CROWS coach Neil Craig says Fremantle’s all-out approach to last week’s quarter-final was a welcome ‘reality check’ for his playing group ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Hawthorn.
The Crows struggled to cope with the Dockers’ relentless pressure and fierce tackling in the first quarter and trailed by as much as 23 points before their own high-intensity game kicked in.
Craig put his troops through a series of tackling drills at the club’s main training session on Wednesday and said it was important the Crows created a pressure-cooker environment for the visiting Hawks this week.
“I thought Fremantle’s pressure on us early last week was fantastic and we took a long time to adjust to it,” Craig said.
“We’d like to think that, this week, we can exert that same sort of pressure back on the opposition as well, so that it's not just one-way traffic.
“It was a good thing to take out of the game, because early in the year, you don’t get exposed to that sort of pressure at training or, sometimes, in the NAB Cup either.
“But that game was close to AFL speed and standard and it was a good reality check for our guys.”
Craig described the impending clash with Hawthorn as nearly the “perfect game” to determine how the Crows are travelling compared to a side that is expected to feature in finals.
“I think it's great opposition for us,” he said.
“Hawthorn is in great shape and their form this year suggests they’re going to continue to improve. They’ve got great talent in their squad and I think they’re really well coached as well.
“It’s the next game that we need, if you like, for us to get some more information on our table about where we are at.”
The winner of Saturday night’s NAB Cup semi-final will take on the victor of the St Kilda and Essendon clash in the grand final.
The Crows are preparing for the game against Hawthorn with the same “experimental” approach that they have applied all pre-season, but Craig said making it to the NAB Cup grand final would be a “huge bonus” for the club’s young players.
“There have been seven or eight brand new faces in the side over the last couple of weeks and if we can create that grand final opportunity for them, it will be a huge bonus for us,” he said.
“How good would it be for our relatively inexperienced midfield to be able to play in a grand final?
“Apart from the money aspect involved with winning, which is significant now in the NAB Cup, the experience factor in those conditions is something you can’t buy and you’ve got to be good enough to get there.”
