Kurt Tippett, a finals loss to avenge and Patrick Dangerfield’s 100th game give the Adelaide Crows three reasons to pinch a surprise win against Sydney this weekend.
A bigger incentive, however, is that this match shapes as a “do or die” for their finals chances after the loss at home last weekend against Fremantle.
The Tippett factor arose after the gun forward left the Crows in acrimonious fashion late last year, choosing the Swans as his new club over a move home to Queensland.
The trade became messy when details emerged of a 2009 deal to keep Tippett.
The club was fined heavily by the AFL, lost draft picks and its CEO was suspended for six months.
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It was the most troubled time in the club’s 22-year history.
Tippett also copped a suspension and with one week still to serve, he won’t be playing against the Crows. The payback can wait.
The Swans’ defeat of Adelaide in last year’s qualifying final is a stronger factor.
“You come up against teams and there’s been a rivalry built up over time and this is probably the freshest rivalry for us,” Crows coach Brenton Sanderson said yesterday.
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“(It’s) not just because of the Kurt Tippett situation; but because they beat us in a final.
“I’m happy that he’s not playing because he’s such a good player; he can obviously ruck and he’s a danger for them up forward.
“I’d still like him playing in our team but obviously he’s not, that ship’s sailed.”
The finals race is still wide open with Richmond putting its hand up as a contender when it beat West Coast in Perth Monday night.
Adelaide is now out of the eight with five wins and five losses and faces Richmond the week after Sydney.
Consecutive wins before the bye will take some pressure off Adelaide; losses would make finals look remote.
“We won’t build this game up as anything else other than a must-win game for our footy club, regardless of what happened at the end of last season,” Sanderson said.
“It’s a home game we have to win…we’re five and five and outside of the eight – there’s no easy games.
“I’d love to go to the break 7-5, so that means we have to beat Sydney and Richmond.”
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