Analysis Have the Crows botched their rebuild?

[Blackhawk42]

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be being a Crows fan.

I've been calling for Dowling and Taylor to get games all season and now they're finally in and performing. Taken way too long.

 

[HTPunter]

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be being a Crows fan.

I've been calling for Dowling and Taylor to get games all season and now they're finally in and performing. Taken way too long.

Crows playing Brodie Smith, Saints playing Zak Jones at this point in the season boggles the mind.
Both uncontracted & would be crazy to think either get another year. And then it’s not even a “need experience” decision really, Saints have in the vicinity of half their team being 100+ gamers, Crows have a few less but still would have thought mixing up the half back/wing plays would have been smart at this point in the season.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

your teams backline worked well Against Ross Lyons saints tonight.

Another new debutant in Bond did a good job keeping the Saints leading goal kicker quiet.

Out issue is that Nicks can't really coach & has not prioritised top end young talent.

Curtin has only played 1 game... surely comes in next week after clearly BOG for sanfl.

 

[Jibroni]

There still recovering from the 2018 and 19 drafts plus the Bryce Gibbs trade. A few holes on their list that still need filling.

 

[BACCS]

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be being a Crows fan.

I've been calling for Dowling and Taylor to get games all season and now they're finally in and performing. Taken way too long.

Curtin has also started playing as a full-time midfielder in the SANFL finally over the last 2 weeks, was comfortably our best player yesterday and in the top 5 players on the ground against the top ranked side Norwood. It's taken a while to get here, but finally seeing some of our younger talent utilised in their best positions.

 

[Taper]

There still recovering from the 2018 and 19 drafts plus the Bryce Gibbs trade. A few holes on their list that still need filling.

Sanctions from Kurt Tippett are still biting them too.
Players from those drafts are currently at the peak of their powers, eg Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli.

 

[Freomaniac]

Another new debutant in Bond did a good job keeping the Saints leading goal kicker quiet.

Out issue is that Nicks can't really coach & has not prioritised top end young talent.

Curtin has only played 1 game... surely comes in next week after clearly BOG for sanfl.

Crows backline did well as I predicted. Then again it was wet so expect a low scoring game vs most sides.

Your opponents had Ross Lyon as a coach so it was low scoring regardless of the weather LoL.

But yeah I said this many times. Crows need one or 2 elite inside mids and the crows would improve by at least 20-30 percent LoL

 

[ChairmanZia]

Not botched just stagnated, again, the curse of rise up the ladder too quickly.

They have to go down again and rise again.

 

[Trent the flight Steward]

I think their list profile is pretty good. I'd expect Rachelle to bounce back and have a big year next year.
They need a ruck, I'd think Darcy is gettable for them. I'd also have a real crwck at ldu at North. I'd trade thillithorpe Berry and worrall for him

 

[Freomaniac]

Rate in what way? Where do you see Fogarty getting to?

He's pretty consistent. 10 disposals and a goal per game.

So far Fogarty had kicked 29 goals and 13 behinds from 17 games this season. Far from useless.

 

[NetworkNerd]

Thilthorpe taking the next step as a key forward is pivotal for Adelaide to become a finals contender again. Walker will play 1 more year at best.

Being an Adelaide lad, he wont be going anywhere so the club needs to get him right and get him kicking 2-3 goals a game

 

[NetworkNerd]

I think their list profile is pretty good. I'd expect Rachelle to bounce back and have a big year next year.
They need a ruck, I'd think Darcy is gettable for them. I'd also have a real crwck at ldu at North. I'd trade thillithorpe Berry and worrall for him

Reilly O'Brien not good enough? He averages 40 hitouts a game and had 51 on the weekend just gone

 

[Trent the flight Steward]

Reilly O'Brien not good enough? He averages 40 hitouts a game and had 51 on the weekend just gone

He got dropped for straughnie a month ago

 

[Cleric]

A couple of weeks is a long time in the AFL commentary world.
The Crows haven't botched their rebuild, they are still at the final part of the rebuild.
Let's have a look at their list.
1. Riley Thillthorpe.
Easily one if the best big forward prospects in the game. Injuries have held him back, but there isn't anyone standing ahead of him as far as potential. Remember, you are drafting for potential.
2. Izak Rankine

23

Izak Rankine

Age

24

Ht

181cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

2.0

5star

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

2.0

5star

D

13.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

5star

G

2.0

5star

.
Again, easily one of the best talents in the game. The best small forward, and with more midfield time, maybe on the top 5 players.
3. Max Michaelanny.
Came straight into the team after being drafted. An absolute rock in defence and has not missed a beat. He can play on smalls, talls and is a great intercept for his size.
4. Darcy Fogherty.
Again, a really talented player who is getting more consistent game by game. Is capable of anything.
5. Brayden Cook
Has shown that he has a good future, and when you go back and watch his Jr highlights you will see how freakish his skills are. Came late to the game, and is building.
6. Josh Rachele.
Again, has shown what he is capable of. Consistency is what he needs to bring, but if he wanted to leave the Crows, every team would be lining up to try and get him.
7. Jake Soligo.
Another young talent that has shown he belongs at the highest level of the game.
8. Luke Peldler.
Luke has been smashed by injuries, but again has shown what he is capable of. He can kick goals in the forward line, and will transition to the midfield.
9. Luke Nankervis.
Starting to show what he is capable of.
Another good young mid prospect.
10. Josh Worrell
Prior to breaking his arm, he was a revelation in the backline.
11. Jordan Dawson

12

Jordan Dawson

Age

27

Ht

191cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.0

4star

K

11.4

4star

HB

5.7

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.8

4star

CL

0.6

3star

D

15.7

4star

K

10.9

4star

HB

4.9

3star

M

2.9

3star

T

2.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

D

11.8

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

CL

0.6

3star

.
Absolute gun. Will be AA in the future
12. Mark Keane.
Has slotted in well to the backline. So much so poor old Collingwood are trying to get him back.
13. Billy Dowling.
In the side and showing what he is capable of. He is a kid who can get 30+ in a game, and kick multiple goals.
14. Daniel Curtin.
Is going to be a great backline player when he kicks on. There's a reason West Coast offered Adelaide their first pick this year for hom, and a reason why Adelaide knocked it back.

