1. Tomahawk to sweat over jumper punch
In his 200th game, an agitated Tom Hawkins decided to remonstrate with Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch late in the second quarter. It wasn't a good decision. He grabbed a handful of Crouch's jumper and threw a fist in the Crow's direction, clipping Crouch on the chin. The Crows' midfielder reeled back trying to convince the umpire to give him a free kick but he did not suffer any after effects. At the start of the year the act would have been classed as low impact and incurred a fine but coming just a fortnight after the AFL announced it would not tolerate jumper punches any longer, Hawkins faces a nervous wait. Hawkins was suspended for a week for a similar incident in 2016 when he clipped Greater Western Sydney defender Phil Davis and could miss the week after the bye when Geelong plays West Coast.
2. Selwood is a Rubber Man that bleeds
The Geelong skipper was the only person in the ground who was not scared when he backed into a pack in the first quarter with Adelaide tall Andy Otten bearing down on him. When Selwood was flicked off balance and his head hit the ground like a shotput landing it looked as though the champion's night might be over. He had blood streaming from the side of his head and his ear looked in more trouble than Vincent van Gogh's. However the 28-year-old went to the bench, received treatment for the cut and returned immediately. He then just kept putting his head and body in places few footballers dare and somehow survived, winning 35 disposals, including 21 contested possessions, a goal and four marks.
3. Are the Crows front runners?
Adelaide has only won one game under Don Pyke kicking a score of under 100 points. That was against Fremantle back in round 6, 2016 when the Crows kicked 97 points. Such figures indicate the Crows are a team that hates it when the going gets tough and the work boots are needed to grind out a win. Of course, the Crows can point to a dominance in contested ball in the first 10 rounds as a sign it can match it in that department, but it went missing against Geelong. The Crows were outworked with 90 fewer uncontested possessions and lacked the ruthlessness the Cats midfielders displayed. With a midfield that is overly reliant on Rory Sloane and a system that plays attacking football, they fell apart when they struggled to win the ball. The 22-point margin flattered the Crows.
4. Taylor Walker had a dirty night
The Crows' skipper is a star but he has not performed at Simonds Stadium, having kicked just one goal in his previous three games at the venue. Matched up on Lachie Henderson he could not assert control and wayward kicking for goal letting him down at vital moments. He missed two set shots in the second quarter and then a relatively simple snap shot at the start of the third quarter to ease the pressure on the Cats. Although he finished with 3.3, Henderson beat him comprehensively, taking four marks and winning 17 disposals.
5. Scott Selwood blanketed Rory Sloane
It was a predictable match-up and sadly for Sloane a predictable result. Scott Selwood harassed Sloane when the game was up for grabs which allowed the Cats to get ascendancy in the midfield and therefore dominate the possession count with 429 to 320. Sloane managed just 22 touches but was relatively ineffective while Scott Selwood had 26 touches himself. It is a concern for the Crows that their midfield is largely ineffective unless Sloane gets going.
