The prelim

[Footy Smart]

Well what an effort by the lads - while devestated Saturday night I couldnt have been prouder at the same time.

While everyone in that side gave their all the few touches of class we didnt have was the difference in the end.

Walkers work rate up the ground, Trucks effort on buddy, sloanes first half and last qtr, Dangers last qtr, Tippos effort and statement at the same time (give the bloke what he wants, we need him no matter what anyone says), VBs effort as skipper shut down Young after he looked dangerous early, the small fwds pressure to stop Suckling and Birchall's run of HB also vital.

Watching it, to me was the complete opposite to the Sydney game. We used the ball better and counter attacked with purpose instead of long balls inside 50 ala we did v sydney and the hawks were doing.

[LaughingKookaburra]

I have been very impressed with the current playing group this year. These blokes have shown improvement through the entire year and for such an overall young side the character they showed yesterday was as good an effort as I have ever seen from a Crows outfit.
The belief Sando has installed in to these blokes is first class and all sides who go on to greater things MUST go through pain before they take the next step.

*Many of the 97 winning crew played in 93.
*North Melbourne lost numerous prelims before winning their last 2 flags.
*Essendon 2000 lost the unlosable to Carlton a year earlier.
*Brisbane finished bottom 3 years before their era.
*Port Adelaide we know the story.
*Geelong lost on the last kick of the night to Sydney ect.

Don't blame umpires if we want to become a premier football club in this competition we need to win @ all costs. I'll take that loss on the weekend on the chin as we gave it our all and then some, the fact we were 4 goals down in the 3rd to then hit the front with 5 minutes to go tells me there is some ticker in the fellas. We haven't played with ticker for over 10 years!!
This loss can be the lifeblood of football in SA and now everyone is talking about it again, it's bought the passion back that makes SA footy so great and we have been robots for so long. Watch Crows memberships next year go through the roof.

Our time isn't now people, it's coming though and it's exciting!!

[Grahaml]

I actually thought throughout the game itself we got first crack at the ball in dispute than Hawthorn. Problem was we too often fumbled or missed a handball trying to get clear while the Hawks were much cleaner in there. Opposite in field play though, we looked sharper for the most part while Hawthorn dropped marks, missed chances etc in particular early. The "experts" will say Hawthorn should have kicked Adelaide out of it but I think had we been a little cleaner in the stoppages we'd have gotten better supply and cut off Hawthorn's best entries at the same time.

I got poo pood last year saying I thought the Crows could finish top 4 if they kept their good players on the park and in form. I think this season justifies that comment. Fingers crossed we build from here instead of falling back to the pack.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Listening to Perth talkback today id be forgiven to thinking I was listening to 5aa. Locals here going off that the Crows were robbed. Bit rich I think but can't stand the clowns that still toot the easy draw horn. These are the same people who call Crows fans ect idiots (many are) but have such a biarst hatred of the club they are just as bad.

[TEX07]

I was shattered after the loss but pleased we finished where we did this season.

On Saturdays game there was a couple of interesting decisions by umpires both ways, I think that if you look back over the game some would cancel out each other.

I could single out three mistakes we made that cost us goals that had no umpire involvement:
1 - Rutten drops a chest mark and Buddy swoops and runs away - goal.
2 - Vince kicks across goal to Rutten, needed to hit the target as Cyril was waiting, it didnt - goal.
3 - Callinan kick late in the game to Dangerfield is too short and instead of marking Patty needs to collect off the bounce and is well tackled by Straton, ball spills out goes the length - goal.

In a game as close as this everything is under spotlight.

I too am sick of hearing about soft draw etc. We have to play someone, we get some teams twice so the teams like Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and Richmond can get the blockbuster games. The only way you will get any fairness is to play all sides once in a shorter season, then the next year the game is played at the other venue. Isnt going to happen.

I was happy with 2012 and think that 2013 is too far away already!

[OnSong]

Robbed by terrible umpiring. That is all.

[OnSong]

Haters gonna hate!

Classic case of "ignore ignorance"

[OnSong]

http://www.afl.com.au/Video/tabid/76/contentid/493070/invoke/Default.aspx

First four minutes pretty much sums up my terrible umpiring call.

[Choccies]

Haters gonna hate!

Classic case of "ignore ignorance"

Classic case of 'wanker'.....