Grand Final - CDFC v WWTFC.

[once_were_warriors]

Yeah Sydney -Dog

Don't follow the AFL myself , but crow supporters should be extremely excited about this lad, good skills and more importantly extremely committed ad mature for his age.

[sydney-dog]

mkate, not good skills yet, at AFL level he misses too many targets by foot, but this can be corrected

[once_were_warriors]

well i can only go on SANFL , very rare that i watch any AFL games

[eaglehaslanded]

I think a harder, tougher more committed outfit to the 2nd semi will come out to play this week. Our midfield is the key, getting it into the right target inside 50. A reverse of fortune and an Eagles win by 19 pts.

[The Rooster]

May the best side win but on what I have seen so far this finals series Centrals should win easily. But I certainly hope that whatever happens someone nails that gutless prick Skipworth.

why should Skipworth The Brave get special treatment? if your not wearing red, white and blue you are going to cop a smack at some point during the proceedings. And why not i say!

it's all in good fun, our good fun. Big Bad Bustling Sibbo will put the fear of god in the little squib's.

[Mr Fuller]

Why is there all the talk of Skipworth being 'gutless' for what occurred between him and Campbell from all the Centrals fans? How is what he did any different from what the Gowans do each week to players in packs? I have seen them many times give quick punches to the body of players in stoppages which don't seem to be questioned. I don't like it but you accept it - that's football.

On paper the Eagles will win. We have the better side - on paper. I thought this for a number of years. What Centrals do well is play as a team when it counts and maintain pressure all day. Have a look at their tackle count in finals.

We can win but have to approach the game differently to past mtaches. Below are some suggestions.

1. Potter must play and stand one of the Gowans - he always beats whatever one he is on.

2. Cicca must spend time forward. He has done nothing previously in the midfield against the dogs but will always kick 1-2 goals if rested forward and give off a few. Very hard to match up on up there. Start him in midfield but don't leave him there if he is getting beaten.

3. On the other hand Cicca might have a good game as in previous years he has been the player they have needed to watch whereas this year I think they will concentrate on Skipworth.

4. If Centrals play only 2 forwards as they usually do then Pedler to stand one, Hier the other. For more goalkicking power to help Passador PLAY MCKENZIE UP FORWARD

5. Colville to shadow O'sullivan

6. Drop Rugolo. Playing him is like us going into the game with an injured player. He is good for only a few minutes because he is so unfit and cannot run. Their defender run off him and set up the play. Bring up someone quick in his place. Jarrad is a likely replacement. Petrenko might be the unknown.

7. Rest a ruckman up forward. Centrals have had trouble on Lindsay in the past when he is up there.

8. Grocke is the logical choice to go back on Cowans if he starts looking like he will have another huge game on him. We know the Pedler cannot play on him due to being too small.

9. Passador might have to play further up the ground as Currie usually stands him and has destroyed him in the past.

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

How is what he did any different from what the Gowans do each week to players in packs? I have seen them many times give quick punches to the body of players in stoppages which don't seem to be questioned.

that sort of stuff wont put you out of action for a few weeks, it has intent to hurt, but not cause an injury, there is a huge diffrence, stop taking shots at Chris & James becouse one of your players actions are being questioned.

[Mr Fuller]

U don't seriously believe that skipworth's intention was to put him out of football for weeks do u? Campbell's shoulder was damaged before skipworth did what he did. He didn't do any damage as he went back on.

[smac]

Why is there all the talk of Skipworth being 'gutless' for what occurred between him and Campbell from all the Centrals fans? How is what he did any different from what the Gowans do each week to players in packs? I have seen them many times give quick punches to the body of players in stoppages which don't seem to be questioned. I don't like it but you accept it - that's football.

On paper the Eagles will win. We have the better side - on paper. I thought this for a number of years. What Centrals do well is play as a team when it counts and maintain pressure all day. Have a look at their tackle count in finals.

We can win but have to approach the game differently to past mtaches. Below are some suggestions.

