After a season from hell, the Adelaide Crows must act tough until the end of the year – and so far, so good.
Jack Gunston’s desire to leave the club and return home to Melbourne is understandable. Home sickness can be debilitating, and better he leave now then draw out the process and become an established part of the first 22, unlike another Gold Coast born tall forward who needs not to be named.
However, this doesn’t mean the Crows need to be happy about it. Hard words were used to describe Phil Davis’ defection earlier this year, with operations manager Phil Harper describing him as “the enemy”.
However, no amount of strong words or empty posturing could of kept Davis or resulted in a better deal for the 20-year-old centre-half back.
But in the case of Gunston, Adelaide can help decide the outcome.
Young players need to be shown that the club’s loyalty to them extends only as far as their loyalty back to the club. And by stripping the award from him, no matter how petty and shallow a gesture it may seem, the Crows have sent a strong message to any other players in two minds as to their future.
For those players on the list, however, every endeavour must be made to keep them. ‘Culture’ is perhaps the most over-used footy-buzz word of 2011, but for good reason.
Rebuilding the Crows’ identity around its young superstars and their desire to not only win a premiership but to win it in the tri-colours must now be a high priority of the board, leadership group, and coaching-review panel in their decision-making process on the new club mentor.
As for the discards, they are now goods to be used at the club’s will.
Gunston must now be used as hard currency – and if a deal isn’t there, then he can find his own way through the draft and face the prospect of heading to Queensland via the Suns, Sydney via the Giants, or even back to Adelaide with the Power. The likelihood of the Crows taking him back is so low it’s laughable.
Other players on the trade table, like big man Ivan Maric, who has been a great servant to the club playing with passion and heart but fading in comparison to import Sam Jacobs, must also be used for the club’s gain.
If the club can get a hard running, line breaking midfielder or another tall backman from trade week, then the experience has been a success – failing this then some pretty high draft picks. Anything less and the club has not only failed, but let a 20-year-old walk-out beat them. And that’s simply unacceptable.
Other Crows with their heads on the line must surely include James Sellar, who, since bursting onto the scene in 2008 in a pre-season exhibition game against Collingwood, has been unable to find his best position and spot in the senior team. Likewise half-back Chris Shmidt and midfielder Mike Cook, who have also been unable to hold onto permanent spots and look unlikely to do so next year. They must be cut loose.
Aggression must now be the order of the day for a club too long looked at as being boring and clinical. The Crows of the post-Craig era must re-model themselves as aggressive and uncompromising, both on and off field, starting this trade week.
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Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
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