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Sport Nation
The big question: How do the Crows' key units respond?
SEN • September 11th, 2025 4:17 pm
What is the biggest question facing each of the four Semi-Finalists?
Entering their do-or-die clashes in the second week of September, Adelaide, Hawthorn, Brisbane and Gold Coast have everything to play for to keep their premiership hopes alive.
So what do they need to get right, and what is their biggest concern that must be addressed to maximise their return?
SEN Breakfast co-hosts Garry Lyon and Tim Watson raised questions for all four sides approaching their elimination battles.
After finishing at the top of the AFL ladder, the Adelaide Crows were jumped by Collingwood, going down to a composed Magpie outfit despite a rowdy home crowd.
Falling by 24 points at Adelaide Oval, the minor premiers have plenty to answer for to avoid a straight-sets exit.
Watson: “Do the Adelaide Crows dismiss or reject the idea that (Max) Michalanney can play as a defensive forward?
“I think they should. I’m going to answer my own question. Send him back!”
Lyon: “If they structure it properly, and they play properly… they’ve got enough forwards that should occupy Hawthorn’s defence.”
Watson: “Riley Thilthorpe – he was the most spoken about player during the home and away season. He’s been listed as the number one player on Champion Data at different times throughout the course of the year. What are you expecting from him against Hawthorn?”
Lyon: “Throw himself at every aerial contest like his life depends on it!
“Because he didn’t throw himself like his life depended on it in any way, shape or form last week. It was surprising to watch.
“He’s not a weak player, he’s not soft, he’s not scared, he’s not iffy. I don’t know what happened to him last week. The Maynard mentality is what you need in finals. Strip it all back – he doesn’t defer to anyone, Brayden Maynard. He’ll knock three Collingwood blokes over if he has to to do what he has to do.
“It looked like Riley was going, ‘do I go back for this, or do I let someone else go back for it.’ A couple of times he ran under the ball. That’s not the Riley Thilthorpe (we know)… I watched him clunk marks all year!”
Watson: “I don’t know if (Darcy) Fogarty is 100 per cent fit, but when we talk about Adelaide, everyone talks about Tex, about Thilthorpe… does Fogarty do enough as the third tall?”
Lyon: “Throughout the year he has. He had a bad game.
“I thought Tex was easily the best of the three talls. Riley’s response is going to be interesting, like all of Adelaide.”
The Crows will take on Hawthorn on Friday night at Adelaide Oval. The winner meets Geelong in the Preliminary Final.