1. Potter must play and stand one of the Gowans - he always beats whatever one he is on.

2. Cicca must spend time forward. He has done nothing previously in the midfield against the dogs but will always kick 1-2 goals if rested forward and give off a few. Very hard to match up on up there. Start him in midfield but don't leave him there if he is getting beaten.

3. On the other hand Cicca might have a good game as in previous years he has been the player they have needed to watch whereas this year I think they will concentrate on Skipworth.

4. If Centrals play only 2 forwards as they usually do then Pedler to stand one, Hier the other. For more goalkicking power to help Passador PLAY MCKENZIE UP FORWARD

5. Colville to shadow O'sullivan

6. Drop Rugolo. Playing him is like us going into the game with an injured player. He is good for only a few minutes because he is so unfit and cannot run. Their defender run off him and set up the play. Bring up someone quick in his place. Jarrad is a likely replacement. Petrenko might be the unknown.

7. Rest a ruckman up forward. Centrals have had trouble on Lindsay in the past when he is up there.

8. Grocke is the logical choice to go back on Cowans if he starts looking like he will have another huge game on him. We know the Pedler cannot play on him due to being too small.

9. Passador might have to play further up the ground as Currie usually stands him and has destroyed him in the past.

Almost everything you have listed is about stopping the dogs, not about playing the brand of footy that gave you top spot at the end of the minor round. If that is how the club is thinking, the dogs are half way home.

[mighty_tiger_79]

this is from adelaide now

Central hurt by injuriesDOUG ROBERTSON

CENTRAL District's grand final line-up has been thrown into chaos with classy midfielders Elijah Ware and Adrian Wilson hampered by leg injuries.

The skilful and well-balanced runners are in doubt to line up against Woodville-West Torrens at AAMI Stadium in a red-hot stoush for the Thomas Seymour Hill Cup for the third consecutive season.
The Eagles' concerns over Chris Knights' aerobic fitness have been solved with Adelaide ruling the creative midfielder out of the SANFL grand final.

Eagles coach Ron Fuller said he had doubts about calling up Knights anyway because he had missed six weeks training with a quad strain and a severe case of shingles.

Fuller is likely, however, to call on pacy wingman Luke Jarrad, who proved he had recovered from a hamstring strain with a strong-running performance in the reserves.

Ware, struggling with a persistent thigh stain, and Wilson, who copped a bruised knee late in the second semi-final win over the Eagles two weeks ago, are being nursed through training to aid their recovery.

Their cameo appearances on the track were also a veiled attempt to keep news of the injuries from leaking to the Eagles.

With the ball-winning duo in doubt, Central coach Roy Laird has been forced to consider last-minute replacement options because only fully fit footballers will be taken into the hottest contest of the season.

While reluctant to speak on the injuries, Laird said Ware and Wilson would be given every chance to prove their fitness.

"Those two haven't finished all sessions with us since the last game . . . we're managing them," he said. "We've still got a main session (tonight) at AAMI (Stadium) so they'd need to get through and train well."

Ware has not been able to run out the strain in recent weeks but still has been able to run and carry the ball deep into attack.

He is the Dogs' "X-factor" midfielder.

"Ware's last four weeks have been impeded by what he's had but he's been good enough to carry it through for us," Laird said.

"At this stage it's no better but it's been good enough for him to play.

"The last four weeks haven't been where he'd like to be so, hopefully, if he can get over this thing, he should be right."

Wilson hit season-best form in the second semi-final but copped a heavy hit on one knee and came off late in the last quarter.

Usually a defender, Wilson found a niche running across the midfield and provides important options for the Bulldogs, who could have as many as five grand final debutants on Sunday

[Dogwatcher]

old news.

The pair trained unaffected during a 90 minute session at Footy Park last night.

So they should be okay.

How's Colville? And no one's said why Lindsay spent so much time on the bench in the last quarter on Sunday?

