Adelaide Crows vs Geelong Cats Preview
The Adelaide Crows return home after a close defeat in round 1 by the Gold Coast Suns and can get their first victory of 2024 in the comfort of Adelaide Oval against the Geelong Cats on Friday.
Adelaide were without their key forward Taylor Walker against the Gold Coast and that showed with the Crows kicking just 22 points in the first three quarters on a wet night on the Goldy.
With the return of Walker to the Crows lineup I see the Adelaide getting the win over Geelong, but not without a fight with the Cats keeping the margin with 39 points.
The important factor in both of these teams’ results was where the game was played. Neither team travelled well in 2023 and that will be the deciding factor in this contest as well. Adelaide got eight of their 11 wins last season at home while Geelong won just twice as the away team.
- The Adelaide Crows won 8 of 12 matches played at Adelaide Oval in 2023.
- Geelong won just 2 of 11 away matches in 2023.
- All of Geelong’s away losses last season were by a margin of 1-39.
- Adelaide averaged 101.83 points at home in 2023.
- Ben Keys has kicked a goal in 9 of his last 10 matches for the Crows.
Head to Head
Geelong have the upper hand in the head to head battle with Adelaide, winning the last two matches and five of the last six since the 2019 season.
The Crows did win their last match played at Adelaide Oval 103-91, back in 2021.
Adelaide Form
Adelaide were one kick away from snatching points from the Gold Coast in dismal weather at People’s Choice Stadium last weekend.
The Suns led by 36 points in the fourth quarter with Adelaide scoring just 3.4 (22) up until the final term, but a late floury with 5 goals and a couple of behinds brought the contest back within a goal and that is where the comeback stayed with the final result 8.12.60 to 8.6.54 in favour of the Suns.
It is tough to be critical or even know where the Crows with the weather pouring down in the self proclaimed sunshine state. Taylor Walker also missed the contest with back spasms and the crows missed key forward severely.
Adelaide Team News
Taylor Walker missed round 1 with back spasm which obviously hurt the Crows chances against the Suns. The club is confident their star goal kicker will return in round 2.
Geelong Form
The Cats held off a fast finishing Saints to go 1-0 to start the 2024 AFL season.
A Tom Hawkins goal 17 minutes into the fourth quarter gave Geelong a 21-point lead that was brought back to a single point 10 mins later making Cats fans real nervous before veteran Patrick Dangerfield kicked a 6-pointer to ease the tension a little and hand his team an eventual 8-point win in round 1.
Dangerfield was huge for his team not just by kicking the sealer but with his 25 disposals and eight clearances for the home team. Oliver Dempsey was impressive with 3 goals and 1 behind and Jeremy Cameron also kicked 2 goals but also had 3 misses for behinds.
Geelong Team News
Tanner Bruhn will need to pass a fitness test to play this weekend, while Jack Bowes has already been ruled out with a severe cork in his calf.
Cam Guthrie is still more than a month away, still struggling with a quad injury.
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