Honourable mentions to Murray, Hinge and Sam Berry who have all had some good games.

Only an idiot thinks that's not a great group to bring in for a rebuild.

 

[boncer34]

At the risk of having my post bumped when the Crows inevitably win tonight.

That's an incredibly rose glasses view Cleric

 

[Cam Payne]

They are still paying the price of having Don Pyke in charge.

 

[Cleric]

At the risk of having my post bumped when the Crows inevitably win tonight.

That's an incredibly rose glasses view Cleric

Not really, I just have seen alot of them.
Let's just take two players.
Luke Pedler.
He played a number of.games last year and played really well.
He has had alot of injury interruptions recently, but he hasn't lost his ability.
Everyone was talking him up last year.

Then I will bring up Brayden Cook.
He has been playing well, and just got an extension. He came late to football, and in his draft year he spent half of it playing for his local suburban club with his school friends.
Watch his highlights and you will see hi talent, and then when you watch his AFL games you will see some of those same abilities shown from time to time. This will become more common as he gets games under his belts.

 

[ChairmanZia]

No need for mass essays here, crows are suffering the classic 'rebounding up the ladder too quickly'.

Afl ladder system particularly punishes this type of rise in that they raise the difficulty of the draw significannt if you rose from 17th to 9th.

Just rise the wave, fall when its needed, get a top 5 pick, trade/cut some dead wood and slowly rise up the ladder.

 

[Cleric]

As I said, a couple of weeks is a long time in football. Three weeks ago we had headlines about how Adelaide have stuffed the rebuild, to now commentators saying how talented the young kids are.

 

[Taper]

As I said, a couple of weeks is a long time in football. Three weeks ago we had headlines about how Adelaide have stuffed the rebuild, to now commentators saying how talented the young kids are.

Nicks the right or wrong man to take them forward?
Surely finals are on the cards in 2025?

 

[Cleric]

Nicks the right or wrong man to take them forward?
Surely finals are on the cards in 2025?

I'm just not sure on Nick's.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

The pain of failed first rounders + ones traded for gibbs is hard to recover from - gallucci, jones, mchenry, mcasey, pedlar. Have recruited well outside of the first rounds though. When we played in the GF in 2017, I believe we had 0 top 10 picks on the list.

Nicks sent us back a year holding all the kids back and backing the wrong players.Think this list is better off in someone elses hands.

 

[btdg]

The pain of failed first rounders + ones traded for gibbs is hard to recover from - gallucci, jones, mchenry, mcasey, pedlar. Have recruited well outside of the first rounds though. When we played in the GF in 2017, I believe we had 0 top 10 picks on the list.

Nicks sent us back a year holding all the kids back and backing the wrong players.Think this list is better off in someone elses hands.

I think part of rebuilding is having a lot of first-round picks that don't work out. Partly that's just a volume effect (the more you have, the more there are that aren't good). Partly it is situational (harder to be successful when you have so many gaps in the team, and so players lose confidence and fade). Partly it is just that rebuilding teams tend to take a longer term view and swing for the fences a bit more, whereas good teams tend to just look for players who can contribute right away (but maybe have less 'potential').

I agree on the coaching though. This team seems an absolute blast - high scoring, gambling forward from stoppages and capable of beating top 4 teams, but ultimately not consistent enough and I think a new game plan is needed.

Also a bit unlucky with the fixture this year. Double-up against:

• Brisbane = grand finallists last year, might end up there again this year
• Sydney = have made a leap to be the best team in the comp
• Essendon = bottom 6 last year, but made a leap to be contenders (at least until now)
• Hawthorn = another bottom 6 team who have made a leap and might reach finals
• Geelong = bounced back to top 4 contention
• Port (a finals quality team, but locked in due to obvious reasons)

No double-ups against the bottom 4 (North, Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda), while doubling up against THREE of the current top 4... sheesh that is a tough run

 

[Golumless]

Lost their way, but not botched, yet.

 

[Checksider]

I think part of rebuilding is having a lot of first-round picks that don't work out. Partly that's just a volume effect (the more you have, the more there are that aren't good). Partly it is situational (harder to be successful when you have so many gaps in the team, and so players lose confidence and fade). Partly it is just that rebuilding teams tend to take a longer term view and swing for the fences a bit more, whereas good teams tend to just look for players who can contribute right away (but maybe have less 'potential').

I agree on the coaching though. This team seems an absolute blast - high scoring, gambling forward from stoppages and capable of beating top 4 teams, but ultimately not consistent enough and I think a new game plan is needed.

Also a bit unlucky with the fixture this year. Double-up against:

• Brisbane = grand finallists last year, might end up there again this year
• Sydney = have made a leap to be the best team in the comp
• Essendon = bottom 6 last year, but made a leap to be contenders (at least until now)
• Hawthorn = another bottom 6 team who have made a leap and might reach finals
• Geelong = bounced back to top 4 contention
• Port (a finals quality team, but locked in due to obvious reasons)

No double-ups against the bottom 4 (North, Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda), while doubling up against THREE of the current top 4... sheesh that is a tough run

And we are made to travel to every weird corner of Australia, as usual.