Melbourne Tigers vs Gold Coast Blaze
Wednesday 28 October, State Netball & Hockey Centre, 7:30pm (local)
Projected Starters
Tigers: Nathan Crosswell, Luke Kendall, Tommy Greer, Mark Worthington, Daniel Johnson
Blaze: Adam Gibson, James Harvey, Erron Maxey, Mika Vukona, Pero Cameron
Bench
Tigers: Sam Mackinnon, Daryl Corletto, Ryan Bathie, Tim Lang, Matt O’Hea
Blaze: Ayinde Ubaka, Anthony Petrie, Chris Goulding, Greg Vanderjagt, Tyson Demos
Current Record
Tigers 2-4, 8th; Blaze 3-4, 6th
Recent Form
Tigers: Won 81-70 vs 36ers @ Adelaide; Lost 90-93 to Wildcats @ Perth
Blaze: Won 80-63 vs Taipans @ Gold Coast
Season Series
Blaze lead 1-0
“Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion”.
So said Houston Rockets’ head coach Rudy Tomjanovich after his team had won its second NBA title in 1995.
And that phrase could also refer to the Melbourne Tigers, who may have gotten a split on the Doomsday Double last week but showed in both games they can never be written off – they are four-time champions for a reason and they showed it in two performances that would have been very heartening for that organisation.
It started on Wednesday night when they stunned the 36ers in Adelaide thanks to a simply magnificent performance from forward Mark Worthington, who carried his team on his back all night long and finished with 29 points and nine boards in just over 38 minutes.
In the fourth quarter he banged home one impossible shot after the next, every basket another dagger into Adelaide’s collective heart. He had 15 of his game high 29 in the period and had that look in his eye the great ones always do when they know they aren’t going to be stopped – and the Sixers could only watch helplessly as the Tigers stormed home.
Sunday afternoon in Perth, Wortho was at it again, helping his undermanned team stay close all night and waging a memorable individual battle with the Wildcats’ star forward Shawn Redhage.
The Tigers might have gone down at the Jungle, but they were by no means disgraced and showed tremendous character to stick close with a team that in all likelihood will be virtually impossible to beat this season in their own gym.
The other impressive performance on Sunday came from Melbourne’s tyro centre Daniel Johnson, who showed great athleticism, good hands and excellent body control as he continually beat Perth’s former NBA centre Luke Schenscher up and down the floor. If that’s the kind of consistent performance we can expect out of the seven footer then the Tigers will be in more than reasonable shape until Chris Anstey returns.
Gold Coast had themselves a nice, solid win against an overmatched Cairns last Friday night and after a slow start, appears to be getting it together.
Their new import Erron Maxey has fitted in very well and is providing some much-needed offensive punch in the frontline, while Ayinde Ubaka is getting better every week and was dominant against the Taipans.
The former Cal-Berkeley standout had 25 points on a blistering 9 of 12 from the field that included 4 of 5 from the perimeter. If he’s got his stroke back – that’s consecutive games where he’s gone for at least 20 – the Blaze will be that much more difficult to defend.
The Gold Coast imports are taking a lot of pressure off swingman James Harvey and that’s going to pay dividends for them down the road. Harvey played just 18 minutes in the win over the Snakes thanks to foul trouble, even so if the Blaze continue to spread the wealth offensively, Harvey can pick and choose his spots and be more efficient the rest of the way.
In the first game between these two this season, the Blaze overwhelmed the Tigers in the first and fourth quarters enroute to an excellent win, and that offensive production is something Coach Joey Wright will be looking for again.
Melbourne had no answers for Maxey or youngster Chris Goulding and continually gave up easy scores in what was one of their worst defensive efforts of the year.
One of the Tigers’ major problems at the moment is their transition D. How many times on Sunday did the Cats throw that deep ball to an unguarded player down the other end for the score? It’s something that’s cost Melbourne far too often this season and needs to be fixed in a hurry otherwise the Blaze will run them right out of the Cage.
Not that the Gold Coast doesn’t have defensive problems of their own – they have to find some way to contain Worthington, who torched them for 31 last time, and they’ll need to get out to Melbourne’s perimeter shooters, especially the inconsistent but still dangerous Luke Kendall.
