Pre Match. Magpies v. Crows - All comments please.

[MightyMagpie]

[E]

Faz is not ready to play AFL. He just doesn't look fit and doesn't look like he is performing at the level needed for AFL.

By the way, Murphy is quiet in the twos right now, but the little that he does looks pretty elite to me. He might be a good 'un given time.

McLarty doesn't look as good as people have been talking him up. Not sure he is as close to selection as people have been saying.

[MightyMagpie]

[MightyMagpie]

Funny thing coming into the Adelaide game is we need to put a fair bit of time into Seedsman.

Seems Sloane may be carrying an injury so if we can nullify Gibbs and the Seed it will go a long way to controlling the corridor.

[HAL]

I'm glad you got a laugh out of it.

[RudeBoy]

[Piesnchess]

BIG ask, over at that lunatic madhouse, and they did smash the Tigers there two weeks ago. Crows are real deal for sure, I cant really see us winning this one, but then again, we did get nine goals up on em, last time we played, then we eased up and it was a draw. I think Fas and Elliott will come in, and if we can keep betts and walker out of it, we could go close. The pressure is all on the crows, so, hopefully, we can be very competitive and scare the bejesus outa them !

[Rush Stand Wing]

I saw the whole game at Preston yesterday, great day out with my boy. Wills is sure ready and chomping at the bit. Looks very fit and moving freely. Showed a lot of strength and mongrel in the clinches too. Hes outgrown VFL thats for sure.

I've been saying for a while that we lack big bodies at stoppages. I hope he gets his chance this week because I have a good feeling he will own that role very soon.

I also agree that Wills could help create better space at stoppage and greatly assist with improvement with our ground balls. Centre clearances definitely need to be looked at.

Sier finally looks like he belongs and I hope he gets time in 2nds to grow his craft and build more confidence. Hes also looking great and is hitting tackles and contests a hell of a lot harder than I've ever seen him play. I think he'll make it.

I dont think Fas or Billy are ready just yet but either would still contribute to scoreboard. Fas still not match hardened and probably still trying to find confidence back in his shoulder. Still, youd pick one or both this week.

De Goey is going to hit ground running if he's selected this week. Looks in mint condition and foot skills on both sides were bloody excellent yesterday.

If it were me then Id make these 4 additions for Brown, Stephensen and maybe Crocker and Varcoe who would be both stiff.

We should've buried Carlscum and thats why I'm ok with 4 changes.

[HAL]

Oops. Too much data.

[RudeBoy]

[MightyMagpie]

Phillips has had 20, 32 and 29 disposals including 9 contested possessions in the last game. Unless he is being dropped for leather poisoning no way he gets dropped. He is our biggest runner now and enables Sidebottom to play more forward which I think is pretty critical even with the potential ins in the forward line.

I’m a fan of Wills (2016 version), but someone else make s way for him if he comes in.

[Monco Matt]

Would love a win here, unfortunately I don't think we are anywhere close to the same class as Adelaide, especially on the Adelaide Oval which we are yet to perform well. I know it was a draw the last time we played, but that was on the MCG and that 50 point lead was evaporated pretty quickly once Adelaide woke up. This would be the upset of the season to date if it happened.

Crows by 27 points. We'll be plucky for a while but like the GWS game they will probably sneak away late.

[Pies2016]

[Woods]

Couple of things that could impact the match against the Crows:

According to the long range forecast it's going to be wet and windy in Adelaide. Wet conditions didn't help Cox in Rnd 1, so will he be selected for Adelaide? (and if so perhaps he should try wearing a glove).

Eddie Betts' wife gave birth to twins in Adelaide this weekend while he was playing in Melbourne (reports say she went into early labour). So, congrats to Eddie and his family. It a town like Adelaide this event will be treated like a royal birth. Will be huge all week in the Adelaide media. While great news it could have the effect of taking the Crow's mental focus away from preparations to face the Pies.

And Eddies good news comes on top of the bad news regarding the Crows off-season military-style camp which is reported to have been particularly distressing for the club's indigenous players (details obscure at this point in time).

Eddie Betts has kept a low media profile on the pre-season camp issue to date, but with the inevitable media interest in the news of the birth of his two new kids and the interviews that will take place this week, he will probably be asked what his view is of the pre-season camp. Whatever his response it will keep the issue alive and perhaps hotly dividing the Crows in the lead-up to the game against the Pies.

[Skids]