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\u2018HAVE THEY MISSED A TRICK?\u2019 BIG WATCH ON CROWS<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a big watch on one part of Adelaide\u2019s game that could see it slip behind other contenders. <\/p>\n
While utilising handball has become a popular new trend in the AFL this season to create more free-flowing play and scoring opportunities, the Crows are still going in the other direction. <\/p>\n
Matthew Nicks\u2019 side is ranked just No. 16 in the AFL in handballs, including No. 12 in handball metres gained. <\/p>\n
The numbers reflect that when they did use handballs more, it worked for them. <\/p>\n
The Crows had 93 handballs in their midfield in their only win for the season so far against Collingwood, but have had just 63 and 80 in losses to Western Bulldogs and Geelong, respectively.<\/p>\n
Despite being elite defensively, Adelaide\u2019s ball movement was already an issue last year and proved part of its undoing in a straight-sets finals exit. <\/p>\n
And Kangaroos legend David King fears their kicking game has become obsolete and will hinder their offence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the coach, and I like what they\u2019ve done over the last couple of years. (But) the game is saying if you haven\u2019t got the capability to take metres by hand with handball chains, you\u2019re in a bit of trouble,\u201d King said on Fox Footy\u2019s The First Crack.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s incredibly difficult to kick through teams now. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if you can\u2019t score, you\u2019re going to have to win it defensively, which bucks the trend.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I look at the handball metres gained, and I think it\u2019s going to be one of the major statistical indicators this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wonder, are they an outlier? Or have they missed a trick? Are they playing a model that\u2019s now defunct?\u201d<\/p>\n
A series of clips from The First Crack showed the Crows repeatedly ignore handball opportunities against Geelong that could\u2019ve opened up play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Geelong had a loose man behind the ball, but then you went slow and you\u2019ve still got to go through that same phase anyway,\u201d King added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no randomness, there\u2019s no freak play with that sort of thing. <\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you have to go long and down the line, you\u2019re in real strife.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think they\u2019re lacking a bit of dare and playing a bit safe. And I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a safe option to 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes despite Adelaide having one of the most potent forward lines in the competition, led by Riley Thilthorpe, Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty. <\/p>\n
So, does King think Nicks will make an adjustment?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a philosophical shift for the coach, so maybe they won\u2019t, and maybe they\u2019ll just try and get better at what they\u2019re doing,\u201d King continued. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got the talls down there, but they\u2019re getting average supply.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s Josh Rachele or Izak Rankine in the middle, or bust … without random, I think it\u2019s really hard to score heavily.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s wait and see if they make a change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crows welcome back BIG trio | 02:56<\/p>\n
MAX KING IS STILL SAINTS\u2019 MOST IMPORTANT RECRUIT<\/p>\n
Lucrative recruits aside, Max King\u2019s long-awaited return will decide how far the Saints go this year and in ensuing seasons. <\/p>\n
Tom De Koning, Sam Flanders, Jack Silvagni and Liam Ryan all fill respective holes, but St Kilda\u2019s glaring void remains a King-sized focal point in the forward half. <\/p>\n
In last Saturday\u2019s loss to Brisbane, second-year utility Alix Tauru was thrust into prominence as the focal point, with smalls Jack Higgins and Liam Ryan also forced to present as marking options, while Cooper Sharman and Mitch Owens continue to feign roles as spearheads. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, there\u2019s one thing missing. Out of all the recruits they\u2019ve got at the moment, their best recruit is still in the stands \u2014 and that is the return of Max King, and what he can offer,\u201d club great Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy\u2019s First Crack. <\/p>\n
\u201cA fit Max King at his best and what he would do to this side, because they are getting looks \u2014 they\u2019re averaging eight more inside-50s per game than they did last year, but still not converting. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019ve got an issue where they need a focal point. They need the one guy that most teams have that you can kick to and rely on.\u201d<\/p>\n
