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AFL FINALS WEEK 2<\/p>\n
ADELAIDE v HAWTHORN<\/p>\n
Friday September 12, 7.40pm at Adelaide Oval<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6.30pm on Channel 504, with Garry Lyon, Jonathan Brown, Nathan Buckley, Jordan Lewis, Anthony Hudson, Gerard Whateley, Jason Dunstall, Mark Ricciuto, Eddie Betts and Jon Ralph.<\/p>\n
Crows\u2019 burning question: Who stops Jai Newcombe?<\/p>\n
The biggest obstacle standing in Adelaide\u2019s way of a preliminary final is Hawk Jai Newcombe, according to Fox Footy\u2019s experts. Saints great Nick Dal Santo believes the Hawks mid is \u201cbuilt for September\u201d while two-time premiership winner David King says it will be up to the Crows to make a big sacrifice \u2013 send in skipper Jordan Dawson. \u201cThis guy needs to take responsibility for Jai Newcombe who is the one guy from the Hawks who can separate this game,\u201d he said on First Crack Preview. \u201cNewcombe last time ripped them to shreds. He had a field day \u2026 this is the guy you\u2019ve got to worry about.<\/p>\n
They just can\u2019t cope with his size and his ability to shrug tackle and step through. If this happens again and they match up with (Jake) Soligo or (Sam) Berry \u2026 good night nurse! He knows that he\u2019s got those guys covered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crows confirm Rachele for finals debut | 01:56<\/p>\n
King said Dawson needed to sacrifice his own game to shut down Newcombe. \u201cThey\u2019ve got to say \u2018Hey captain, this is your time. This is your ball\u2019,\u201d King said. \u201cAs soon as Dawson went to Newcombe, he couldn\u2019t handle his size and his physicality. Dawson has a way of moving him, twisting him, pushing him into the contest and then having some fun \u2026 Don\u2019t get beaten by what you know. I\u2019m saying to the captain, \u2018it\u2019s time to put your hand up and say give me Newcombe. I\u2019ll take him, you guys worry about the rest and get the job done\u2019. All roads lead to Newcombe in this midfield.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hawks\u2019 burning question: Can Hawthorn cash in on the Crows slow game?<\/p>\n
In last week\u2019s qualifying final, Adelaide went long down the line nine times \u2013 and while none of them resulted in a score, they were then next to score just 22 per cent of the time. And that stat should be music to Hawthorn\u2019s ears. \u201cAdelaide \u2026 they are not scoring from their back half. This is a part of that,\u201d two-time premiership Roo David King said of the stat. \u201cThey\u2019ve got the talls, but they don\u2019t really seem to have the speed at ground level or the hardness last weekend to cope. That\u2019s a serious gap in the game right there.\u201d The Hawks meantime, went long five times with an 80% success rate as next to score. \u201cIf they go at something close to that \u2026 they win,\u201d King said. <\/p>\n
Ginnivan swarmed in return to Adelaide | 01:30<\/p>\n
One player Saints great Nick Dal Santo says to watch is Hawk Jack Ginnivan. The former Magpie was a central focus when the Hawks touched down at Adelaide Airport, and he\u2019ll be a focus on the field on Friday night. \u201cI think we\u2019re starting to see that more (his footy IQ),\u201d Dal Santo said on AFL Tonight. \u201cHe got dropped earlier this year \u2026 let\u2019s not forget that. We saw what he did at Collingwood \u2013 I think we all secretly like him, but he agitates us because he carries on, and he gets on the nerves of the opposition. But that\u2019s what football is \u2013 we\u2019re in the entertainment industry. The theatre is there, the provoking of the opposition, the antics after a goal. But what we\u2019ve seen is his maturity on the back half of the year. He is working it looks harder than he ever has before. Ball in hand, he\u2019s creative. He makes really good decisions as well. He\u2019s been a big improver this year for their front half.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell coy over Merrett meeting | 00:56<\/p>\n
BRISBANE v GOLD COAST<\/p>\n
Saturday September 13, 7.35pm at the Gabba<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6.30pm on Channel 504, with Sarah Jones, Jason Dunstall, Leigh Matthews, Jonathan Brown, Dwayne Russell, Mark Howard, David King, Alastair Lynch and Jon Ralph.<\/p>\n
Lions\u2019 burning question: How do they replace Lachie Neale (and still stop Rowell and Anderson)?<\/p>\n
He\u2019s Brisbane\u2019s two-time Brownlow Medallist who is going to leave a glaring absence in their midfield, so how do the Lions cover the loss of injured star Lachie Neale? \u201cHe is quite possibly the best inside midfielder. He\u2019s not the Patrick Cripps size, but he\u2019s tough, he\u2019s inside, he\u2019s got creative hands,\u201d Saints great Nick Dal Santo said. \u201cI think they\u2019ll have to make a positional change to fill his role with multiple people \u2013 I don\u2019t think one person can do it. Maybe it\u2019s a move from a half forward \u2013 maybe it\u2019s Cam Rayner has to play a little bit more midfield.\u201d Fox Footy\u2019s David King said Chris Fagan would be \u201crobbing Peter to pay Paul\u201d in a move to cover the absence of Neale. \u201cThe question for Chris Fagan, does he put more of a (Zac) Bailey who has been in there in recent weeks or a Rayner? Or does he go the other way and maybe go with some defensive bodies \u2013 does Jarrod Berry go in and tag? Do they try and clamp down on the boys that are running riot for the Gold Coast Suns,\u201d Leigh Montagna added. <\/p>\n
