Crows ready for Cat double
ADELAIDE forward Josh Jenkins expects Geelong to use one or even two “goal keepers” — loose men in defence — at Simonds Stadium tonight, but says the Crows will be ready for the tactic.
It had been used by several teams already this year in a bid to stop the Crows from getting goals out the back.
But Jenkins said Adelaide’s response — to win more contested ball — meant the Crows could rely on more traditional means of kicking goals and that the club was no longer banking on out-the-back goals.
“We’ve seen plenty of that in the past,” Jenkins said.
“Even last year we saw a fair bit of that once it got out or once people started to recognise we were kicking a lot of goals over the back.
“Teams started to put even two guys deep — as goal keepers, if you like ... we’ve seen that almost every game this year.
“It’s the thing people always want to talk about but there haven’t been many goals for us over the back this year.
“We’ve probably kicked them in a more conventional method because we’ve been able to win more contests.
“That’s been the big thing we’ve improved on and that’s going to be the key again Friday night.”
Jenkins also chuckled at the suggestion that last year’s Brownlow medallist, Patrick Dangerfield, and this year’s Brownlow fancy, Rory Sloane, would play tight on each other.
There has been much speculation on which players will be tagged in the match and Jenkins thought a head-tohead showdown between the former teammates was unlikely.
“I certainly wouldn’t play Dangerfield on Sloane because I know Paddy and he’ll go nowhere near him,” Jenkins said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“Both players are certainly good enough to demand a tag.”