Thats all she wrote - September 9th 2001 - by Pablo
Carlton
17.16 (118)
Adelaide 6.14 (50)
Adelaide
coach Gary Ayres said the Crows had lost the respect of the football
world after their nightmarish final fortnight of the season. Describing
his team's capitulation to Carlton at the MCG yesterday as insipid
and lack-lustre, Ayres said his players had also lost the plot against
Fremantle.
"You
can't flirt with your form against anybody," Ayres said.
"Last week we paid the price and we came here and were taught
a real football lesson by a proven finals campaigner. It's
a pretty sad way to finish the year off and that's something we now
have to live with for the next six months until we get another genuine
game."
Refusing to blame
his midfield, including Brownlow Medal fancy Andrew McLeod for freezing
in the most important match of the season, Ayres said his team was
full of passengers other than defenders Nathan Bassett and Kane Johnson.
"We looked
to match Carlton's hardness, but it was such a one-sided final . .
. (after Fremantle) we came here on the back foot. Our confidence
had been affected, especially mentally. Win, lose, or draw we had
to get some sort of respect out of the way we had been playing. It
didn't happen. In the past fortnight we have lost that hard-nosed
resolve about how we play."
Other than Darren
Jarman, who last night announced his retirement, the Crows are likely
to have a full list including veteran trio Mark Bickley, Matthew Robran
and Nigel Smart for next season. Ayres said a recruiting emphasis
would be built around forwards, who could provide a target that was
missing for much of this year, until Jarman's switch from defence
into the forward line.
"We need
more aerial strength," Ayres said. "We haven't had
our tall guys demand the ball being kicked to them. I want the side
to crave success. We have to live with a pretty poor performance for
six months and one I certainly won't forget."
Ayres said even
at three-quarter time when his team trailed by 44 points he had hoped
for a miraculous comeback. "Games in this sort of situation
can make a team," he said. "In finals good players
stand up."
But he conceded
it had been mission impossible early in the last term after one of
the best afield, Carlton's Matthew Lappin, had kicked his fifth goal.
Ayres said the
work rate of Bassett and two-time premiership player Johnson was tireless.
While likely club champion McLeod had 20 possessions he was rarely
effective after being shadowed by underrated Blue Darren Hulme. Adelaide
captain Mark Ricciuto said his team had everything to play for and
the Crows could not blame anybody but themselves.
History
starts again - September 7th 2001 - by Pablo
Even
though they are one of the newest sides in the AFL, people talk a
lot about the history of the Adelaide Crows. About their transformation
from soft touch to one of the most feared teams in a finals match.
Crows detractors
gained great mileage from Adelaide's 1993 choke, when among other
nightmares they lost a semi-final to Carlton by kicking 8.20; equally
well documented is the way those knockers were robbed of ammunition
when the Crows lifted the premierhips in 1997 and 1998.
Former captain
Mark Bickley has lived through all the club's highs and lows, but
wants to forget the lessons of ''ancient'' history, including the
glorious seasons of '97 and '98. More recent history gives a better
measure of his club's chances in this campaign, which starts against
Carlton at the MCG tomorrow.
''When I think
of games against Carlton, I think more of the time we played at Optus
Oval and they had a very parochial crowd and we got away with a win,''
he said. ''We proved we could beat them no matter where. Look
at the opposition. We've beaten Carlton, we've beaten Richmond, we've
beaten Brisbane. Measure it up against that and it says when you play
your best footy, you can beat the other sides in the comp.''
Should the Crows
manage to survive to the second week of the finals, there may be doubt
over the availability of key players Andrew McLeod and Simon Goodwin,
who have been given permission by the Crows to be by the side of their
respective partners, who are due to give birth next week.
''We can't
blame them, you only need to put yourself in that position,''
Crows spokesman Steven Trigg said. ''You'd surely have a problem
if you forced a player to play under such circumstances.''
Bicks
to play in 2002 - September 5th 2001 - by Pablo
The
Adelaide Football Club is pleased to advise that it has today reached
an agreement that will see Mark Bickley continue to play in season
2002.
The Club has
been pleased with his form this season, and is delighted that 32 year
old Mark has chosen to extend what is already a distinguished career.
He has now played 227 games, was Best Team Man in ’92, ’93
and season 2000, and was runner up in the Club Champion Count in ’92
and ’93.
“Physically
I feel really good, and the further the season has gone, the more
excited I am about the direction that this team and the Club is heading.
I’m really looking forward to the finals and 2002,”
says Mark.
All
Australian Selection - September 4th 2001 - by Pablo
Adelaide
rover Andrew McLeod tonight added to his already bulging trophy collection
when he was named the AFL Players Association's most valuable player.
The award, which is voted on by all AFL players was announced after
the naming of the All-Australian team at an awards dinner in Melbourne
tonight. It
was the first time the brilliant Adelaide rover had taken out the
award, one of the few to allude him in his prestigious career.
- McLeod is the
only player to win consecutive Norm Smith Medals for best on field
in an AFL grand final - in the Crows premiership wins of 1997 and
1998.
- McLeod also
took out Adelaide's best and fairest award in 1997 and has been runner-up
for the past three years.
- McLeod was also
named in the All-Australian team for the third time tonight after
previously winning guernseys in 1998 and 2000.
The fact that
McLeod was recognised by his peers tonight further justifies his favouritism
for this year's Brownlow Medal. The Adelaide midfielder came close
to the Brownlow last year when finishing third to Melbourne's Shane
Woewodin.
All
Australian Selection - September 4th 2001 - by Pablo
The
2001 All Australian team was announced tonight with Adelaide being
represented by two players. Andrew McLeod was chosen as a follower
for his third All Australian team, while Simon Goodwin was chosen
on the interchange bench, it was Simon's and Andrew's second in sucession
All Australian team selection.
The members of the team will automatically be included in the squad
for October's compromise rules series against Ireland.
Carlton
v Adelaide - September 2nd 2001 - by Pablo
The finals are
shaping as a gripping contest. For the first time, both South Australian
teams have qualified, as have three of the four biggest Melbourne teams
(Essendon, Richmond and Carlton). Sydney and Brisbane have also qualified,
which the AFL hopes will aid the development of the game in the northern
states.
On Saturday afternoon,
Carlton will play Adelaide at the MCG in the First Elimination Final.
The loser of this game will also be eliminated. The game will start
at pm 2.30pm EST. This will be the series ticket game.
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