2008 Adelaide Football Club season

December 2017 December 2017 Adelaide Football Club 2008 120px Adelaide's guernsey for the 2008 season Bill SandersAustralian Associated Press Rob Chapman appointed Crows chairman WAtoday 2008-12-12 http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/afl-news/rob-chapman-appointed-crows-chairman-20091124-j37f.html 2010-04-09 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110706113503/http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/afl-news/rob-chapman-appointed-crows-chairman-20091124-j37f.html 2011-07-06 Neil Craig Simon Goodwin AAMI Stadium Pre-season competition Runners up AFL season 5th Finals series Elimination final Best and Fairest Nathan Bock Brett Burton (34) 45,524 vs. (6 April 2008) 35,649 vs. (18 May 2008) 40,678 2007 2009The 2008 AFL season was the Adelaide Football Club's 18th season in the Australian Football League (AFL). Playing list changes In Tony Armstrong (draft pick 58), Myke Cook (draft pick 38), Patrick Dangerfield (draft pick 10), Jarrhan Jacky (draft pick 30), Aaron Kite (draft pick 71), Brad Moran (traded from for draft pick 37), Andy Otten (draft pick 27), Brad Symes (traded from for draft pick 28), Taylor Walker (draft pick 75) Rookie Ed Curnow (rookie draft pick 40), Brodie Martin (rookie draft pick 52), James Moss (rookie draft pick 9), Jared Petrenko (rookie draft pick 25) Out Rhys Archard, Matthew Bode, John Hinge, Ben Hudson (traded to ), Andrew McIntyre, Martin Mattner (traded to for draft pick 28), John Meesen (traded to for draft pick 37), Ian Perrie, Darren Pfeiffer, Mark Ricciuto (retired), Jason Torney, James Turner, Scott Welsh NAB Cup 2008 NAB Cup The pre-season competition provided much hope for Adelaide fans stemming from their team's progression to the Grand Final. Adelaide was initially able to beat the more fancied in Dubai, before accounting for and (both at home at AAMI Stadium). Adelaide had kicked more supergoals than their to-be opposition and so was given the privilege of hosting the NAB Cup Grand Final. It was the second time in three years, and 5th time overall, that the Crows had reached the pre-season cup final. However they were unable to defeat St Kilda, losing by five points. The match was heavily criticised by some in the Victorian media for having the lowest crowd attendance for a pre-season grand final in history. In particular Adelaide fans were criticised for not attending their team's home final; though most media outlets spreading this criticism neglected to take into account the extreme heat.Saints win NAB Cup http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=56004 https://web.archive.org/web/20080310003452/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=56004 2008-03-10 dead 2009-04-17 Despite their narrow loss, fans saw glimpses of the future for the club. The rejuvenated midfield, replacing ageing champions such as Tyson Edwards and Simon Goodwin, freeing them to move into the forward line. A new forward line thus emerged, featuring young key position forwards James Sellar and Kurt Tippett – both tipped to lead Adelaide's attack in the new era – along with the addition of veterans Andrew McLeod, Edwards and Goodwin to provide experience and quality in what had long been Adelaide's weakness. Home and away season 2008 Season ResultsRoundDateOpponentVenue (H/A)ScoreLadder PositionPercentageW/L123 MarchTelstra Dome (A)18.15 (123) – 19.12 (126)997.620–1229 MarchAAMI Stadium (H)21.7 (133) – 8.9 (57)6139.891–136 AprilAAMI Stadium (H)12.13 (85) – 11.13 (79)5130.152–1413 AprilAurora Stadium (A)10.10 (70) – 17.12 (114)6109.312–2519 AprilAAMI Stadium (H)12.16 (88) – 10.11 (71)5111.633–2626 AprilMCG (A)16.15 (111) – 11.15 (81)4115.534–273 MayAAMI Stadium (H)15.17 (107) – 11.8 (74)4119.105–2818 MayAAMI Stadium (H)22.18 (150) – 11.8 (74)4128.256–2924 MaySubiaco Oval (A)5.17 (47) – 14.13 (97)4118.246–31030 MayAAMI Stadium (H)9.20 (74) – 10.9 (69)4117.347–3117 JuneMCG (A)22.14 (146) – 14.12 (96)4120.908–31214 JuneAAMI Stadium (H)10.12 (72) – 11.10 (76)5118.938–41321 JuneThe Gabba (A)10.10 (70) – 11.17 (83)5116.328–5144 JulyAAMI Stadium (H)8.8 (56) – 18.16 (124)6109.098–61512 JulyMCG (A)11.8 (74) – 15.16 (106)6105.958–71620 JulyAAMI Stadium (A)11.14 (80) – 13.14 (92)9104.728–81726 JulySCG (A)11.11 (77) – 6.17 (53)7106.189–8183 AugustAAMI Stadium (H)13.16 (94) – 12.14 (86)6106.3510–81910 AugustAAMI Stadium (H)16.12 (109) – 6.9 (45)6110.1111–82016 AugustTelstra Dome (A)19.15 (129) – 10.13 (73)6113.0112–82124 AugustTelstra Dome (A)6.11 (47) – 13.17 (95)6109.6012–92230 AugustAAMI Stadium (H)10.16 (76) – 9.13 (67)5109.7413–9 2008 AFL season The season got off to an anticlimactic start in a high-scoring shootout at the Telstra Dome as the Crows went down to the by three points, when Nathan Bock missed a set shot to win the game on the final siren.Johnson heroics send Dogs to all-time high The club surprised many by thrashing a highly-rated in round 2 at home, winning by 76 points.Crows smash hoodoo Round 3 was a heavily anticipated Showdown, playing a side which had lost the first two rounds of the season. With the Crows having won six of their last seven Showdowns, a win in Showdown XXIV would square the ledger with 12 victories each. The Crows managed to attain a 22-point in the final quarter, before Port made one last scoring surge. However, the Crows held firm and won by six points to a home crowd of over 45,000.Winged Crows fly on The following week, round 4, Adelaide struggled in a 44-point loss to in Launceston. They bounced back to win four straight games afterwards, helped by three of those being played at home.Super Hawks too good for Crows Round 5 saw a 17-point win over ,Crows hold off Freo Round 6 a 30-point win over at the MCG,Crows too classy Round 7 a 33-point win over ,Crows outclass North and Round 8 a 76-point thrashing of .Crows destroy Demons After the win against Melbourne, Adelaide stood 5–0 at home for the first time in its history. The Crows looked to continue their winning streak against a struggling West Coast in a tough trip to Subiaco Oval in Round 9. However, inaccurate kicking cost and a slow start cost the Crows dearly. Adelaide lost by 50 points to a team they defeated by 76 points only seven rounds previously.Eagles crush Crows at Subi In round 10, Adelaide overcame in a close and hard-fought match, winning by five points at home. Brett Burton was reported for a head-high bump to Essendon's Henry Slattery and accepted a two-match ban by the AFL's match-review committee.Crows in cliff-hanger Round 11 saw the Crows return to the MCG to face an under-performing . Continuing a worrying trend in matches away from home, Adelaide started slowly and were fortunate to only trail by 14 points at half-time. After the long-break, however, the Crows woke from their slumbering style and proceeded to kick 15 goals to five in the second half, to run out easy winners by 50 points.Crows crush fading Tigers At the halfway point in the season, Adelaide had an 8–3 record with a percentage of 120.9, and sat two points clear of in fourth spot. Round 12 saw Adelaide lose a tight encounter against at home by four points. Hawthorn player Luke Hodge kicked the winning goal in the dying minutes. It was Hawthorn's third away win against Adelaide, but their first since an infamous 97-point thrashing in Round 9, 1994. Adelaide dropped to fifth on the premiership ladder after the loss.Hawks win, but Buddy is in the bookSeptember 2021 medicmedic Adelaide slipped to 8–5 after losing to at the Gabba by 13 points in round 13. Although leading by 12 points at half-time, and two at three-quarter time, Adelaide were outrun by Brisbane in the last term. The Crows couldn't get their forward structure despite the return of Burton from suspension.Lions outlast Crows In Round 14, Adelaide were visited by league leaders and promptly defeated by 68 points. Adelaide were never in the contest, scoring only one point in the first quarter.Top Cats crush Crows In round 15, Adelaide travelled to face at the MCG. The Crows led by as much as 22 points midway through the second term but faded after half-time to lose by 32. This was the first time the team had lost four games in a row under coach Neil Craig. Added to the loss were injuries to Burton (knee) and Porplyzia (shoulder), the former of which would end his season.Top four in reach for Pies In front of the smallest crowd in Showdown history, Adelaide lost its return game against Port Adelaide by 12 points in round 16. Adelaide slipped out of the top eight after this loss, which was their fifth loss in a row.Crows 'Powered' out of top eight https://web.archive.org/web/20110524173210/http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=63519 2011-05-24 Adelaide then faced Sydney at the SCG in round 17 as underdogs, even though they had a dominant record over the Swans since 2002. Adelaide were inspired by the sudden return of Porplyzia, who kicked five goals, bringing home a 24-point win. Adelaide had now won nine of its past 10 games against Sydney.Crows strangle Swans at the SCG https://web.archive.org/web/20080726141739/http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=64016 2008-07-26 Dominant