Club Focus Adelaide Crows 2024

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Ticky009

Ticky009

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Data from footywire. To check the draft order see the thread here.

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How can you spend years down the bottom accumulating top draft picks and mid rebuild have a midfield profile of a side in the window.

Crouch, Dawson, Laird, Keays and O'Brien.
Ages 29, 27, 30, 27 and 29 by the end of the year.

Waiting in the wings... The even older and nearly cooked Rory Sloane.
The W/L record without Walker is concerning.

Adelaide are a bit of out of sight out of mind over here but seeing them get beat by a team with that midfield last night was surprising.
Doesn't look like they've prioritised elite midfielders at the draft and it shows.
 
Art Vandelay_ said:
How can you spend years down the bottom accumulating top draft picks and mid rebuild have a midfield profile of a side in the window.

Crouch, Dawson, Laird, Keays and O'Brien.
Ages 29, 27, 30, 27 and 29 by the end of the year.

Waiting in the wings... The even older and nearly cooked Rory Sloane.
The W/L record without Walker is concerning.

Adelaide are a bit of out of sight out of mind over here but seeing them get beat by a team with that midfield last night was surprising.
Doesn't look like they've prioritised elite midfielders at the draft and it shows.
Click to expand...
Keays isn't a midfielder and Sloane isn't best 22

But you're not wrong, We have Rachele, Rankine, Soligo, Pedlar, ect waiting for more midfield opportunity yet Nicks overrates and prioritizes Crouch, Laird and Berry who are old and/or have little hurt factor
 

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krrzr said:
Keays isn't a midfielder and Sloane isn't best 22

But you're not wrong, We have Rachele, Rankine, Soligo, Pedlar, ect waiting for more midfield opportunity yet Nicks overrates and prioritizes Crouch, Laird and Berry who are old and/or have little hurt factor
Click to expand...
McAsey & Jones over Butters & Serong/Day is literally the difference for the Crows.

Both for now, and the foreseeable future.
 
The Crows had a chance to draft Serong/Day (same draft) and Wang - Milera in a later draft but didn't.
They manage to turn good draft positions in to average players.
 
Adelaide prioritised defenders and forwards in their rebuild.
It's easier to find midfielders than KKP. We have an excellent young backline with Michaelanny, Curtin, Worrell, Keane etc, and the forward line has Fog, Rankine, Rochelle, Thilthorpe, Pedler and Cook. We get Welsh this year in the draft as well.

We have some good young mid prospects like Soligo and Dowling. We just need a couple of good mids and we are set.
 
Young Reid has a lot to answer for.
Let’s start with Ben Keays signed till at least the end of 2027 …
 
We have a heap of holes In our list at the moment and there should be massive flags with our recruiting and development teams.

We have drafted a heap of midfielders over the past 5-6 years but they all have very similar strengths and weaknesses and were mostly drafted with mid range picks so they all have clear limitations.

We also dont tend to rotate our midfield heavily through games or put trust into young players to come in and contribute in primary roles.

Players like Schoenberg, Berry, Jones, McHenry, Murphy, Pedlar, Rachele all show signs early on but then at best stagnate by playing in roles outside of their strengths mostly FP/HF while we prioritise Laird and Crouch in the midfield despite having little to no hurt factor.

We’ve also gone without drafting a ruck for years and have no depth there, we haven’t drafted a genuine small forward preferring players like Murphy and McHenry In this role despite not having any goal sense at all.

We have some good depth in our KPD at the moment but we don’t have any real small defenders to play around them and we are routinely cut up by our opponents small forwards.

We also don’t have much in the way of players who can run and carry the ball, outside of Rankine as most of our players are more stop and then kick rather than trying to break lines.

So lots to do before we become a serious competitor 😞
 

How a pre-season of optimism turned to misery in 14 weeks for Adelaide Crows​

In February, Crows chairman John Olsen said he couldn’t recall being more optimistic heading into a new season. ‘We’ve got the right people on and off the field,’ he said. MATT TURNER looks at exactly what’s happened since.

Adelaide Crows chairman John Olsen is on stage in Morphettville Racecourse’s function room when he looks at the seated audience and sets the tone for the club’s 2024 campaign.
“I can’t recall being as optimistic heading into a new season,” Olsen said on February 28.

“You might say, ‘why’?

Membership numbers are tracking much better than last year … ticket sales are already 50 per cent up from 12 months ago, we have eight new sponsors … and another five new corporate partners have extended their partnerships before a game was even played.

“All have seen the upside of the Adelaide Football Club and what we are building.

“We’ve got the right people on and off the field.

“Expectation is higher both internally and externally.

“We embrace it, we are not intimidated by it and we’ve got something to prove after that game at the end of the season last year.

“With Tex (Taylor Walker) playing like an All-Australian, we expect to play finals this year.”

Fourteen weeks after Olsen’s address at the Crows’ season launch, the club’s optimism has been replaced by misery.

Coach Matthew Nicks said after Thursday night’s home loss to a one-win Richmond that his team had no confidence and was in a “pretty dark spot” while conceding the club’s finals hopes were all but over.