This one is tough to call. I like what the Blaze are doing offensively and I think their overall speed is going to cause Melbourne problems, especially if Nathan Crosswell is out with that injury he sustained against the Wildcats; Melbourne is playing with a lot of heart and can lean on the competition’s most unstoppable player in Mark Worthington.
As this league has shown this season – when in doubt, go with the home team. Melbourne salutes their fans with a solid win at the Cage.
Matt’s Prediction: Tigers by 7
Wollongong Hawks vs Cairns Taipans
Wednesday 28 October, WIN Entertainment Centre, 7:30pm (local)
TV: Fox Sports One, coverage begins 7:30pm AEDT
Projected Starters
Hawks: Tywain McKee, Mathew Campbell, Glen Saville, Larry Davidson, Cameron Tragradh
Taipans: Julien Mills, Phill Jones, Gary Boodnikoff, Dusty Rychart, Ian Crosswhite
Bench
Hawks: David Gruber, Tim Coenraad, Tim Behrendorff, Rhys Martin, Daniel Jackson
Taipans: Aaron Grabau, Richard Melzer, Kerry Williams, Dwayne Vale, Tony Rampton
Current Record
Hawks 4-1, 1st; Taipans 3-4, 7th
Recent Form
Hawks: Won 99-77 vs Crocodiles @ Wollongong
Taipans: Lost 63-80 to Blaze @ Gold Coast; Lost 69-106 to 36ers @ Cairns
Season Series
Hawks lead 1-0
You know, I was expecting a hell of a battle at 'The Sandpit' last Saturday night.
After all, this was a game between a great offensive ballclub and a team that had developed a hardcore defensive mentality. A contest that featured what was on paper one of the great individual matchups this league had to offer. An opportunity for the road team to ask some hard questions of a group that had been dominant at home but still hadn’t really proved anything as yet.
But what I got was a one-sided butt-kicking, an eye-opening display of offensive firepower not from the visiting team, the Townsville Crocodiles, but from the team riding high at the top of the NBL ladder right now – the Wollongong Hawks.
In what was nothing less than a devastating performance, the Hawks sent notice to the rest of the league that they are for real this season. They were down 11-10 after five minutes, and then reeled off a frightening 23-2 run on a shocked Crocs outfit, dominating all over the floor and completely shutting down Townsville’s MVP candidate Corey Williams, who went 1 for 10 and was dragged soon after halftime with his team getting embarrassed.
Williams’ chief tormentor was the Hawks’ brilliant point guard Tywain ‘All Day’ McKee, who won their matchup by KO with a stunning 21 point, four assist performance on 8 of 12 shooting from the field that just added to his growing stature in this competition.
Right now, I’m not so sure that McKee isn’t the best player in the country, given the way he so thoroughly dismantled Williams and the Crocodiles.
Of course, it was a great team effort from the Hawks, and Wollongong coach Gordie McLeod was thrilled with the contributions he got right down the roster, with rookie forward Tim Coenraad having a night out and blue collar import Dave Gruber playing his best game of the season.
The boys from the Gong are riding high at the moment, no doubt about it. But on the flipside, there are their protagonists for this Big Wednesday game, the Cairns Taipans, who are coming off a pair of horrendous losses last weekend.
It started Friday night on the Gold Coast, when they could get nothing going offensively and were run out of the gym by the resurgent Blaze.
But their week truly reached a nadir when they were humiliated on their home floor the next night by the Adelaide 36ers – a team that, mind you, was called out by their coach and the local media for their pathetic display last Wednesday against the Melbourne Tigers.
Even though the Snakes had less than 24 hours to prepare for the game against the Sixers, it’s difficult to understand their effort when Adelaide were down and looked so uninspired against the Tigers – but it was the visitors who looked like a juggernaut and Cairns that seemed like a ballclub struggling for answers.
One of the big problems for the Taipans right now is their inability to score the basketball. In their past three games they have registered 59, 63 and 69 points while shooting 33%, 40% and 37% from the field respectively. That’s simply not going to get the job done at any level – not unless you are an outstanding defensive unit and Cairns is far from that at the moment.
Rich Melzer has been solid at one import spot, but one wonders how much longer the Taipans can persist with their second import, point guard Julien Mills, who has looked out of his depth at times and just isn’t providing the floor leadership and offensive punch from the one spot this team so desperately needs.
Cairns are looking squarely at four straight losses as they face up against a Wollongong squad playing with incredible confidence and determined to protect their perfect homecourt record.
