The Adelaide Crows' shopping list for 2014

3 people that the crows need Watts Yarran/Betts gibbs We need to get rid of for trades/ not good enough for the team Jacobs Porps callinan Thompson (for trade bait)

So I read. I was slightly taken aback when I read the meaning of it.

if the crows don't trade hard this year I will never follow them again iam sick and tired of losing good players and receiving nothing in return e.g TIPPET,GUNSTON,MARIC what the hell is going on down that club get rid of trigg as well because his actions has just put the crows five years behind the rest of the field

Don't forget, Walker will be back next season. Jenkins is more than capable of being a good full forward he just needs more time there to improve his kicking and to work on his leading- he is shockingly bad at getting drawn under the ball, but that can be fixed. Lynch is also a good size for a leading forward, and if we finally give Angus Graham a shot he and Jacobs could work out of the pocket.

I did. Apparently it's the ghost of an aborted fetus.

Aberration?

Don't you also need a good key forward? You never found a replacement for Tippett, and given Walker's knee injury, you have to assume when he comes back next year he won't be as good (Tredrea was a shadow of his former self; Malceski took a good 1.5/2 years after each reconstruction to get back to top form). Not sure if there's anyone available though (other than Buddy which...)

I don't know if you are being realistic. You could trade Vince for Ablett and Omeara, Porp for say- Cyril, McKernan for Paddy Ryder or NicNat

Sadly I think the season is over. We are about 90% there, had a bunch of games against good opposition that we have faded in. I've been quite happy with our backline this year, Rutten and Talia rarely beaten, Otten getting back into form, Brown and Laird have been good young guys down back.. The forward line has been completely hopeless. Porps is finding form again but at the wrong end of the season. Callinan hasn't done well enough to stay in the squad. Jenkins has been too inaccurate. Another quality midfielder (possibly tagger), a small and a short forward, would be good. I'd love for Bryce Gibbs to come back to SA but I doubt it will happen.

I admit to thinking we would be lucky to make the 8 after seeing the Crows in March, and to putting the cue in the rack for 2013 mentally as soon as Tex went down. But I feel confident for 2014. Sando needs to use these last few weeks to assess his list and give wounded soldiers time to heal. Yes we have relied too much on Dangerfield, Scott Thompson, Sloane, Douglas, Talia and Rutten. Jacobs has been inconsistent but I think requires support. This group along with Tex Walker will form the ‘spine’ of our 2014 Premiership attack. They all deserve rotational rest. But this year has been a great success in terms of finding talent within the ranks. I put a tick alongside Lyons, Kerridge, Aidan Riley, Brown, Laird, Crouch…and I think we can lock in Lynch, Henderson and Smith as players who have stepped-up into new key roles. I have been disappointed by inconsistency from Vince, Mackay, Wright, Jaensch, Brett Rielly, Porplyzia, Petrenko and Van Berlo. Martin, Tambling, Callinan, McIntyre have been tried in this or past years and will struggle to be part of a Premiership winning squad. All must be considered dispensable, some as trade bait. We have been right to invest time into Jenkins and McKernan forward but to date it is not working. We need to see Grigg, Hartigan, Lewis Johnston, Angus Graham as a second ruck / forward and Sam Shaw cast in his forward or ‘swingman’ role as a high priority. Siggins, Joyce, Ellis-Yolmen and Orval…plus ‘project rookie ruckmen’ Dowdell, Osborne and Klaosen can wait. The big issues for mine are: • We are deep on inside midfielders (including up and coming talent) but we lack outside midfield (wing / half-forward) pace. Our best outside midfielders are Dangerfield, Sloane and Douglas but they are also needed inside too often. Let’s give more inside work to the young kids (Crouch, Lyons, Kerridge, Grigg) in support of Dangerfield and Thompson and develop some classy speed outside from Sloane and Douglas. This area is the number one recruitment issue. We need a racehorse who can find space, call for the ball, and use it effectively to penetrate the I50 deep and lace-out! This was meant to be Mackay!! • I agree we are short on quality taggers who can hurt their tags winning their own ball. It seems you need three different taggers. - An inside tagger who can stay very close to and negate opposition superstars. Crowley is benchmark. Is that Van Berlo?? Maybe if given that role in an uncompromising way. It is hard to be Captain when your absolute focus must be your tag!! - An outside tagger who can run hard both ends, with pace to go with and tackle / upset opposition outside ball magnets such as Goddard. They need to win their own ball and score themselves to make their tag accountable. Is Kerridge the man?? - A defensive forward to stop the destruction of running half-backs like Malceski, Waters, Shaw…Petrenko is a good option. So is Kerridge. Wright? • We do not have a destructive running half back. Henderson and Riley can both do the sweeper role, but they need someone else to give to that has wings and can use the ball long and accurately. Smith could develop into that. It is a role that requires maturity. Couldn’t we use a Harry O’Brien, Heath Shaw, Malceski or Beau Waters?? • Succession cover for Rutten. Can it be Luke Thompson, Hartigan, Siggins or do we need to recruit? • We need to imagine our forward line with Tex as its prime target. Jenkins can play a secondary role, supporting Jacobs in Ruck. So can McKernan. One or both of these guys must give Jacobs more support. Or maybe its Graham. Sando needs data to make a call. One option maybe to re-cast McKernan into a genuine swingman, able to play tall defender, tall forward, pinch hit in ruck…perhaps a second-ruck run-with player to negate the likes of Natanui, Roughhead etc. If he can be developed in that way he could also be part of a succession plan for Rutten?? If not, yes, maybe trade-bait? • I suspect that Scott Thompson will need to play more time as a leading full forward, as will Porplyzia, and Dangerfield when ‘resting’. With Tex and Jenkins or McKernan also forward, plus Lynch and a quality small forward they become hard to match up and will tend to draw a quality half back who otherwise would be key attacking weapon, like a Heath Shaw, or the ‘third tall’ who could be out-pointed. • I agree we do not have a match-winning small forward. As the game has developed, with the forward half left vacant when defending, all AFL teams need electrifying speed to outrun opponents into space towards goal. It is not just about crumbing beneath tall timber. Betts would be good, but not as good as Ballantine. • We have not learned how to use the substitute. The best teams have a super sub who is an outside midfielder. Someone who can create space and avenues into attack when others are tiring. If they can tag as well, good and well, because we have been killed by players getting off the leash late. So in summary, I would be: 1. Testing the depth of our talent as a huge priority. 2. Building new on-field leadership around Dangerfield (as new Captain), and Talia (Defensive Vice-Captain). 3. Out ‘selling’ Vince, Mackay, Wright, Jaensch and Van Berlo whilst they have currency. Maybe Porplyzia, Martin? A lot of South Aussies here so Mackay and Van Berlo might become important for trades, and we should not forget about talent at Port?? Mitchell is quick?? We need to look for quick guys who can improve on our list. Maybe Matt White who is unrestricted free agent?? 4. Look to recruit FAST semi-mature age outside midfielder(s) who can play wing, running half back, or midfield / forward. Maybe in SANFL or WAFL??

