Crunch GF Pressure Sep 29

“I think their pressure is their No. 1 component,” Pyke said.

“They really base their game around their pressure around the ball. So we can certainly expect a high pressure game.”

If Adelaide can bring the heat and win its share of the contests it should claim its third premiership.

It is easily the top-ranked scoring side in the competition, averaging 109.8 points – 12.2 points more than next-ranked Port Adelaide and 18.7 points more than Richmond.

And it sits first in points from turnovers (72.1) because of its ability to run the ball at breakneck speed and use the ball with precision.

Remarkably, 18 of the Crows’ 21 goals in their preliminary final demolition of Geelong were scored from turnovers.

Richmond will likely have to hold Adelaide to less than 100 points to break its 37-year premiership drought.

The Crows, who have had seven players kick 20 or more goals, are undefeated in the 15 games the have scored 100 or more points this year, drawing with Collingwood in round 19.

But they have won just three of nine games when they have been held to less than triple figures.
[e-mail]