.gif){kind=small}
MAGPIE RADIO > Listen to fans' match preview show Pie Night
MATCH DETAILS
Collingwood v Adelaide at the MCG, 2.10pm, Saturday 12 July
FORECAST
Mainly fine, Minimum: 6, Maximum: 13
BETTING
Collingwood $1.33, Adelaide $3.10
LAST TIME THEY MET
Adelaide 14.10 (94) d Collingwood 11.9 (75), round 22, 2007 at Telstra Dome
FORM GUIDE
The first week back after the break treated these two teams vastly differently. Adelaide was handed a footballing lesson by the in-form Geelong at AAMI Stadium, while Collingwood travelled to Sydney and beat the Swans by 29 points.
For the Crows, it was their third loss on the trot, and after spending the first part of the season comfortably inside the top four, its spot inside the eight is starting to look shaky. Adelaide’s forward line struggled last week against Geelong, managing just one point in the first quarter from nine inside 50s.
Collingwood bounced back from losses to Carlton and the Western Bulldogs to produce an upset win in Sydney. With Anthony Rocca out, Travis Cloke returned from suspension with renewed vigour, taking tough contested marks and kicking three goals. Supply from Dane Swan was brilliant as always, while Shane Wakelin was in career-best form on Barry Hall.
MEDICAL ROOM
Ryan Lonie (shoulder) is available for selection while Chris Dawes (achilles), Josh Fraser (knee) and Sharrod Wellingham (groin) will all be tested ahead of Saturday’s game.
Brodie Holland (achilles) is still two weeks away, while Ben Reid (foot) and Anthony Rocca (ankle) are both six to eight games away. Sean Rusling (shoulder) and Brad Dick (knee) are out for the season.
Adelaide’s Andrew McLeod (knee) is still one week away, Jarrhan Jacky (knee) is two weeks away, and Brent Reilly (knee) is three-four weeks away. Myke Cook (hamstring) is out indefinitely while Rhett Biglands (knee) is out for the season.
RANDOM FACTS
# If Collingwood can beat Adelaide on Saturday it will be the first time the Crows have lost four consecutive games under Neil Craig.
# Adelaide has only won 37 per cent of its matches against Collingwood, its worst winning percentage against any side in the competition.
# The last time Collingwood beat Adelaide, round six last year, Chris Bryan, playing just his second game for the Pies, was a surprise target, kicking three goals.
KEY MATCH UPS
Dane Swan v Tyson Edwards
Dane Swan was best afield for the Pies last week against the Swans. He had 30 possessions, laid three tackles and took a game-high 13 marks. Tyson Edwards was definitely the Crows’ best player last week, with 26 possessions and six tackles. He also managed one of Adelaide’s few goals for the match.
Alan Didak v Nathan Van Berlo
Alan Didak’s contribution to last week’s win over the Swans has been slightly overlooked behind the performances of Swan, Travis Cloke, Dale Thomas and Shane Wakelin, but he managed 28 possessions last week, took seven marks, laid four tackles and kicked a goal. Nathan Van Berlo has proven tough in defence laying five tackles last week against Geelong.
Shane Wakelin v Scott Stevens
Shane Wakelin had one of his best matches for Collingwood last week, dominating Barry Hall, and setting up a lot of Collingwood’s forward thrusts from the backline. This week’s opponent Scott Stevens is second at the Crows for marks, so Wakelin looks to have his hands full again.
WHAT THE CLUBS SAY
Collingwood
"All games are important for us," said forward Dale Thomas.
"When it comes to this time of the year heading towards finals, I think we're seven or eight weeks out, every game's important.
"You know we're in the eight and we're level with a few teams and we want to try to get in that top four.
"We've just got to keep winning, it's as simple as that.
"[But] as I say, there's no more importance to this game than what there is the week after or the week after that. You've just got to keep going forward."
Adelaide
“We're playing a side in the same race that we’re in, trying to play finals footy, so the MCG on the big stage in front of probably the biggest crowd for the year is fantastic," said Crows skipper Simon Goodwin.
"It's a great opportunity, as a playing group, to show a bit of resilience. We've lost three in a row and it's time to start winning some games of footy against a side in the same position we are.
"They're an impressive side, Collingwood. They perform well when they're under pressure, so we're expecting Collingwood at their best and it's a great challenge for us."