The last time they played the Hawks, Taipan coach Aaron Fearne had one main strategy – make someone else other than Ty McKee beat his team and I’d expect more of the same in this one.
So you can bet there will be a lot of double teaming and a ton of physicality against the superstar guard in an attempt to disrupt his rhythm – good luck with that. McLeod has done a great job managing McKee’s minutes and giving Rhys Martin decent burn off the pine – Martin’s played well for the most part and that means McKee is that much fresher in the fourth quarter.
However, it’s not just McKee the Taipans need to worry about – you know what you are going to get from Glen Saville and Matty Campbell but it’s the yeoman work being done by Wollongong’s unsung heroes Cam Tragardh and the resurrected Larry Davidson that’s been so crucial to the early success of this ballclub.
The first game between these two this season was an ugly, grinding affair, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a repeat this Wednesday. But any way the Taipans want to play it, it just won’t matter.
Look for McKee to dominate, the Hawks to crash the glass and play solid defence and Cairns to be overwhelmed in the end.
This one smells like a blowout. Hawks win this going away.
Matt’s Prediction: Hawks by 18
New Zealand Breakers vs Adelaide 36ers
Thursday 29 October, North Shore Events Centre, Auckland, 7:00pm (local)
TV: Fox Sports One, coverage begins 5:00pm AEDT
Projected Starters
Breakers: CJ Bruton, Kirk Penney, Awvee Storey, Oscar Forman, Rick Rickert
36ers: John Gilchrist, Cortez Groves, Nathan Herbert, Jacob Holmes, Adam Ballinger
Bench
Breakers: Tony Ronaldson, Paul Henare, Dillon Boucher, Thomas Abercrombie, Corey Webster
36ers: Brad Hill, Darren Ng, David Cooper, Chris Molitor, Tom Garlepp
Current Record
Breakers 3-3, 3rd; 36ers 3-3, 4th
Recent Form
Breakers: Won 92-82 vs Crocodiles @ New Zealand
36ers: Lost 70-81 to Tigers @ Adelaide; Won 106-69 vs Taipans @ Cairns
Season Series
36ers lead 1-0
Talk about your Jekyll and Hyde performances.
One night, the 36ers are playing with absolutely zero passion, no energy and minimal intensity, going down meekly to a grossly undermanned Melbourne Tigers – what made matters worse is they disgraced themselves on their own home court, in a gym that has such a great history and such outstanding fans.
Legendary Adelaide scribe Boti Nagy called the effort discouraging, dismal, and debilitating. 36er coach Scott Ninnis said he could not believe how piss-weak his team was, calling what was served up by his group “an insipid performance”.
So what do the Sixers do for an encore? Just go up into enemy territory, on a floor where they haven’t had that much success over the years, and put the mother of all thrashings on the Cairns Taipans.
It was a shocking outcome given how uninspired and devoid of passion they were against the Tigers. But what it also showed is that when properly focused, Adelaide is as dangerous as anyone in the National Basketball League.
They got a 23 point, seven rebound, four assist contribution from the suddenly maligned John Gilchrist, who bounced back after a pair of sub-par performances, and 21 from his backcourt mate Cortez Groves to help utterly destroy the Taipans.
Brad Hill was also a nice surprise. The swingman has suffered through a variety of injuries over the past couple of years but showed with his 17 points – including a run of 10 in the opening six minutes – the reason many good judges were comparing him to another quality South Australian product, one Brad Newley, when he arrived as a rookie in 2005.
So will the good Sixers show up Thursday night against the Breakers?
They better, because this New Zealand team is oh so tough at home. They showed that yet again when they blasted the Townsville Crocodiles in the first half of their win last week in Auckland, withstanding a furious Croc comeback to record an impressive W.
The big story coming out of that game was just that – one Awvee Storey, who came alive offensively when the Breakers really needed it.
The former Milwaukee Buck poured in 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field, including five treys – that’s the kind of production New Zealand have needed from him ever since Kirk Penney went down.
And his import mate Rick Rickert also stepped up with a dominating performance inside, submitting a double double of 16 points and a massive 18 rebounds.
When those two are going like that, it takes so much pressure off CJ Bruton to score the ball – he can just choose his spots and pick apart a defence with a passing game that has always been underrated. Against the Crocs he dropped nine dimes and that is exactly what New Zealand coach Andrej Lemanis is looking for out of his star PG.