Nicks had not looked that deflated post-match since the club’s wooden spoon season in 2020, his first year at the helm.

That campaign began with 13 consecutive losses, but there were green shoots late as Adelaide won three of its last four matches.

It was optimism about Nicks being a premiership coach in waiting that led the club to re-sign him in March – after round 1 – until the end of 2026.

Olsen defended that decision on Wednesday.

“We believed at the time, and still do, that (he) is the right coach for the Adelaide Football Club currently,” he said of the fifth-year mentor, who had led the club to bottom, 15th, 14th and 10th-placed finishes.

Just over 24 hours later, you wondered if Nicks would ever take this team to the top eight, let alone a flag as the club’s hierarchy envisioned.

This week was supposed to be one of celebration for the Crows after they finally received a green light to redevelop their proposed new home at Thebarton Oval.

But what the club has been building on-field looks like it is made with a house of cards.

Some of that is not of its own doing.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve played finals and, like every team, we will need our share of luck for that,” Olsen said at the season launch.

Nicks described a photo of Riley Thilthorpe as resembling a painting and said the 22-year forward had taken the next step after being in rare form over summer.

Three days later, Thilthorpe tore his lateral meniscus in his left knee in the club’s last pre-season trial, sidelining him until mid-year.

It was the Crows’ first gut punch of 2024.

They have not been able to replace him.

Warning signs arose in the season-opening away loss to Gold Coast when Adelaide had kicked just one goal to half-time.

The Crows – the highest scoring team of 2023 – were then goalless in the last term of a frustrating round-3 loss to Fremantle.

Wayne Milera’s season ended that day because of a patella tendon injury.

Soon, Adelaide was 0-4, before recovering to win three and draw one of its next five matches.

Then key defender Josh Worrell broke his arm last month just as he was having a breakout season.

Walker, who is coming off a second-place finish in the Coleman Medal and AFL team of the year honours, is not playing like an All-Australian but instead dealing with a back issue.

Star Izak Rankine has been out with a hamstring injury for a fortnight.

Revitalised midfielder Matt Crouch suffered a season-ending shoulder issue last week.

They might be used as excuses against a premiership contender at close to full strength.

But take a quick look at Richmond’s outs from Thursday night: Dustin Martin, Tom Lynch, Dylan Grimes, Jacob Hopper, Marlion Pickett.

Nicks’s season launch comment about how so much of the squad had improved, it was difficult to fit 28 into 23 now looks futile.

“It’s an exciting time for us because there’s are a lot of players I think have taken another step,” he said in February.

Outside of some of its key names, Adelaide’s team looked on paper – and played early – against the Tigers a little like its two-win SANFL side.

Olsen forecast this week that the Crows would play the youngest team of the round.

That happening five years into a rebuild is cause for concern.

Mentioning it pre-match, before the teams were even named, felt like a ready-made excuse.

Adelaide’s average age was 24.1, but the Tigers were not that much older at 24.9.

Several of the Crows’ brightest young prospects have stood still or gone backwards in 2024.

Defenders Max Michalanney and Worrell, and on-baller Jake Soligo are notable exceptions.

Luke Nankervis, James Borlase and Brayden Cook have improved, while Billy Dowling made a positive debut.

What about some of the others?

Speaking about this season in February, Olsen said: “The coaches are telling you Luke Pedlar is going to be a midfield star”.

Pedlar has featured just four times at AFL level, twice getting subbed off because of a shoulder problem.

In his two full games, he recorded a total of 18 disposals, two behinds and one tackle.

He was overlooked for AFL selection for a third straight match this week despite Adelaide’s injury woes as he returned from his shoulder issue.

Josh Rachele, one of the youngsters Olsen highlighted along with Pedlar, has been inconsistent.

Hard nut Sam Berry has been the substitute or subbed off in six of his eight AFL matches.

Olsen also praised Adelaide’s new-look leadership group at the season launch.

Four months on, two of them – ruckman Reilly O’Brien and small forward Lachlan Murphy – have spent time in the SANFL.

Vice-captain O’Brien was dropped this week, while Murphy played three state-league as he recovered from a knee issue.

Brodie Smith and Ben Keays are the other two vice-captains.

Smith is in the middle of a poor season and has perhaps been lucky to hold his spot this long and Keays’ form has dipped.

New leader Darcy Fogarty has played well over the past month – and impressively against the Tigers – but had a slow start to the year.

Captain Jordan Dawson, whom Olsen described in February as no fuss and all class, had also overcome an indifferent opening to 2024

“He lets his footy do the talking and has a laser-like focus on team performance,” Olsen said at the season launch.

Post-game on Thursday night, a dejected Dawson was the only player the Crows put up to face the music.

Typically, several players do the media rounds.

Keays fronted a press conference on Friday.

Chief executive Tim Silvers spoke later in the day, grilled about how they got here and what would happen next.

Olsen said in February the Crows had something to prove this year.

The only thing they have proven so far is that they are a hell of a long way from where they thought and hoped to be.