[Aerie]

Mackenzie/Pedler, Schell/Hier, McCabe/Fiacchi
J Gowans/Potter, Cowan/McKenzie, O'Sullivan/Powell
L Westhoff/Treeby, C Gowans/Cicolella, S Cochrane/Jarrad
Wilson/Inkster, Sibenaler/Grocke, R Cochrane/Symmons
Thomas/Cooper, Graham/Passador, Currie/Westbrook

Ruck: Scoullar/Lindsay, Switala/Colville, Slade/Skipworth
Int: (from) Musolino/Lomas, Ware/Fairclough, Hayes/Rugolo, J Westhoff/Stewart, Dabrowski

The Central forward line:
Schell and Cowan are the big names in the forward line. If they're not kicking goals, they're keeping it in the area and giving every opportunity for the smalls to crumb goals. Hier has already had some huge tasks in his 4 game career, but this will be his biggest test. If he can do a job on Schell that gives the flexibility to rotate Pedler, McKenzie and Grocke on to the other talls which will enable McKenzie to be shifted to the midfield or forward line at crunch time. I would not be surprised to see Powell pick up Mackenzie or Westhoff if they go down forward to try and exploit them for pace. The Eagles back line was in all sorts of a mess in the first half of the 2nd Semi, but expect a tight knit group with the experience of Potter and Pedler running the show back there.

The Eagles forward line:
Eagles have the talent in their forward line to kick a winning score. The likes of Passador and Grocke must make the most of their opportunities to put scoreboard pressure on to the Dogs. Westbrook, Inkster and Symmons are likely types who Central will find hard to contain. At the same time, the Eagles must be aware of the run of Wilson, Richie Cochrane and Thomas if Central start dominating the match. Graham ran Passador off his feet in the 2nd Semi. This was partly due to the fact Central were dominating and Graham had the confidence to run the length of the field. The coaching staff must counter this and the talk must come from the forward flankers and pockets to chase Graham down so Passador can be an option down forward. The Eagles must go man on man and not allow Wilson to sit back and take easy marks. I would have two of the three Eagle talls (Westbrook, Grocke, Passador) roaming half forward and rotating one at full forward so we have options. The Eagles crumbers, in particular Cooper and Lomas, must work hard to get to their feet.

The midfield:
This is where the game will be won. Both sides have so many options to push into the midfield rotations which is a major reason why these two teams are constantly fighting out the premiership year after year. The ruck battle between Scoullar and Lindsay will be worth the admission price alone. Scoullar has come on in leaps and bounds (or should I say taps) this year and this is his chance to take over the mantle as the best ruckman in the competition. But Lindsay will not be giving it away without a fight. Both teams have a number of on-ball stars who fight hard and it may come down to the 5th or 6th choice midfielders who will decide the outcome of the game. The likes of McCabe, Ware, Westhoff, Switala vs the Eagles' Powell, Symmons, Lomas and Fiacchi will add the necessary grunt to the quality of the Gowans twins, Slade, O'Sullivan, Cicolella, Colville, Cooper and Skipworth. Whichever team can stay intense for the full four quarters will win meaning the second rucks are also crucial in Dabrowski and Mackenzie. If the Eagles can get some clean ball the run of Jarrad and Treeby could blow open the game. Of course, getting that clean ball is made almost impossible by the rugby style of Central.

I'm tipping the Eagles to not only take the Gorilla off their backs, but smash it into the ground for it never to return again.

[magpie in the 80's]

where's my internet commentator

[Adelaide Hawk]

I'm here Magpie, let's hope for a good game.

Cicolella won the toss and Eagles are kicking with a 4 goal breeze.

[magpie in the 80's]

G,DAY AH thankyou mate. 4 goal breeze hey hows the crowd

[Adelaide Hawk]

First score after 3 minutes.

Central 0-0, Eagles 0-1

[Adelaide Hawk]

Don't know about the crowd, but I suspect it wouldn't be near 20,000. I'll post it if I hear.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Peter Fiacchi hits the post. .... Well, the ball did, not Fiacchi

Central 0-0, Eagles 0-2

[Adelaide Hawk]

Inkster misses with a snap. Eagles squandering opportunities with the breeze

Central 0-0, Eagles 0-3

[Adelaide Hawk]

Inkster receives a free for over the shoulder. He misses.

Central 0-0, Eagles 0-4