And if Penney makes his return from his back injury in this one, that’s just another weapon Lemanis can throw out there against a team that is defensively challenged at times.
The Schizophrenic Sixers. That’s what they’ll be calling this team after their weird Round Five. If the team that showed up against Cairns is the one that takes the court against New Zealand, they have a great chance to cause the upset and deal the Breakers their first home defeat on the season.
If however the undisciplined, unmotivated rabble that took the court against Melbourne is the one the Breakers will face this Thursday, then look out, because we’ll see another embarrassing butt-kicking laid on a 36er outfit still searching for an identity.
Regardless, I can’t go against New Zealand at home; despite the fact Adelaide does have a W against them this season. I think the Sixers will play hard, and the Gilchrist and Groves combination will cause some problems, but ultimately without Matt Burston up front they don’t have any counter for the Breakers’ overall size advantages, and that will cost them in the end.
New Zealand gets a closer than expected victory in this one.
Matt’s Prediction: Breakers by 4
Townsville Crocodiles vs Melbourne Tigers
Friday 30 October, Townsville Entertainment Centre, 7:30pm (local)
Projected Starters
Crocodiles: Corey Williams, Peter Crawford, Cameron Tovey, Stephen Hoare, Rolan Roberts
Tigers: Nathan Crosswell, Luke Kendall, Tommy Greer, Mark Worthington, Daniel Johnson
Bench
Crocodiles: Russell Hinder, Kelvin Robertson, Brad Williamson, Jeff Dowdell, Todd Blanchfield
Tigers: Sam Mackinnon, Daryl Corletto, Ryan Bathie, Tim Lang, Matt O’Hea
Current Record
Crocodiles 3-4, 5th; Tigers 2-4, 8th
Recent Form
Crocodiles: Lost 82-92 to Breakers @ New Zealand; Lost 77-99 to Hawks @ Wollongong
Tigers: Won 81-70 vs 36ers @ Adelaide
Season Series
Crocodiles lead 1-0
Townsville will be glad to get back to the Swamp for some home cooking after a series of road games set the Crocs back on their heels – especially last week.
They went to New Zealand full of confidence and Corey Williams was talking plenty of smack – the Croc point guard then had to eat a large serving of humble pie as his team was handled rather easily by the Breakers on Thursday night.
‘Homicide’ was a little more circumspect coming into the much-anticipated matchup with the high-flying Hawks in Wollongong on Saturday night.
He decided not to engage in much talking prior to the event – and a good job too as he submitted his worst performance of the season, a 1 for 10 stinker against brilliant Hawk floor general Tywain McKee, who kicked his behind all over the Sandpit to the delight of the Hawk faithful.
Williams has typically bounced back after a bad outing and you have to believe he’ll be burning up inside and anxious to set the record straight at the Swamp this Friday.
And it’s not fair to blame Townsville’s recent problems on him alone – Rolan Roberts is struggling to get into any kind of rhythm, Peter Crawford hasn’t produced much the past couple of games and the Crocs’ outside game has lately not looked great without Michael Cedar. They need their starting shooting guard back in the lineup as quickly as possible.
That all said, this is a perfect opportunity for Townsville to regain some form and confidence against a team they flat out dominated in their first meeting this season.
That game at the Cage was one of Melbourne’s worst home defeats in franchise history, a loss keyed by an excellent display from Williams, who tormented the four-time champions with a 19 point, seven assist, six rebound night and basically did whatever he wanted against a clueless Tiger defence.
That win was the game many believed thrust the Crocs into title contention, a performance that opened a lot of eyes and showed just how impressive this team could be.
However, they’ve gone just 1-2 since then and their last couple of losses have left them with some question marks.
Melbourne were shredded from the perimeter in their first meeting with Townsville, allowing the Crocs to shoot an incandescent 15 of 30 from beyond the arc as Brad Williamson and Russell Hinder rained down bombs with near-impunity.
If the Tigers are to turn that around they have got to do a better job of closing out on the Townsville shooters when they fall into their zone – which I would expect to see a lot in this game since Wollongong’s matchup zone caused all kinds of problems for the Crocs’ halfcourt offence last Saturday.
