Adelaide vs Geelong – how much say will Dangerfield have in this do-or-die battle…
The Adelaide Crows and Geelong Cats will go head to head in a preliminary final on Friday night – the winner is through to the grand final, the loser’s season is over.
For the Crows it would be the first time they have gone through to the final match of the year since 1998, when the bested North Melbourne. They have played in just two grand finals in their history and have won them both, and would certainly love to keep that perfect record intact.
For Geelong, it would be their first appearance on the big stage since 2011, when they won a flag under Chris Scott in his first year. They have of course won three premierships in the past decade. This would be one on the ten-year anniversary of their 2007 triumph.
These two teams finished their season with the same number of wins and split the difference against each other with both getting a win at home. However their performances so far in finals have been markedly different.
Adelaide won through to this final with a dominant effort against GWS and had the bye last week as a result. That they did so without their best midfielder in Rory Sloane only makes their effort that much more impressive.
Geelong were badly beaten in their qualifying final against Richmond, but have made it through to this one with a big win over Sydney. They look dangerous.
Both sides have made two changes. Adelaide have Rory Sloane and Andy Otten in replacing Brodie Smith and Mitch McGovern, both injured. Geelong have dropped both of James Parsons and Zach Guthrie, with Tom Lonergan and Nakia Cockatoo coming into the side.
Adelaide head in as the favourites and with home ground advantage on their side you’ve got to like those odds. $2.10 for them to win by 1-39 isn’t great value, but seems the most likely result.
—
Do you have a CrownBet account? If not, get one just here.
Here’s 4 good reasons to get a CrownBet account:
1. Daily Promotions for Horse Racing AND Sport so you can get a better run for your money
2. The best Rewards program in the industry – every bet you make brings you closer to a Bonus Bet
3. AFL matches streamed live through the App so you won’t miss your horses run or a minute of your team’s game.
4. Access your winnings immediately using the CrownBet VISA Card