Footy Forecast: Your weekly AFL preview from SA’s most diehard fans
In this week’s forecast, an Adelaide Crows fan tells who needs to be shut down in this week’s clash, while a Port-loving podcaster reminisces on his favourite player’s “wizardry”.
‘Win by a couple goals’: Adelaide Crows’ Colleen McKaye
Long-time Adelaide Crows supporter Colleen McKaye fell in love with the club after watching its first ever trial game against Essendon back in 1991.
“I always liked state football, so to me it was like a state game, sort of us against a Victorian team,” McKaye said.
“I just couldn’t believe the amount of support that we had and how compact the crowd was. It was just unbelievable with the expectation of what the season ahead was going to be like.”
Adelaide is coming off a hard-fought 25-point victory against the West Coast Eagles in Perth last Friday night.
McKaye was particularly impressed with tall-forward Darcy Fogarty who booted four straight goals and ruckman Lachlan McAndrew who finished with 38 hit outs, 12 disposals and five clearances.
“I think a lot of people have been very critical of that game, but to me, a win is a win,” she said.
“I think sometimes the Crows play better football against better sides, and so sometimes when we play lesser teams it seems like we come down to their level a little bit.”
Adelaide will play the Gold Coast Suns at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night and McKaye remains confident that her side can “win by a couple of goals”.
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“I’d like to see Tex Walker kick a couple of goals; he’s one of my all-time favourites,” McKaye said.
Key forward Riley Thilthorpe returns to the side after a sudden illness, while defender Wayne Milera will play after recovering from a hamstring injury. They will replace Hugo Hall-Kahan who has been managed and Billy Dowling who has been dropped.
She said the Crows would need to nullify the influence of star Gold Coast midfielder Christian Petracca and club leading goal-kicker Ben King to get the job done. McKaye said Crows defenders Mark Keane or James Borlase would be best suited to match-up on the star forward.
Adelaide is currently sitting just outside the top four in fifth place, but McKaye remains confident that her side can do some damage in the finals.
“I’d actually prefer to be in this position than number one. I think there’s too much pressure,” McKaye said.
“I didn’t want to finish minor premiers last year; I would have rather finished second and we would have still got the same advantages. Sometimes when you finish too high it becomes that added pressure.”
McKaye will be sitting among a sea of Crows fans with her lucky red boots on at Adelaide Oval on Saturday and may even say a prayer if the match gets too close.
She said the best game she has ever attended was the 2015 Elimination Final against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
“I remember being out on the ground doing the banner, and I’ve never ever heard the crowd so loud,” she said.
“I just remember late in the game Tex running down that wing and that precision pass that he gave to Charlie Cameron and kicking the winning goal.”
McKaye’s all-time favourite Crow is Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto, while forward Ben Keays takes out the top spot in the current team.
‘A stern test ahead’: Port Adelaide’s David Verner
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David Verner has supported Port Adelaide as soon as he “knew what footy was”, watching the Magpies SANFL team before entering the AFL. His love of Port Adelaide inspired him to start his own podcast called ‘The Creed’
“There are a few good fan accounts around but there wasn’t someone doing a long weekly podcast, so I kind of just wanted to do that and help me expand my understanding of the game too,” Verner said.
“It’s just grown into this two-hour review show a week where we really get in depth, but also enjoy just being like a fan voice, being ourselves and having a bit of fun with it.”
Verner braced the graveyard shift timeslot last Sunday night to watch the Power get a 21-point victory over North Melbourne, but said the spectacle was undermined by the 71 free kicks awarded in the game.
“The whistle-happy nature of the game just made it such a weird spectacle, because it was just so stop-start,” he said.
“As far as the game goes it was scrappy. But it was pleasing to see Port Adelaide fighting out these games and often coming out on the right side of the fourth quarter.
“On Sunday evening, as frustrating as it was, and imperfect as it was, it’s nice to be on the right side of a close game.”
Verner said young defender Josh Lai continues to impress fans after a 14 disposal and five intercept performance, while Jase Burgoyne stepped up to the plate on the weekend with 21 disposals and eight intercepts.
Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis were again impressive in the midfield finishing with 26 touches and 24 touches respectively.
“I think with the young bucks standing up like that it’s really impressive, and that’s going to have us in good stead going forward into the next 18 months,” Verner said.
Port Adelaide will head to Marvel Stadium to take on St Kilda on Saturday afternoon in what Verner believes is shaping up to be a winnable game. Defender Kane Farrell has recovered from a groin concern and will replace Brandon Zerk-Thatcher in the best 22.
“It’s going to be a stern test considering it’s at Marvel as well. We’ve got a good record there, it’s winnable, but I think it’ll be a tight match,” he said.
“Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera getting off the chain can be damaging, and a Ross Lyon coached team is always a frustrating one to come up against.”
Verner said his side would likely just miss out on a top 10 finish for the Wildcard Round but remained confident that the season had been a good year of progression under new coach Josh Carr.
The Port Adelaide supporter said his all-time favourite memory would be attending the 2004 Preliminary Final against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium.
“I just remember the exact point I vantage point I was watching from to see Gavin Wanganeen snap the goal to give us the lead into that fourth quarter, and then we hold on,” he said.
“I remember where I was when Shaun Burgoyne chased down Brent Guerra in the goal square.”
Verner said it was hard to go past Gavin Wanganeen’s “wizardry” when thinking about his all-time favourite player, while forward Robbie Gray was named his number one player from the past decade.
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