Cornwill's season previews: Adelaide Crows

Barlow the missing premiership piece!!! lmao I've heard it all now

I say they're flag favourites. But I might be slightly biased having barracked for them since their inception. :p

Good point Katfish. Remember both Jenkins and Henderson came from basketball. Daw looked a different player in the Roos final and I hope he goes on with it. I agee that Keath looked a bit lumbering at times but I suspect that could change. While I'm with you, I agree that the Crows have plenty of speed available but that depends on players going to the next level. We both hope they do.

While I like the idea of the category B rookie list giving players from other codes a go, its certainly not something I look to with a huge amount of optimism. Footy is a very unique sport and it takes serious game smarts and game sense to dominate at the top level. The Hawks and Dogs have won premierships with a host of natural footballers. While athleticism is a real weapon, its hard to dominate a game with just that. Look at Majak Daw, he is a serious athlete but struggles to get in the right spots and find the ball. Yes he could become an ok player, but I have my doubts That being said, Keath was with the Gold Coast a few years ago as a pre-selected player and has shown the smarts across half back. I watched a few of the Crows SANFL games and, particularly when the Crows were short of key defenders (with Shaw and Otten injured), Keath played well in tandem with Doedee in the key posts. He looks more likely to become an AFL player but he also seems to struggle moving around the ground a little. Greenwood is a serious athlete and has a few great moments but I'm not sure he will progress to the next level

Charlie Cameron is a lock to spend more time in the midfield and he was excellent against Sydney in the final. He has real pace and is a great tackler. I have high hopes for Milera with another preseason under his belt. He will float between half forward and the wing and 'could' be the next Andy McLeod for the crows or so the experts at the club believe. Ellis Yolman will get every opportunity to step into the midfield. He is big bodied and strong and can also float forward and kick a goal or two. Hampton has real pace and if over his injuries could play off half back and free up smith to move to a wing and smith has pace but also a 60-70m kick and that going into that forward line will be great. Also, Brad Crouch needs to have a big year as he appears to finally now be injury free and having played half a season in 2016 with a big preseason under his belt could improve 5% and become the very good player he was showing glimpses of. He will be crucial to the midfield next year Overall I see the crows at the least holding their position from 2016 but with some improvement from Cameron, Milera and Crouch through the middle, they could easily move into the top 4

I'm very interested in the development of Greenwood and Keath. Greenwood is a serious athlete in all the meanings of the words. He showed a surprising level of footy in his first real year in the game. Keath can build on what he did in footy before cricket, and has size to fill a key position. It's no longer teams thatmake success but lists.

List depth: Elite: Betts, Sloane, Talia (All Australians) A Grade: Jacobs, Laird, Jenkins, Lynch (in the All Australian squad), Walker, Smith B Grade: Lever, Matt Crouch, Brad Crouch, Atkins (all in U23 All Australian Squad), Thompson, Cameron, Cheney, Douglas C Grade: Milera, MacKay, Hartigan, Brown, Seedsman, McGovern, knight, Hampton, Ellis-Yollmen, Menzel Not a bad mix. Most of the B graders are U23 (besides Cheney and Thompson) and all had plenty of A grade games this year - just need to show some consistency. Matt Crouch topped disposals averages so is very close to A grade. A squad good enough to be top 2-6, but probably not enough firepower in the middle to be genuine contenders. The only old blokes are Betts, Thompson, MacKay and Douglas - and besides Betts, they all should not get many games. There is plenty of quality young guys who are getting close (or in) the 50 game mark who should all improve next year: Hartigan, Cameron, Matt & Brad Crouch, Lever, Atkins, McGovern.

Crows have plenty of depth in terms of outside run and pace. Smith, Atkins, Hampton, Seedsman, Milera, Cameron and Mackay.

People keep getting caught up with the Crows losing Dangerfield's pace and while he uses it to burst away from a pack maybe once or twice a game, what was more important was the way he drew players to him. His power means that it takes 2-3 blokes to take him down. That means that 1-2 teammates are now in space and it lets them burst from the contest or, at the very least, have the time to spot a target and get a clean clearance. Thats what the Fyfe's, Kennedy's and Dangerfield's of the game all have in common. But in terms of "burst" midfielder, Sloane probably doesnt have the pace to qualify and gets his run and carry by simply overworking his opponent and finding space that way. On the wings Seedsman, Atkins and Hampton have that ability to cut through zones and break the game open. It often gets ignored, but Brad Crouch has genuine pace. Unfortunately he rarely uses it. If he can start getting on the move at stoppages, he will be able to use it and will become a much better player

Pyke likes to dominate the air in defence and will either have Cheeney as a 4th tall defender until Deodee can get enough size behind him to play that role. Doedee is perfect for the role because he has the leap to tackle the medium talls, the pace and agility to tackle the smalls and the skills to rebound. A young Easton Wood. Through the middle, too much reliance will be on Brad Crouch's development. He has all the weapons to become elite (tough, clean, genuine burst of pace) but seemed to lack game sense and the composure with ball in hand after such a long stint on the sidelines. More time on the field and he will get better, but i'm not sure next year is the year. Knight will replace Lyons and the Crows wont lose anything. He struggled with injury last year, but is quick, can run all day and knows how to find the ball. Can kick a goal too. Scotty Thompson will probably only play a few games if others are injured and CEY looks to have eyes on that spot. Gallucci will get some games this year, but likely off half-forward or half-back and wont be a best 22 player this year. Hampton has talked himself up as a chance for the midfield spot but doesnt go hard enough at the ball In the forward line, Milera will likely replace Douglas as that midfielder/half-forward. Hopefully Menzel can train hard and challenge Milera for that spot, but I have my doubts. Excited to see some of Dear too. Dominated at times in the SANFL and hopefully can make an impact at AFL level

It was probably a bit unfair as he had a couple of others in there, but the point I think was that the injuries that they did have were in that critical outside run area.

Cameron was a revelation in the losing final.

I think the point was the Crows actually did have injuries, and not that Menzel is anything like a mid.

Richard Douglas should not been in the starting 22. We don't need a 30yo almost 200 gamer midfielder/forward averaging 15-20 touches a games (put David Mackay in the same boat). They have no upside. Milera or Atkins can play that role - we have about 6 player who can average 15 possessions a game to learn their craft.

Thommo has long been missed on the radar, until recently when some commentators have been trying to make up for their negeligence. The same thing happened to Tyson Edwards. Thommo knows he's not guaranteed a place, and his form drop last season is probably the trajectory from now on. But who lnows for sure?

Pyke should be driving Charlie Cameron to develop his tank to long haul levels. You could see how much zip and edge he gave to their midfield whenever he got some time in there last season.

Desperate times if you're pinning your midifeld outside run on Troy Menzel.

As an Adelaide man I feel the same way. He had a cracking few years, at his best a ball magnet equal to the best in the league. You are right that he is difficult to replace, but we needed to replace him a couple of years ago. I've always had a problem with his ability to really damage the opposition though, which is often why players like Thommo/ Rockcliff are let loose - they don't have a great finish.

And Seedsman injured too.

A fair summary from what we know. I don't know I'd have Thompson or Gallucci in my best 22. The Crows have a depth of very promising players that might surprise. There are options in the mids but that requires a couple to have break out years. Brad Crouch has his first really serious season since his injuries ahead of him. If he is determined enough I expect a break out from him. Smith has always wanted to play mid, but that means someone else to step into his boots at HB (Hampton? But he's being given a go in the mids). The Crows will improve - it will take a lot of improvement from a number of other teams if they go 7th. Another very even year ahead for the top 10.