"I have also been a firm believer the Crows and other Non Victorain based clubs should have a second team in the VFL." This is a can-o-worms but hardly the reason the Crows are struggling. They did ok in 97&98 without ressies.

I love how club supporters want to offer up duds for stars from other clubs. If you want a Bryce Gibbs you have to offer more than has-beens and duds. Clubs are not as dumb as what Fremantle used to be when it came to recycling duds for stars/ draft picks.

Seriuosly . The whole Crows team needs a major shake up. Go back to the days when Blight did not care if a player was a house hold name or not. Bottom line is there are too many second tier players making up the top 22. I for one cannot believe because a team loses a player of the calibre of Tippett the rest of the team besides walker can kick goals. If anything the crows should be looking for another midfielder to help Dangerfield , a fast running ball moving backman like Shaw at Collingwood for their backline and a big tall forward that can kick goals. I have also been a firm believer the Crows and other Non Victorain based clubs should have a second team in the VFL. It gets kind of hard for a Crow or Power player to run back into form if they play for a SANFL club that is always down the bottom of the ladder.Half the team at the Crows should take a good long look at themself during the off season and ask if they are serious about playing for the club because they certainkly did not show it this season. How on earth you can go from one kick away from making a Grand Final to the rabble produced in 2013 is beyond me.

I agree with you 100%. I would have sacked Trigg, but because I am not in a position to do that and because I am a Port fan, I want Trigg to stay to hopefully create more disasters at the Crows, haha.

Hey, I am happy for Trigg to stay on, I think the guy is a cancer at the club. He’s lost the trust of some of those he works with and Crows fans have mixed opinions on the guy. I personally think it would be best for *them to get rid of him. Cooney would have been a good option had the window still been open for the Crows, but it is hard to justify now. Gibbs would be a great player for them if they could get him. Pretty hard to lose Davis, Tippet and also have Tex injured and still be a force. The article is pretty spot on, they may as well get the broom out now, Blight style. Callinan, Turnover Thompson and Riley should probably all take Stiffy’s lead.

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What's an aborition?

Spoken like a true Port boy.

The first name they should have chopped was Steven Trigg.