second and third quarters, where they kicked 11 goals to five, helped Adelaide to a tight eight-point win over Carlton at AAMI Stadium in their round 18 clash. Brad Moran notably popped up with four goals at full-forward, a move that was forced by a heavy knock to Jason Porplyzia in the second term, which redislocated his shoulder. At the end of the round, the Crows sat in sixth place with a 10–8 win/loss ratio.Crows hold out Blues https://web.archive.org/web/20080805095146/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=64493 2008-08-05 In a 63-point win against Richmond in Round 19, Andrew McLeod celebrated his 300th game in difficult wet conditions. Adelaide handled the ball far better than the Tigers, kicking 7.2 to 0.1 in the second term to lead by nine goals at half-time. As a result, the Crows held on to sixth spot on the AFL ladder, four points clear of Collingwood.Crows stay in hunt for top four https://web.archive.org/web/20080813054159/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=65000 2008-08-13 Adelaide then travelled to the Telstra Dome to play Essendon in Round 20. After the game was a low-scoring slog for the first quarter and a half, the Crows broke away to win by 56 points. Key forward Nick Gill finally delivered on much promise, booting five goals. Controversial draftee Patrick Dangerfield also debuted. The win guaranteed the Crows a place in the finals. After a win by North Melbourne over Carlton, Adelaide sat in fifth position with 48 points and a percentage of 113.01. This was notably the first time Adelaide had defeated Essendon in Melbourne, after 11 attempts spread over 17 years.Crows break Bomber hoodoo https://web.archive.org/web/20080817130438/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=65640 2008-08-17 A return to the Telstra Dome in Round 21 saw the Crows play against a looking to confirm a finals position with a win. After quarter time, Adelaide only kicked three goals to St Kilda's 12 to lose by 48 points. The loss meant Adelaide slipped to sixth on the ladder.Victorious Saints go seventh https://web.archive.org/web/20080827004224/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=65962 2008-08-27 In the final round, Adelaide knocked off the Western Bulldogs by nine points in wet conditions at AAMI Stadium. It was their fifth win in six games. The win initially moved Adelaide into the top four, but St Kilda's 108-point win over Essendon the next day dropped Adelaide from fourth to fifth spot. This meant a home elimination final against Collingwood, instead of an away qualifying final against Geelong; losing the double-chance.Crows into fourth https://web.archive.org/web/20080901234344/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=66473 2008-09-01 Finals 2008 AFL finals series The fifth spot finish proved costly as the Crows continued their poor home record against Collingwood and were defeated in the elimination final by 31 points. Scott Stevens was brilliant and kicked six goals as Adelaide trailed for most of the game but threatened Collingwood with a final quarter comeback. However, Collingwood pulled away with unselfish team play as Adelaide faltered. Nathan Bassett played his last game and came out onto the ground after the game to have a kick with the fans.Pies raid Crows' nest https://web.archive.org/web/20080906210006/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=67029 2008-09-06 Statistics Team Highest score22.18 (150) vs in round 8 Lowest score5.17 (47) vs in round 9, and 6.11 (47) vs in round 21 Highest ladder position4 after rounds 6–11 Lowest ladder position9 after rounds 1 and 16 Highest percentage139.89 after round 2 Lowest percentage97.62 after round 1 Home W/L record9–2 Away W/L record4–7 Final Score for287.295 (2017) – rank 13 Final Score against260.278 (1838) – rank 2 Individual Most gamesAFLStats http://afltables.com/afl/stats/2008.html https://web.archive.org/web/20090504141111/http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/2008.html 2009-05-04 live 2009-04-17 23 – Nathan Bassett, Nathan Bock, Michael Doughty, Tyson Edwards, Simon Goodwin, Scott Stevens, Scott Thompson and Nathan van Berlo Most kicks 335 – Nathan Bock; 306 – Tyson Edwards Most handballs264 – Michael Doughty; 254 – Scott Thompson Most disposals556 – Scott Thompson; 503 – Michael Doughty Most hit-outs274 – Ivan Maric; 202 – Jonathon Griffin Most tackles109 – Scott Thompson; 84 – Robert Shirley Most marks 162 – Nathan Bock; 159 – Scott Stevens Most goals34 – Brett Burton; 33 – Simon Goodwin References 2008 Category:2008 AFL season Category:2008 in sport in Adelaide