Melbourne needs to get the ball in Mark Worthington’s hands early and often, run wherever possible and pound the ball inside – with Roberts not that effective of late there is an opportunity for young Daniel Johnson and the other Tiger bigs to do some damage.
In the end though, Townsville will come into this game fresh and with a point to prove after the debacle last round. This will be the Tigers’ fourth game in nine days and fourth road game in their last five, so fatigue could be an issue. Look for the Crocs to attack right from tipoff and put as much pressure on Melbourne’s legs as possible.
If the Tigers grit their teeth and stay strong under the inevitable Townsville offensive barrage they could put some doubt into the minds of the home team and steal a win on the road, but I don’t see that happening.
I think an angry Homicide gets his mojo back and leads Townsville to a solid W.
Matt’s Prediction: Crocodiles by 8
Perth Wildcats vs Wollongong Hawks
Saturday 31 October, Challenge Stadium, 7:30pm (local)
Projected Starters
Wildcats: Damian Martin, Kevin Lisch, Stephen Weigh, Shawn Redhage, Luke Schenscher
Hawks: Tywain McKee, Mathew Campbell, Glen Saville, Larry Davidson, Cameron Tragradh
Bench
Wildcats: Martin Cattalini, Jesse Wagstaff, Brad Robbins, Drew Williamson, Sam Harris
Hawks: David Gruber, Tim Coenraad, Tim Behrendorff, Rhys Martin, Daniel Jackson
Current Record
Wildcats 4-2, 2nd; Hawks 4-1, 1st
Recent Form
Wildcats: Won 93-90 vs Tigers @ Perth
Hawks: Won 99-77 vs Crocodiles @ Wollongong
Season Series
Hawks lead 1-0
It’s funny that for the second week in a row I’m saying a game featuring the Wollongong Hawks has Game of the Week status, but that’s what happens when you are 4-1, leading the NBL, and heading into the most hostile environment imaginable in this country – the fearsome Jungle.
How can you not pump up this game featuring the league-leading Hawks on an absolute tear right now, facing their most significant test to date this season in the league’s most formidable arena?
Wollongong was outstanding last Saturday at the fortress known as the Sandpit, blowing Townsville away in an inspired 10 minute period in the first half and then putting their boot on the Crocs’ throat when they extended their lead to an amazing 33 points at one stage.
The one negative on the night was the Hawks losing a bit of focus in the final period and allowing Townsville’s Brad Williamson to shoot his team back into the contest – although it was hard to be critical on what was a great night for Wollongong basketball.
The man leading the charge is the spectacular Tywain McKee, who continues to go from strength to strength. He completely overshadowed Corey Williams in their duel and thrust himself right into the forefront of this season’s MVP discussion.
McKee now leads the league in scoring (21.8ppg) and steals (2.0spg) and is equal third in assists (4.0apg) and three point field goal percentage (50% from long distance). Aside from all those gaudy stats, the most impressive things about this young man are his innate unselfishness and a desire to keep working hard and improving.
Don’t believe me? If you get to a Hawks game, try and hang around after it’s over. You’ll see McKee hoisting jumpers and one free throw after another for at least half an hour after the game is done. This kid’s work ethic is off the charts and the rest of his team are following suit.
McKee will be the main focus for a Wildcat team that struggled to put away a gritty Tigers outfit last Sunday at a sold-out Jungle, which for some reason was not as feral as it usually is.
Maybe that had something to do with the fact Perth were facing a Melbourne team they were expected to dispatch with relative ease, but to their credit when it became obvious the Tigers weren’t going away, that awesome crowd went into full-throated attack mode and willed their team to the victory.
Kevin Lisch was the catalyst with a superb and undeniably clutch final period, in which he virtually put the rest of the team on his shoulders and carried them to the W. That performance should once and for all silence any doubters – the guy obviously has serious game.
Perth also got the usual solid contribution from Shawn Redhage, while Jesse Wagstaff did a fine job off the bench, Stephen Weigh had his moments early on and Damian Martin was his typical bulldog self at the defensive end of the floor.
One concern was the play of Luke Schenscher – sure he had 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting but he could only grab four rebounds and for much of the night was outplayed by the far less experienced Daniel Johnson. He needs to play a lot harder and a lot smarter for this Wildcat team moving forward.
Wollongong got the best of Perth in their home opener this season, but it was closer than it should have been. They won by a single bucket, surviving an amazing Perth fightback after dominating most of the game and seeing what would have been a go-ahead Weigh three rim out with less than two seconds remaining.
