Having been a haphazard reader of The Roar over the last few years, I always presumed that my first published piece would be a cunning, searing and revolutionary work that the common man would not have the critical faculties to comprehend.
I would show that I’m capable of thought in a manner not available to others. I’d show that what I bring to the table is unlike anything seen around these parts, to such an extent that the years preceding it would henceforth be known as ‘Pre-S120’.
With a heavy scent of resignation, then, here is my attempt at something thousands of us have attempted before: a preview of the 18 AFL clubs heading into the upcoming season.
First up, the Adelaide Crows.
The situation in Adelaide is commonplace. Long-time coach (Neil Craig) is axed under the assumption his old, stilted messages are no longer being taken to heart by the playing group; young upstart coach (Brenton Sanderson) is brought in with the promise of inflicting punishment on his own group in the preseason in order for them to learn how to inflict similar torment on the opposition when the season rolls around.
As such, Adelaide are in a good position to recover from a disappointing 2011.
What needs to be at the heart of their resurgence is the continued development and maturity of their key position players. The club wasn’t helped by young centre half-back Phil Davis leaving for the greener financial pastures of Blacktown, or talented forward Jack Gunston heading to Hawthorn after a break-out year.
Nevertheless, Adelaide have had a strong group of young key position players for a number of years. Through the draft in particular, the Crows hierarchy has managed to assemble Taylor Walker, Daniel Talia, Kurt Tippett, Shaun McKernan and Andy Otten.
Add Lewis Johnston and Tom Lynch (skilled yet somewhat slender and seldom-used talls from Sydney and St Kilda respectively) and the practised hand of Ben Rutten (who hopes to be fit for round one after undergoing foot surgery) and you begin to see that Adelaide’s key position stocks are plentiful.
However, Adelaide desperately needs some of the aforementioned talls to take the next step, and Tippett is one such man. Long has he shown signs of turning into the kind of player the AFL has rarely seen: a 202cm giant capable of out-running his man on the lead, out-muscling him in one-on-one contests, and sitting on his head to take contested marks at will.
He is being paid the money of a player who is all of the above but has yet to find the consistency befitting such a contract. If he can do this, in combination with Walker (a man of huge ability but thus far lacking in maturity), Adelaide could build a forward line capable of putting huge scores on the board.
The Crows have a strong group of runners as well.In Richard Douglas, Patrick Dangerfield, Chris Knights, Jason Porplyzia, Ricky Henderson and Rory Sloane, they possess much goal-kicking power that is capable of running through the middle to complement their hard-nosed, ball winning unit.
I refer here to evergreen star Scott Thompson, sometime-star Bernie Vince, quiet captain Nathan Van Berlo, and gut-running David Mackay. Put at the feet of big Sam Jacobs, a skillful tap ruckman who is building a good tank, this midfield ought to be able to win more than its fair share of possession.
What can perhaps be said of the Crows midfield is that it lacks the class and precision of the Collingwood, Geelong or Hawthorns at this stage.
However, if Knights and Porplyzia can reprise the form that had them in All-Australian contention in years past, and Dangerfield continues to play in a way that makes Crows fans think of the stocky deity who filled the number 32 jumper for so many years, this group certainly has the ability to re-enter the race for finals in 2012.
Will they make the top eight? I don’t believe so. I think they will end up just missing the finals in 2012 and play the role that North Melbourne have for the last couple of seasons: a young side that looks the goods at times but just doesn’t have the ability to finish off the sides above it.
They will trouble the top sides at times, I predict, and with 2012 devoted to developing Sanderson’s style and his list, Crow fans should have reason for great optimism as this side ages.
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