Game notes from Adelaide's opening round NAB Cup wins against Carlton and Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday. 

The barrel is back …

Defender Matt Jaensch set up one of the plays of the day in the first half of the Crows clash with Carlton on Sunday. After Blues forward Jeff Garlett missed a set shot from the boundary line at the southern end in the first half, designated kicker Jaensch prepared to bring the ball back into play. Instead of pin-pointing a teammate to avoid a turnover in Adelaide’s back half, the booming right footer unloaded a ‘torpedo’, which travelled in excess of 60m and into the centre square. The ball caught the Blues players off-guard and landed at the feet of debutant Jarryd Lyons, who rushed a kick to Jared Petrenko. The end-to-end play, resulted in Tom Lynch’s first goal for the Club and pleased coach Brenton Sanderson, who after the game revealed he’d given his defenders the license to unleash a barrel to try to break up an opposition team’s zone. However, the torpedo kick isn’t always an exact science. Mature-age rookie Tim McIntyre tried his luck with a ‘torp’ in the second half of the match against the Power, but couldn’t execute properly and the ball skewed off his boot.

… As is long kicking in general …

Under Sanderson, the Crows showed a willingness to take risks and kick long to a one-on-one contest. Adelaide lost the possession count (-42 to Carlton and -21 to Port Adelaide) in both matches at AAMI Stadium. Slippery conditions in the second game were conducive to long kicking, but the players showed a preference to move the ball on quickly by foot rather than trying to pinpoint short passes wide of the mark throughout the course of the afternoon. Another noticeable improvement was the team’s defensive pressure and ability to win the contested ball, with the exception of a lapse early in the match against Carlton.

Eighteen months on the sidelines has not dented Sam Shaw’s courage …

Shaw sent a shudder through the crowd in the opening 20 seconds of his Crows debut against Port Adelaide, narrowly avoiding a nasty head clash. The versatile defender got low to the ground to gather a loose ball and came within centimetres of colliding heavily with Power forward Daniel Stewart, who tried to slow himself to avoid collecting a vulnerable Shaw with his legs. Unfazed by the near-miss, the 193cm, 88kg, backman risked further contact when he floated across the pack to take a strong mark only 10 minutes later. In another positive sign for the Club moving forward, inexperienced defender Daniel Talia also showed great composure, taking the spot of injured star Ben Rutten at full-back.

New homes for Brent Reilly and Ricky Henderson … ?

Reilly finished last season at half-back, so it was no surprise to see the veteran reprise that role in the opening round of the NAB Cup, but Henderson’s shift to defence was less predictable. After starting his career as a forward, the athletic basketball convert was released onto a wing in the latter part of 2012 and it now appears as though he’s trying to add a defensive string to his bow.

Ian Callinan and Tim McIntyre both have genuine claims on the vacant rookie-upgrade spot …

Callinan showed his undeniable class with a clever left-foot snap against Carlton in the first game. Not to be outdone, McIntyre made an impression when he was introduced in the second match. Switching between the midfield and forward line, the 22-year-old followed up a promising performance in Adelaide’s intra-club match with seven touches and a goal against the Power.

Rory Sloane is a must for your Dream Team midfield …

After sitting out Adelaide’s first game against Carlton, Sloane’s eyes would’ve lit up when the saw rain start to tumble in the lead-up to the Club’s second hit-out against the Power. The hard-nosed midfielder amassed a game-high 12 possessions and a goal against Port Adelaide, including seven touches in a dominant first half that lasted little more than 15 minutes. He finished the match with 51 Dream Team points - 20 points clear of the next-best Crow, Tim McIntyre (31) - and priced at $429,500 is a unique option for your midfield.

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