Perth would have taken a lot from that game – McKee was outstanding but the Cats know his tendencies now and should be able to prepare for them, especially with the Hawks on the backend of a home-away double.
Wollongong nailed 12 threes in that game so defending the perimeter must be a priority, especially when Mat Campbell comes off that staggered double screen from the baseline, and the Cats must do a job on the boards because Cam Tragardh and Larry Davidson have been excellent in attacking the offensive glass this season.
This is a game where we get to see how far the Hawks have truly progressed. Winning home games is one thing, and they’ve done that very well, but they still aren’t being talked about in the same breath as a New Zealand or a Perth so this is an opportunity to really showcase their credentials in a hostile gym.
Perth still have a few flaws defensively, and when Redhage isn’t on the floor can tend to bog down in the half court, but they will be extremely fired up for this game and looking to confirm their status as one of the elite teams in this league.
It will be interesting to see how the Hawks respond to the intense heat that Jungle crowd is going to put on them, and the Wildcats will be feeding off that energy.
In the end, it’s hard to go past the home team. Perth weren’t that great against Melbourne but I think they take it to another level against a team they have a lot of respect for.
It will be tough with no quarter asked nor given, but I see the Wildcats emerging triumphant in what is going to be a classic confrontation.
Matt’s Prediction: Wildcats by 3
Adelaide 36ers vs Cairns Taipans
Saturday 31 October, Distinctive Homes Dome, 7:30pm (local)
Projected Starters
36ers: John Gilchrist, Cortez Groves, Nathan Herbert, Jacob Holmes, Adam Ballinger
Taipans: Julien Mills, Phill Jones, Gary Boodnikoff, Dusty Rychart, Ian Crosswhite
Bench
36ers: Brad Hill, Darren Ng, David Cooper, Chris Molitor, Tom Garlepp
Taipans: Aaron Grabau, Richard Melzer, Kerry Williams, Dwayne Vale, Tony Rampton
Current Record
36ers 3-3, 4th; Taipans 3-4, 7th
Recent Form
36ers: Lost 70-81 to Tigers @ Adelaide; Won 106-69 vs Taipans @ Cairns
Taipans: Lost 63-80 to Blaze @ Gold Coast; Lost 69-106 to 36ers @ Cairns
Season Series
Tied 1-1
Taipan coach Aaron Fearne must be wondering why the basketball gods are giving him such a hard time at the moment.
His team is coming off two brutal losses – especially the last one at home on Saturday – and now he has to take his downtrodden unit on the road to face the league leader on their home floor, followed by this matchup against the very team that embarrassed them at the Snakepit.
Adelaide crushed the Taipans with an irresistible offensive attack – exactly the kind of performance we’ve been expecting from this very talented unit but haven’t really seen up till now.
Cairns had no answer to the 36ers’ import backcourt combo of John Gilchrist and Cortez Groves, couldn’t do anything with Brad Hill and were pounded on the glass by Jacob Holmes. Only Rich Melzer provided any kind of resistance as the Sixers ran riot.
So how can the Taipans turn it around? Well for starters, playing some D would help. They’ve given up an average of 93 points over their past two games – that equates to just over 111 on a per 48 minute basis – and giving Melzer some help offensively would be no bad thing either.
It will also help them dramatically if they see the Bad Sixers on Saturday night – inconsistency has been this team’s hallmark early on this season and there will still be question marks over their ability to get it done regularly until they prove otherwise.
Adelaide won’t have any excuses even though they will be coming off a game across the Tasman just 48 hours prior to this matchup – they get the Taipans on the second leg of a road double so there won’t be the same issues with fatigue you could point to as one reason for Cairns’ dismal performance last Saturday.
I’m expecting Gilchrist to play hard to prove that his last game at the Distinctive Homes Dome was an aberration, Groves to continue his aggressive forays to the bucket and Adam Ballinger to bounce back after what has, by his lofty standards, been a down period of late.
Cairns just doesn’t have the weapons nor the defensive structure to keep these Sixers at bay – provided of course the 36er squad who blew them away last Saturday is the team that shows up this week.
I’m betting that will be the case. Adelaide knows they need to win the home crowd’s faith back and they get this in another massacre.
Matt’s Prediction: 36ers by 20