Cats' empire alive and well: Sando

Adelaide Crows coach Brenton Sanderson at training on Friday. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE coach Brenton Sanderson has warned his former club Geelong remains one of the challengers for this year's premiership and predictions of a demise to the Cats empire were premature.

Sanderson, who played 199 games for the Cats and was an assistant coach before taking the Adelaide job last season, will use the Cats as a benchmark as the Crows face them at Simonds Stadium today.

Geelong and St Kilda have been predicted as possible sliders in the competition this season but Sanderson, who is still well-connected among the Cats, thinks differently.

The match comes as Sanderson trims down his squad to settle ahead of the home-and-away season and is starting to search for indications of players' true form.

In Geelong, he expects a side that is far from sinking. "They are (still a benchmark)," Sanderson said. "They're dangerous. I think they'll be a top-four side again this year.

"We had a look at them this morning as a coaching group and you put up their best 25 . . . they're still very strong.

"There's been some significant retirements over the past two or three years but they're still strong. They're going to be a good side."

Sanderson believed the Crows were placed as well this year as last season.

After a couple of summers horribly marred by injury under Neil Craig, the Crows will again head into the season with a healthy list.

The greatest difference is how the club is seen from the outside: as one of the fancies, rather than a team in a rebuilding phase under a new coach.

"The expectations are certainly different this year, and that's coming from internal and external (sources)," Sanderson said. "And it's red-hot for spots this year.

"You're going to have be in good form to play in this 22 and that's how it should be.

"I've been really happy with our pre-season.

"Our boys look great - they look fit. We've just made a couple of little adjustments to how we play.

"At times, it's looked frustrating to our coaches and our supporters in the first two weeks but hopefully we'll settle that down in the next two weeks and settle down for round one."

Adelaide is set to add class to both the backline and the midfield today after naming Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Ben Rutten and Brent Reilly for the first time this year.

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