Gun Adelaide forward Taylor Walker showed last week with his five-goal haul against Gold Coast that he was back and in great shape. The man Crows’ fans call ‘Tex’ had missed a year with a knee injury. His presence compliments the star-studded Adelaide midfield and makes the Crows a legitimate contender, despite their ninth-placed position on the ladder.
The midfield battle
Crucial to the outcome of Sunday’s game will be the midfield. Superstar Patrick Dangerfield, who is ably assisted by the talented Rory Sloane, leads Adelaide’s on-ball division. A host of other players can run through the middle for the Crows, who lead the AFL for centre clearances in 2014, averaging 14.6 per game. Freo will hope Nat Fyfe can prove his fitness ahead of Sunday’s game. Ross Lyon’s side is also strong in the midfield, with Dave Mundy and Michael Barlow also in good nick. The team does, however, rate 17th in the league for centre clearances.
Match Preview
Freo selection
A number of Freo stars did not train with the main group on Wednesday, but that’s not unusual after a tough game, particularly on the hard Etihad Stadium surface. Stephen Hill, Danyle Pearce and Luke McPharlin were on light duties, while Nat Fyfe and Matthew Pavlich did not train. All are likely to be selected on Thursday, with Friday’s closed training session to give Ross Lyon and the selectors a greater indication of who will face the Crows.
Training Report
Pavlich v Talia
Rising Star winner Daniel Talia has been is strong form this season, so much so that teammate James Podsiadly thinks he’s the leading candidate for a spot in the All Australian defence. Talia’s actions on the field support these claims, having conceded just one goal from his past four matches. He’s the likely opponent for Freo captain Matthew Pavlich on Sunday, a man who has kicked 42 goals in 23 games against the Crows.
