Number Crunch: Stopping Rory Laird and Brodie Smith has been a key to Geelong’s AFL success against the Adelaide Crows
SHUTTING down defensive playmakers Rory Laird and Brodie Smith has been paramount to Geelong’s success in curtailing the Adelaide Crows, writes Andrew Capel
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STOP the supply, stop the Crows.
It sounds simple in theory but one of the keys to Geelong’s stunning success against top-of-the-table Adelaide has been revealed – shutting down defensive playmakers Rory Laird and Brodie Smith.
The numbers are compelling. While the Cats have won their past five encounters against the Crows – four of them have been at Kardinia Park – the most relative statistic is how they have disarmed them in the Don Pyke coaching era.
Geelong is the only side Pyke has yet to beat as Adelaide coach in the past two seasons. He has an outstanding 29-8 win-loss record against the other 16 clubs but a dismal 0-3 record against the Cats.
And much of it has to do with Geelong premiership coach Chris Scott’s ability to produce a game plan that closes down the Crows’ run-and-gun backmen.
The dynamic half-back pairing of Laird and Smith, who set up Adelaide’s rapid-fire game style with their ability to win the ball and then either run with it or set up waves of attacks, is nowhere near as effective against the Cats as it is against other teams.
Laird and Smith’s disposal and SuperCoach numbers drop dramatically against Geelong. In Pyke’s reign as coach, intercept king Laird is averaging 38 ranking points, nine disposals and 51 metres gained fewer than he does against the other clubs.
And long-kicking Smith’s output also nosedives.
He has averaged 25 ranking points, nine disposals and a whopping 157 metres gained less against the Cats.
Geelong's ability to strangle them and stop them opening up the corridor by putting numbers there has had a massive domino effect on the Crows and their usually clean and crisp ball movement.
Adelaide’s transition from defensive 50 to inside 50 slumps from an average of 23.7 per cent against the other 16 clubs to just 16.7 per cent against the Cats.
Its points scored from the defensive 50 falls from 21.4 to seven and overall points from defensive half from 47.6 to 20.3, illustrating how curtailing the classy backmen makes a difference.
Overall, the Crows average just 67 points for against Geelong compared to 116.8 against the rest.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has labelled tonight’s one-versus-two blockbuster at Adelaide Oval as “judgment night’’ for Adelaide because of its constant failures against the Cats.
“They cannot lose to Geelong again,” he said, adding the psychological toll could be even greater than losing the four premiership points.
The Cats have taken a team approach to stopping Laird and Smith, beating them with sheer weight of numbers.
In the past three meetings between the teams, Laird’s primary opponents have been Lincoln McCarthy, Daniel Motlop and Nakia Cockatoo but there hasn’t been an out-and-out tag.
Smith has been matched up by a combination of Daniel Menzel, Cockatoo and Sam Menegola.
Crows coach Don Pyke, who believes his team has learned from its last loss to Geelong in round 11, said Laird and Smith's struggles against the Cats have been “a reflection on the game more than on Smith and Laird’’.
“We train. We adjust. And there are some key components in our game that we need to continue to do better that we have not done well enough against Geelong in the past. We get this great chance (tonight),” he said.
“There are some things we can do differently. And there are some things we need to adapt to what they do that has caused us problems in the past.
“That is part of the evolution. You don’t walk here going there is a plan that is going to work against every team. And then it is about execution as well.
“Some of those things are within our control. We need to be able to adjust against the better teams.’’
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