Key events
Adelaide have been on a rollercoaster ride, with more dips than highs, in the decade since the tragic passing of their coach Phil Walsh.
Geoff Lemon looks over what has happened since then, and how winning a premiership would mean something to plenty of people from that time at the club, even if it would not heal the hurt felt after Phil Walsh’s death.
We’ll never know what he might have done with the place, and it would take a major study to document how his loss affected it. So while avoiding any specious claim that his tragedy caused what followed, there has seemed to be a shadow over the club in the years since.
Blake Hardwick can hardly claim to still fly under the radar especially after he contained the Giants’ skipper and dangerman Toby Greene last week, while adding plenty of drive coming out of defence. The versatile Hawk lines up for his 100th consecutive game this evening.
Darcy Fogarty arrived at Adelaide a few weeks after their 2017 finals campaign ended in grand final defeat to Richmond. The expectation was that the powerful forward would be a key part of a team that would remain in contention for years to come.
The Crows and Fogarty had to wait eight years to return to finals, and as a team and individual the first game back didn’t go as planned. I spoke to the 25-year-old about what he’s taken from the long road to the top of the ladder, and what the side learned from their defeat to the Magpies.
There were some dark times over a long period.
The goal for a long time was just to play finals. Even though it’s only one game, we’ve done that now. So now it has become more about ‘how far can we go,’ and ‘how much damage can we do?’
A quick reminder, as if you need one, of how the Crows and Hawks ended up at Adelaide Oval for this semi-final.
Adelaide finished the home and away season as minor premiers. Despite no doubt believing they were ready for the club’s first finals campaign in eight years, they were quick to learn that the best-laid plans of mice and men (Crows and Pies?) often go awry. Darcy Moore and Collingwood cut off Adelaide’s forward’s supply, while the Crows made too many simple mistakes when the game was on the line in the final term.
As is so often the case heading into an AFL semi-final, the elimination final winner arrives with their tail up. Hawthorn were impressive in largely beating GWS Giants at their own game with their pacey bounce off half-back, a sharp-shooting forward group, and an immense performance from the latest iteration of “Mr September” – Jai Newcombe. They even showed plenty of steel to fight off a late Giants challenge.
Jonathan Horn was at Adelaide Oval last week as the Crows were outplayed by the Magpies in their qualifying final defeat. He tries to make sense of the way the crowd handled the return of the Pies players, and in particular Isaac Quaynor in the wake of Izak Rankine’s suspension for using a homophobic slur in their round 23 clash.
The Crows crowd didn’t stop booing for three hours at the Adelaide Oval. In that instance, it was not only puerile and incomprehensible, but self-defeating: it helped perpetuate the siege mentality in which Collingwood thrives.
Such is the environment Jack Ginnivan will swagger into this week.
If you read one piece during the countdown to the game, I suggest you read this.
Adelaide’s dream return to AFL finals is now at risk of turning into a nightmare. At the same time, Hawthorn can ride a wave of momentum into their semi-final with reason to believe they can survive a second do-or-die clash.
Here is where the game will be won – and lost – and an early prediction I’m inclined to stick with.
Here is how Adelaide and Hawthorn have been named.
ADELAIDE
B: Josh Worrell, Mark Keane, Rory Laird
HB: Wayne Milera, Nick Murray, Mitchell Hinge
C: Isaac Cumming, Jordan Dawson, Daniel Curtin
HF: Ben Keays, Riley Thilthorpe, Alex Neal-Bullen
F: Zac Taylor, Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty
FOLL: Reilly O’Brien, James Peatling, Jake Soligo
I/C: Luke Pedlar, Sam Berry, Max Michalanney, Brodie Smith
Sub: Josh Rachele
HAWTHORN
B: Josh Battle, Tom Barrass, Blake Hardwick
HB: Jarman Impey, James Sicily, Massimo D’Ambrosio
C: Karl Amon, Josh Ward, Dylan Moore
HF: Connor Macdonald, Mabior Chol, Nick Watson
F: Jack Gunston, Mitch Lewis, Jack Ginnivan
FOLL: Lloyd Meek, Jai Newcombe, Conor Nash
I/C: Jack Scrimshaw, James Worpel, Sam Butler, Josh Weddle
Sub: Changkuoth Jiath
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Final teams
Teams are in with no further changes.
Adelaide name Josh Rachele as sub, while Changkuoth Jiath is Hawthorn’s 23rd player.
The Crows only go halfway with Rachele’s recall for the livewire’s first game since he injured a knee in round 17. But his belated introduction should add a spark to a forward line that underwhelmed in the qualifying final against the Pies and continues to miss Izak Rankine again tonight.
The Hawks stick to their three-pronged tall forward set up with Mitch Lewis back to replace the injured Calsher Dear. Lewis was omitted from the Hawks lineup for their win over the Giants, but responded with four goals and an all-round promising performance in a VFL final.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the AFL semi-final between Adelaide and Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval. The winner of this clash will meet Geelong in a preliminary final at the MCG next Friday night. No small task. But you gotta be in it, to win it.
Adelaide need to bounce back from a disappointing return to finals after an eight-year absence but as minor premiers have the luxury of taking their second shot back on their home deck. The pressure has quickly mounted on the Crows as they seek to avoid a straight-sets finals exit as well as a couple of unwanted slices of history. They will not want to become the first team in the AFL-era to finish on top of the ladder then be bundled out in two finals, or to be the first minor premiers to lose to an eighth-place side in a final.
Hawthorn would be undermined by too much focus on their eighth-place finish, especially as they were playing off for a top-four spot in the last round of the home and away season. They then showed how narrow the margins are between the top sides this year, when they were too good for GWS Giants last week. The Hawks have the benefit of being to this same stage before as they played a semi-final at Adelaide Oval last year. That was against the Power, rather than the Crows, and ended in chaos as a James Sicily shot at goal at the death crashed into the post and sparked wild scenes after the siren that temporarily overshadowed the gut-wrenching defeat. But it should give the Hawks a hint of motivation that it is a scenario they will not want to repeat.
First bounce will be at 7.10pm local time in Adelaide / 7.40pm AEST. I’ll drop in the team news shortly. Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts and predictions – shoot me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