St Kilda currently ranks seventh in the competition for inside-50s, but they sit 12th for scores-per-inside-50 and 15th for goals-per-inside-50. <\/p>\n
In short, whether it be due to lesser-quality entries or the lack of genuine marking targets \u2014 or a combination of both \u2014 scoring has been hard work for Ross Lyon\u2019s side, which is now 1-3 on the season. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, they\u2019ve got a lot of no.2 and no.3 key forwards, like Mitch Owens and Cooper Sharman. They\u2019ve tried Tauru,\u201d Montagna continued. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf this is Max King coming out of the goalsquare, you\u2019re just kicking it to him and trusting your big man \u2014 like Gold Coast with Ben King and Jack Gunston at Hawthorn. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the return of Max King will determine how far this team can go this year, and over the next couple of seasons, because they\u2019re lacking that player they can kick to, and a lot of their goals are hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old King, who\u2019s managed to play a combined 23 games over the past three seasons amid plaguing injuries, remains without an official timeline for return from his current knee issue. <\/p>\n
Higgins and Owens currently have seven majors apiece to lead the Saints\u2019 goalkicking thus far this year, after Higgins claimed the honours in the past three years \u2014 continuing to punch above his weight. <\/p>\n
‘Get him off!’ Gaz on Butts brain injury | 03:10<\/p>\n
\u2018HISTORY REPEATING\u2019: BLUES NEED TO BREAK RECRUITING CYCLE<\/p>\n
Amid a scrutiny-filled start to the year, Carlton\u2019s recruiting remains a contentious topic, as discussion continues over whether the club\u2019s offseason additions \u201cmove the needle\u201d in what\u2019s a transformative period for the list. <\/p>\n
And a lack of A-graders within their recent recruiting history remains worrisome. <\/p>\n
Specifically, dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna put a question mark on the club\u2019s recruiting from rival clubs \u2014 currently with 19 players originally from other clubs currently on its list. <\/p>\n
The Blues introduced Will Hayward, Ollie Florent and Ben Ainsworth as the big-name arrivals last October, yet Hayward had more than a few errant moments in Carlton\u2019s capitulation against Melbourne last Sunday. <\/p>\n
\u201cLooking at where they are making decisions with their list, and I\u2019m not convinced that over summer they made the right decisions with what they with who they brought into the football club,\u201d Montagna began on Fox Footy\u2019s First Crack Preview. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot who they lost, because they couldn\u2019t do much about that, but what they are trying to achieve. Because, for me, it\u2019s a bit of history repeating, with the players from other clubs that they have brought into the team. <\/p>\n
\u201cAre they really going to help them? If you take a little trip down the last five years \u2026 right now, on their list, they\u2019ve got 19 players from other clubs \u2014 clearly the most in the competition \u2014 but no A-grader.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2020, the Blues recruited Lachie Fogarty (from Geelong), Adam Saad (Essendon) and Zac Williams (GWS). <\/p>\n
In 2021, it was Adam Cerra (Fremantle), Lewis Young (Western Bulldogs) and George Hewett (Sydney Swans), and the following year Blake Acres (Fremantle). <\/p>\n
And across 2023 and 2024, they brought in Elijah Hollands (Gold Coast), Orazio Fantasia (Port Adelaide), Francis Evans (Port Adelaide) and Nick Haynes (GWS). <\/p>\n
Carlton has had just 16 national draft picks over the past six years, with Montagna going as far as to say it hasn\u2019t recruited a rival A-grader in almost 20 years. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t say that any of those guys \u2014 and even before that, the Mitch McGovern types \u2014 they (the Blues) haven\u2019t brought in an elite A-grader,\u201d Montagna said. <\/p>\n