“We’ve got the right people on and off the field”, Olsen said four months ago.

It does not look like it right now.


 
Will the Crows trade up to ensure they get Draper? If Richmond truly think Draper is the best in the draft then they might pick him at 1. But if not, that puts North's pick in play for a trade up, or maybe even Richmond's if they want Langford over Smith or O'Sullivan.
 
I love it that every 5 or 6 years or so, the club implodes, they reflect, make some 'club defining changes' and in 5 years time its rinse and repeat.

Its hard to not lose interest when as a supporter base we can clearly see where things are falling down but the club just refuses to change them. It must be great being a cats supporter or a hawks supporter as they just have administrations that make the right decisions more often than not. Still, my side in the SANFL is flying high and might win a flag this year so thats where I am headed
 

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Crow till I die said:
I love it that every 5 or 6 years or so, the club implodes, they reflect, make some 'club defining changes' and in 5 years time its rinse and repeat.

Its hard to not lose interest when as a supporter base we can clearly see where things are falling down but the club just refuses to change them. It must be great being a cats supporter or a hawks supporter as they just have administrations that make the right decisions more often than not. Still, my side in the SANFL is flying high and might win a flag this year so thats where I am headed
Click to expand...

Both us and the Hawks are fortunate in that regard, Crows are unfortunate.
 
Johnny Bananas said:
Will the Crows trade up to ensure they get Draper? If Richmond truly think Draper is the best in the draft then they might pick him at 1. But if not, that puts North's pick in play for a trade up, or maybe even Richmond's if they want Langford over Smith or O'Sullivan.
Click to expand...
No, we will just take the best midfielder available with our 1st pick as there will he a good one availablem
 
If a club takes a player we like before our pick, there's not much we can do. There is no stand out this year like others. The Crows did everything to try and get JHF, as he was the stand out that year, but this year it isnt. While it would be good for the club to get local talent, I have no faith that Draper will be as good or better than the three picks either side of him.
 
Will young Reid double down in his pursuit of Petty now as he did previously with Gibbs ?
 
Red Bull said:
Will young Reid double down in his pursuit of Petty now as he did previously with Gibbs ?
Click to expand...

Petty signed a significant extension a little while back


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
I think Adelaide will be okay if they can land a couple of the players that appear to be available whilst holding on to their first pick in this draft. The biggest list needs in my opinion are:

1. Wingman. Scholl has had a really good back half of the season and is fine if he can keep up that standard but they are lacking someone on the other wing. Cummings is not the best player going around but he would be a perfect fit for Adelaide, addressing their biggest deficiency.

2. Midfield. An established gun midfielder would be nice but I think Adelaide would be just as well served with one of the real top level midfielder at the draft. Their current pick looks in prime position to draft one.

3. Ruck. O'Brien is fine but there is really no pressure coming from below and no young ruck in waiting. Surely this will need to be addressed this year, either at the draft, trade table or both.

4. Midfield depth. This is something that won't be entirely addressed in one off-season but the midfiled depth will need to be continually added to over the coming years. This can be done via the draft. Rachelle and Pedlar looked at one point like they might become gun midfielders but are looking more like long term forwards now. Schoenberg, Berry and Taylor are around the edge of selection and ideally next season will be replaced with Curtin, Edwards and this year's first draft pick but there will need to be new midfielders to take their places on the list and to be developing in the SANFL.

5. Key Defender. This is an interesting one because they have 4 key defenders who are all good enough to be playing regular AFL football in Keane, Butts, Murray and Borlase. None of those are stars though, so despite the depth being strong, it's not an area of strength within the best 22. Curtin could be that star down the track but it appears that plan A is to develop him as a midfielder. This is not something that needs to be adressed urgently but would be nice at some point. Worrall looks very good as a third tall.

6. Key Forward. Adelaide are in an enviable position here having Thilthorpe and Fogarty along with the potential of Walker going around again, Welsh or Gollant, who I think could have a decent career as a third fiddle forward. The only reason that I mention this is that Lukosius appears to be a genuine possibility and would compliment Thilthorpe and Fogarty perfectly. Being able to lock in 3 key forwards for the next 6 years would be a very strong position to be in.

7. Small defender/forward. This is not a concern at either end of the ground regarding quality or depth. Milera and Ryan back and Pedlar forward should come into the 22 next year which will strengthen it further. A developing small forward would be welcome but not a high priority.

1, 2, 3 and 6 could all be addressed by Cummings, Lukosius and Adelaide's current draft hand. That should result in an improvement and would be a very successful off-season. It would mean that next years draft hand suffers though, which probably makes the midfield depth issue worse going forward. Obviously, that is all not necessary going to happen but I think some of Adelaide's issues can't be solved at the draft alone. So they will need to bring in some players via trade or free agency in order to improve.
 
They get Draper with their first this year.
I'm not sure there's much wrong with their list, if they'd won a few close ones early they'd be playing finals. Lukiscous shouldn't be on their radar really.

I'd be looking for at Bryan from essendon as a ruck trade.
 

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Club Focus Adelaide Crows 2024

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