‘Pure footy’: Lions vs Suns #1 Defence | 02:57<\/p>\n
Not only will the Lions have to make a sacrifice to cover the loss of Neale, but King has urged Brisbane to make another sacrifice \u2013 this time a wingman to cover the dynamic ability of Suns duo Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson. \u201cIf he finishes with 10+ this week (score involvements), they win,\u201d King said of Anderson. \u201cAll their damage is at stoppage. I think they\u2019ve (Brisbane) got to sacrifice a wingman \u2013 for me, that\u2019s Darcy Wilmot. The Ashcroft boys can\u2019t defend for their lives \u2026 I think you\u2019ve got to dedicate a spy role. Dedicate a wing and just have him waiting if it\u2019s Rowell or Anderson stepping forward. If those two light up, this is over. As soon as you hear the words, we\u2019re going to trust our system \u2013 get nervous! Because it means Rowell and Anderson are going to have a field day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lions vow to take out finals Q clash | 01:13<\/p>\n
Suns\u2019 burning question: Can Sam Collins\u2019 red-hot form roll on?<\/p>\n
We know all the praise has been directed at Gold Coast\u2019s midfield \u2026 but there\u2019s one player standing so tall in the back half of their season that he\u2019s risen to the best ranked in the competition \u2013 and that\u2019s defender Sam Collins. \u201cWe know premierships are won off the back of your defence,\u201d Leigh Montagna said on First Crack Preview. \u201cAt the right time late in the season, this defence is starting to really stand up and stack up with the very best in the competition. Their numbers are as good as any team. They are not allowing the opposition to mark the ball inside the defensive 50, they are not allowing the opposition to win ground ball which is making it really hard for teams to score. There\u2019s one man that is the pillar to all this and that is Sam Collins. He is in as good a form as any key defender in the competition, particularly over the last eight to nine weeks. He is now the number one rated key defender in the competition over the course of the whole season. When you take a look at his numbers, he probably still goes under the radar. He\u2019s second in the comp for intercept possessions \u2013 only Sam Taylor slightly above. Intercept marks again second in the competition to Sam Taylor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suns knows exactly what Lions will bring | 00:57<\/p>\n
Montagna said the Lions would need a plan to combat the Collins brick wall the Suns have put up. \u201cIt\u2019s just going to be interesting for the Brisbane Lions if they can work around Sam Collins. We know everyone talks about going to work around (Lion) Harris Andrews, I think Brisbane have to find a way to work around Sam Collins. A lot is going to fall on his shoulders (Logan Morris) but if he gets the Sam Collins match up, it\u2019s going to be tough for a young man to shoulder the load in the forward line.\u201d Stats show since Round 20, the Suns are ranked best in the AFL for opposition marks inside 50 and third for both points against and opposition scores per inside 50.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Adelaide will be desperate to avoid a straight sets finals exit when they take on Hawthorn on Thursday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136446,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[80719,19057,64,63,689,3237,19079,3244,93966,14385,1818,35345,44818,93960,38382,17344,93967,1127,10145,61,2485,9130,93961,93964,93969,42723,42251,7492,12188,54621,12149,681,19052,3514,19080,12098,45746,3523,25875,39203,3465,36862,19096,31708,12157,13152,93958,25844,677,45745,93965,1911,701,93968,12936,19093,1820,93959,85,93957,76104,93963,93970,93971,5338,42718,93962,25581],"class_list":{"0":"post-136445","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-adelaide-airport","9":"tag-alastair-lynch","10":"tag-au","11":"tag-australia","12":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","13":"tag-brisbane-lions","14":"tag-burning-question","15":"tag-chris-fagan","16":"tag-clubs-burning-questions","17":"tag-damien-hardwick","18":"tag-david-king","19":"tag-eddie-betts","20":"tag-entertainment-industry","21":"tag-field-day","22":"tag-finals-game","23":"tag-finals-win","24":"tag-flag-defence","25":"tag-fox-footy","26":"tag-garry-lyon","27":"tag-gerard-whateley","28":"tag-gold-coast","29":"tag-gold-coast-suns","30":"tag-ground-ball","31":"tag-guys-worry","32":"tag-hawk-jack-ginnivan","33":"tag-hawk-jai-newcombe","34":"tag-hawks-coach","35":"tag-hawthorn-hawks","36":"tag-intercept-marks","37":"tag-jarrod-berry","38":"tag-jason-dunstall","39":"tag-jon-ralph","40":"tag-jonathan-brown","41":"tag-jordan-dawson","42":"tag-jordan-lewis","43":"tag-josh-dunkley","44":"tag-josh-rachele","45":"tag-key-defender","46":"tag-lachie-neale","47":"tag-leigh-matthews","48":"tag-leigh-montagna","49":"tag-logan-morris","50":"tag-mark-howard","51":"tag-mark-ricciuto","52":"tag-matt-rowell","53":"tag-nick-dal-santo","54":"tag-night-nurse","55":"tag-noah-anderson","56":"tag-oceania","57":"tag-opposition-marks","58":"tag-opposition-scores","59":"tag-paul","60":"tag-queensland","61":"tag-red-hot-form-roll","62":"tag-sam-mitchell","63":"tag-sarah-jones","64":"tag-score-involvements","65":"tag-sets-finals-exit","66":"tag-sports","67":"tag-spy-role","68":"tag-straight-sets","69":"tag-straight-sets-exit","70":"tag-straight-sets-finals","71":"tag-success-rate","72":"tag-the-gabba","73":"tag-two-time-premiership","74":"tag-two-time-premiership-winner","75":"tag-zach-merrett"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}