\u201cElijah Hollands is maybe the only one you could say hopefully he could get to that level, but they\u2019ve brought in a lot of B-grade players. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s fascinating when you look at Carlton over the history, I could not find an A-grade talent they have recruited from another team since Chris Judd in 2007. Have not brought one in. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe two that they got that have probably had the most success have been Sam Docherty \u2026 and Saad had one year where he was an All-Australian. But other than that, they have never been able to attract an A-grade talent from another club, which I thought was fascinating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montagna\u2019s concern was around whether the Blues\u2019 six recruits from rival clubs in the offseason were going to \u201cmove the needle\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just think, why do they need to go and get those three (Hayward, Florent and Ainsworth), because they have enough experience \u2014 it\u2019s not like they needed to bridge the gap with some experience \u2014 and for me, again, they are all just B-grade footballers,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re all good, average footballers in their own right, but are they actually moving the needle on what Carlton are trying to achieve with this list reset that they\u2019ve said themselves that they\u2019re going down the path of?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just not sure what they\u2019re trying to do with their list at the moment, because they should be trying to blood their own talent and reset with their kids that they draft. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just worried they\u2019re stuck taking B-grade talent which doesn\u2019t give them a high ceiling \u2014 makes them competitive \u2014 but doesn\u2019t get them to where they want to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Would Adam Simpson coach Carlton? | 05:36<\/p>\n
\u2018PUT A LINE THROUGH THEM\u2019: FEAT FALLEN GIANTS MUST HIT<\/p>\n
Despite a fledgling start to the season, the Giants are set to be in real trouble if they can\u2019t win four of their next six games. <\/p>\n
And decision-making is impairing their ability to convert forward-half chances, according to leading analyst David King. <\/p>\n
After four rounds, GWS ranks dead-last for scores-per-inside-50, with its measly 37.8 per cent success rate the only clip in the AFL that\u2019s in the 30s. Geelong\u2019s 17th-ranked rate is 40.7 per cent. <\/p>\n
Spearhead forward Jesse Hogan isn\u2019t getting it done as a result, with the 2024 Coleman Medallist kicking just five goals from four games thus far in the campaign. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn the forward half is where it\u2019s all coming home to roost, and without Hogan taking control down there, you\u2019re (wondering) what the others are doing,\u201d King began on Fox Footy\u2019s First Crack. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the support crew up to? Is it the quality of supply, or is it the guys inside forward 50?<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been a team that\u2019s relied on a little bit of talent over the journey, and now it\u2019s not working, so I wonder whether you have to question the method in how they\u2019re bringing the ball in. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if they scan enough (for their teammates) \u2026 I think there are options for them to do different things with the ball. The Tsunami hasn\u2019t really fired this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
First Crack exhibited several examples of Giants players blazing away with a lower-percentage kick inside 50 rather than another handball or two to generate a cleaner look in attack. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re fundamental things, they\u2019re basic things, but they\u2019re cruelling their forward line with their lack of vision and even the preparedness to scan and give to a better user,\u201d King said. <\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it\u2019s about understanding that you\u2019re not competent in certain areas \u2014 give it to Whitfield, give it to Callaghan. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re seriously battling, they really are. They\u2019ve got to get on a run \u2026 they\u2019ve got a good run the next six weeks. If they don\u2019t win four of their next six, you can put a line through them.\u201d<\/p>\n
After their bye this weekend, the Giants face Richmond in Gather Round, Sydney at the SCG, the Kangaroos at Manuka Oval, the Suns in Carrara, Essendon at home and West Coast at Optus Stadium. <\/p>\n
The Tigers, Roos, Bombers and Eagles shape as most gettable for Adam Kingsley\u2019s men, but North Melbourne nor West Coast will be straightforward tasks. <\/p>\n
AFL ROUND 4 (all times AEDT)<\/p>\n
BRISBANE LIONS v COLLINGWOOD<\/p>\n
Thursday April 2, 7.30pm at the Gabba<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6.30pm on Channel 504, hosted by Sarah Jones, Jason Dunstall and David King, with commentary from Matt Hill, Mark Howard, Leigh Matthews, Alastair Lynch, Ben Dixon and Jon Ralph.<\/p>\n
NORTH MELBOURNE v CARLTON<\/p>\n
Friday April 3, 3.15pm at Marvel Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 2.15pm on Channel 504, hosted by Garry Lyon, Tom Hawkins and Jordan Lewis, with commentary from Anthony Hudson, Gerard Whateley, Jason Dunstall, Ruby Schleicher and Jon Ralph.<\/p>\n
ADELAIDE CROWS v FREMANTLE<\/p>\n
