St Kilda 2008 NAB Cup Champions
After a summer that saw some high profile people of the AFL knock the crap out of the NAB Cup as a competition, the last 3 weeks have seen 
some excellent footy being played and it paints the picture for an interest 2008 AFL Season. Last night was no exception. Adelaide were favourties and being at AAMI Stadium most peopl thought they would come away with the win. No one told the youngsters of the St Kilda Football Club that and they were simply awesome. Read more
AFL NAB Cup 2008 Grand Final Preview
Well after what seems to be a long time coming the NAB Cup Grand Final is actually here. The NAB Cup has been battered from pillar to post over the last 4 weeks, but for the 2 teams competing this week, Adelaide Crows and St Kilda it is game on as both teams go head to head for the title of NAB Cup Winners, or as Aker would say “Mickey Mouse Winners”.
Both teams have been in good form during the opening rounds of the 2008 NAB Cup with Adelaide probably 
being the standouts for me. Neil Craig has given the players a new lease on life with a new and exciting game style which now shy’s away from the defensive style we have seen over the years. The Crows are now running and carrying the footy and with the likes of James Porplyzia and Scott Thompson killing em in the midfield there are great signs ahead for the Crows. The Saints on the other hand, while still winning have probably been a bit scratchy from their lofty standards and haven’t had their best team on the park yet and still won’t this week. It is pretty ominous for other sides that the Saints are still winning while there is a lot of improvement to come. Read more
Enough About the Interchange Rule Mick
As much as I disagree with what the AFL have done with their decision about the interchange rule for this years NAB Cup, Mick Malthouse just needs to let it go now! He has had added his 2 bobs worth in and mentioned just once or twice what he thinks but enough is enough.
In his latest outburst against the rule he mentioned AGAIN that he couldn’t play players who he would have liked because he couldn’t control their game time forcing him to play players he would other wise had not and also that the fact that if a player goes off with the blood rule that is counted in the total for that quarter.
“I’m waiting for the day that the two sides in the grand final are dead-set locked together and someone goes off with the blood rule at the 23-minute mark of the last quarter and someone has a shot from the goalsquare and wins $350,000 and the other side gets $160,000.
“We’ll see what sort of squawk there’s going to be then.”
I think we all know your stance on the issue Mick lets just get on with playing some football.
On the playing side of things the Magpies got a right old belting on Saturday Night in Dubai by a ready to play Adelaide Crows outfit. The Crows just seemed a bit more advanced in their pre season preparations than the Pies something that I am sure the Crows fans will be happy about it. I really don’t think it is something that the Magpies will be too concerned about given that they were at the end of a 3 week stint of altitude training and are more focused on Round 1.
The Crows looked impressive though and coach Neil Craig looks as though he has changed his game plan into a more free flowing attacking style of play, which was very good to watch. The area that everyone, including myself thought they would struggle in was the Ruck but the 2 youngsters in Kurt Tippet and Ivan Maric were quite impressive. And it looks like they have unearthed a quality forward in James Sellar who led and moved ery well down forward. Skipper Simon Goodwin also looked at home in the forward 50 as well. It will be interesting to see if the Crows youngsters can sustain that standard for 22 rounds of the AFL Season. The signs are good though.
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Here you are Dave here is one blogger in the blogosphere that is talking about Aussie Rules Footy.
Testing Times for the Adelaide Crows Bigmen
Well it is official Rhett Biglands will miss the entire 2008 AFL Premiership Season with another knee reconstruction (his second). The Crows were heavily relying on Biglands as their number one ruckman for season 2008 and are now left with no experienced ruckman to play. As I have mentioned in a lot of the Club by Club 2008 Previews the Ruck department was one of the main areas that the likes of Geelong and Port Adelaide dominated in last year and the Crows, who I think may struggle regardless will be forced to go with the youngsters to go up against the likes of Ottens, Blake, White and Sandilands. Get your money on those guys for Brownlow votes against the Crows.
Coach Neil Craig is getting on the front foot as all coaches do in this type of situation saying:
“But we’re on the attack, so don’t send messages to me about us getting defensive in that area [ruck]. We understand they’re young and inexperienced, but they have some talent and they want to play.
“They have to start somewhere and it looks like it starts here.”
Ivan Maric and Jon Griffin look the most likely to fill the roles left by Biglands and also Ben Hudson (Western Bulldogs). They are both youngsters who had a small taste of it last year but are no where near the level they need to be at to fill those positions.
The Crows in my opinion will now NOT Make the 8 in 2008.
Is Neil Craig under pressure in 2008 ?
Well Neil Craig must be feeling the pressure over there in Adelaide one would think. Adelaide fans and the club were disappointed with their results in 2007 and they only just scraped into the 8 at the end of the year and had an elimination final loss. I guess the fact that Riccuto missed most of the year didn’t help their cause. The Crows have had a turnover of 14 players which has given the Crows a very different look in 2008. A new leadership team lead by Simon Goodwin has also been put in place.
Lets first take a look at who Adelaide has gained and lost for the 2008 Season
ADDITIONS:
Exchange period – received: Brad Moran (Kangaroos), Brad Symes (Port Adelaide)
Rookie elevation: Greg Gallman
Scholarship elevation: Taylor Walker
NAB AFL Draft: Tony Armstrong (Calder Cannons), Aaron Kite (Calder Cannons), Myke Cook (Sandringham Dragons), Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong Falcons), Jarrhan Jacky (Subiaco), Andy Otten (Oakleigh Chargers)
DELETIONS:
Retired: Mark Ricciuto (veteran – outside list)
Exchange period – traded: Ben Hudson (Western Bulldogs), Martin Mattner (Sydney), John Meesen (Melbourne)
Delisted: Matthew Bode, John Hinge, Ian Perrie, Darren Pfeiffer, Jason Torney, Scott Welsh (second list lodgment), Rhys Archard (rookie), Andrew McIntyre (rookie), James Turner (rookie)
High Possession Team
Adelaide are a very high possession team and play like a game of keepings off, Neil Craig is very big on “Tempo Football” and as a result they are very high on the list of disposals per game. It is a bit of a misleading stat in that the only reason they have high possessions is because of their style of play in that they chip the ball around all over the place, they are far from a side that is direct and long kicking. 
This is Craig’s style though, he comes across as a coach that is more interested in tactics and inventing new ways to play the game rather than the old fashioned style of coaches, although I think there has to be some of this involved in a game plan Craig seems to go a bit to far in my opinion. This maybe because they haven’t got a spearhead down in their forward line as a direct target and rely on freeing up other players as their avenue to goal.
