List summary:
Adelaide had the year from hell but you could probably blame more of that on Collected Minds and bad luck with injury than their list. They might have lost Jake Lever last year but Tom Doedee slotted straight in and Bryce Gibbs did exactly what it says he does on the box. Wayne Milera took a massive leap forward in his development and half-back Rory Laird only gets better.
The Crows have a few concerns among their ageing players. Sam Jacobs needs support in the ruck and only has a few years left. Eddie Betts is slowing down and also missed Charlie Cameron’s support.
More midfield depth is also needed with Brad Crouch often injured, Richard Douglas finishing up and concerns over Sloane’s foot injuries.
List changes:
Adelaide delisted the pair of former father-sons Jackson Edwards and Ben Jarman. Harry Dear was also let go while Curtly Hampton and Sam Gibson retired.
Draft picks:
Adelaide hold national draft picks 7, 15, 19, 37, 69 and 79.
Draft target:
Tyson Stengle from the Richmond Tigers has nominated Adelaide as his club of choice. The small forward would no doubt benefit from learning under one of the game’s greats in Betts.
Trade target:
Connor Rozee could well be in Adelaide’s sights for selection with pick 7. The South Australian native is a midfield utility who takes a strong mark and hits the scoreboard. Rozee has elite athleticism as shown at the AFL Combine where he recorded an 88cm running left foot jump (3rd overall) and a 2.91 second 20m sprint (2nd overall).
Best case scenario:
The best case scenario for Adelaide is that they get overs for the departing Mitch McGovern from Carlton and either land another elite midfielder or end up with a second top 10 draft pick. This would allow them to potentially take two of the highly rated South Australian prospects (Rankine, Lukosius and Rozee).