Friday April 3, 7.15pm at Adelaide Oval<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6.30pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Dwayne Russell, Leigh Montagna, Mark Ricciuto, Ken Hinkley and Kath Loughnan.<\/p>\n
RICHMOND v PORT ADELAIDE<\/p>\n
Saturday April 4, 4.15pm at the MCG<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 3.30pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Dwayne Russell, Kelli Underwood, Gerard Healy, Brad Johnson, Nick Dal Santo and Jay Clark.<\/p>\n
WEST COAST EAGLES v SYDNEY SWANS<\/p>\n
Saturday April 4, 7.35pm at Optus Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7.15pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Adam Papalia, Anthony Hudson, David King, Jack Riewoldt, Will Schofield and Jay Clark.<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE v GOLD COAST SUNS<\/p>\n
Sunday April 5, 3.15pm at the MCG<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 2.30pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Corbin Middlemas, Jordan Lewis, Gerard Healy, Sarah Jones and David Zita.<\/p>\n
WESTERN BULLDOGS v ESSENDON<\/p>\n
Sunday April 5, 7.20pm at Marvel Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7pm on Channel 504, with commentary from Matt Hill, Dwayne Russell, Garry Lyon, Nathan Buckley, Eddie Betts, Brad Johnson and David Zita.<\/p>\n
HAWTHORN v GEELONG CATS<\/p>\n
Sunday April 5, 3.15pm at the MCG<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7pm on Channel 504, hosted by Sarah Jones, Jason Dunstall, David King and Leigh Montagna, with commentary from Anthony Hudson, Mark Howard, Cam Mooney and Jon Ralph. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A familiar issue threatens to undo a leading flag contender, while the Saints\u2019 biggest issue remains obvious despite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":579221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[1142,19102,48046,1146,9126,638,19057,64,63,689,55,639,16716,25877,684,7491,11295,93661,3237,19098,6856,71357,284025,9127,8011,284016,35345,78574,51036,284028,197666,1119,1127,9125,57845,10145,13659,284026,17982,31756,61,2485,9130,284029,284024,284019,284014,14380,5096,284022,284017,12102,25051,3231,1823,6179,12149,19125,12181,19074,681,19080,45746,7484,4744,145653,63367,39203,3465,284027,133741,5336,284023,19096,31708,19117,16712,3502,25556,68973,13152,25574,284015,677,284020,284021,81372,6082,701,14444,284013,284018,672,14272,49776,19093,148931,1124,85,1122,88722,93971,131839,7200,7663,16702,5338,274458,1117,19118,14394,660,698,45705],"class_list":["post-579220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-adam-kingsley","tag-adam-papalia","tag-adam-saad","tag-adam-simpson","tag-adelaide-crows","tag-afl","tag-alastair-lynch","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-ball-movement","tag-ben-ainsworth","tag-ben-cotton","tag-ben-dixon","tag-ben-king","tag-brain-injury","tag-brisbane-lions","tag-burning-questions","tag-carlton","tag-chris-judd","tag-cooper-sharman","tag-crows-v","tag-david-zita","tag-despite-lucrative-recruiting","tag-eddie-betts","tag-elijah-hollands","tag-familiar-issue","tag-fledgling-start","tag-focal-point","tag-football-club","tag-fox-footy","tag-francis-evans","tag-fundamental-things","tag-garry-lyon","tag-geelong-cats","tag-genuine-marking-targets","tag-george-hewett","tag-gerard-healy","tag-gerard-whateley","tag-gold-coast","tag-gold-coast-suns","tag-handball-chains","tag-handball-meters","tag-handball-opportunities","tag-have-they-missed-a-trick","tag-hawthorn-v","tag-head-knock","tag-history-repeating","tag-inside-worrying-cloud","tag-jack-gunston","tag-jack-higgins","tag-jack-jovanovski","tag-jack-riewoldt","tag-jack-silvagni","tag-jason-dunstall","tag-jay-clark","tag-jesse-hogan","tag-johnson","tag-jon-ralph","tag-jordan-lewis","tag-josh-rachele","tag-ken-hinkley","tag-kicking-game","tag-knee-issue","tag-leading-flag-contender","tag-leigh-matthews","tag-leigh-montagna","tag-lesser-quality-entries","tag-lewis-young","tag-lions-v","tag-list-reset","tag-mark-howard","tag-mark-ricciuto","tag-matt-hill","tag-matthew-nicks","tag-max-king","tag-mitch-mcgovern","tag-mitch-owens","tag-nick-dal-santo","tag-nick-haynes","tag-obvious-despite","tag-oceania","tag-official-timeline","tag-offseason-additions","tag-pay-rise","tag-port-adelaide","tag-queensland","tag-question-mark","tag-recruiting-cycle","tag-recruiting-history","tag-richmond-tigers","tag-sam-docherty","tag-sam-flanders","tag-sarah-jones","tag-scoring-opportunities","tag-south-australia","tag-sports","tag-st-kilda","tag-straight-sets-finals-exit","tag-success-rate","tag-support-crew","tag-sydney-swans","tag-talking-points","tag-taylor-walker","tag-the-gabba","tag-thing-missing","tag-tom-de-koning","tag-tom-hawkins","tag-v-sydney-swans","tag-victoria","tag-western-bulldogs","tag-will-schofield"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579220","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=579220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}