In a truncated and unique 2020 season, Adelaide have an opportunity.
Whether or not this year’s AFL season has an asterisk or not, it was always going to be a hard-fought year for the Crows. After the departure of Don Pyke followed by several older, out-of-form players at the end of last year, the club appointed Matthew Nicks.
Nicks impressed with his rhetoric early. He appeared to be a no-nonsense coach who was capable of building strong relationships with the players. However, he has shown a weakness already: selection.
After a fairly solid Round 1 performance against a team in a similar position, four changes were made. Tyson Stengle was suspended, but Billy Frampton, Bryce Gibbs and Ben Davis all made way. Assuming Ben Crocker, billed and tested as a small forward, was the replacement for Stengle, then Ben Keays, Ned McHenry and Tom Doedee were the players favoured in Round 2.
While it’s possible that the result of the showdown was a lay-down misere, the inclusions certainly did nothing to strengthen the side. Doedee is returning from a year out of the game and will obviously take some time, so an exception can be made there. Also, match-ups were surely a consideration, but it’s possible to overthink them.
(Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
One reasonable criticism is that they play without heart.
That concept scares modern AFL coaching staff because it is immeasurable and intangible. Yet those watching a game are never unclear about its presence. It’s plain to see whether a team believes in themselves and the cause or not. And the best coaches of the modern era thrive on it. Alastair Clarkson, Damien Hardwick, Nathan Buckley and Adam Simpson all use it as a cornerstone of the leadership.
In that way, not selecting Frampton was a missed opportunity. After a dust-up with Kyle Hartigan at training, Frampton showed he’s up for the fight. He grew up hating Port Adelaide, and he used to play for them. Not everything is about form and match-ups, especially in a season like this, where expectation is low and everything has been disrupted. Now is the time to throw the magnets around and experiment.
To that end, now is also not the time to play first-year draft picks simply because they’re there, especially when there are so many two- to four-year players sitting on the bench with no SANFL to play. These are players that as a club Adelaide has invested significant time and money into for nothing.
Of course, if you’re at the top of the table and pushing for a flag, too bad. Those guys can just sit. And yes, all clubs have them, but now is the time to play them, whether or not they’ve given the best effort at training or not.
Because if not now, when?
To have an opportunity like this to properly assess the whole list only to ignore those two- to four-year players is to admit you got the draft picks wrong.
Jordan Gallucci, Elliott Himmelberg, Jordan Butts, Ben Davis, Will Hamill, Shane McAdam, Andrew McPherson, Myles Poholke and Lachlan Sholl must all be picked over first-year players when spots are available.
Because to draft someone and never give them a proper run at AFL level means one of two things: either you’re winning flags every year they’re in the system, or you picked wrong. But if you give each of those players five games this year to prove what they can do at the level, you may just unearth something that would never be found at training or in the SANFL.
And if you don’t, then your trade period looks a lot clearer. And as for the first year players drafted in 2019, they’ll still be there in 2021. A year of scratch matches won’t kill them.
This 2020 campaign is an expendable season for the Adelaide Crows, and those don’t come around all that often. So the club must recognise the opportunity they have and get weird at the selection table.
Armons Copy of Swank
Guest
Those stupid Gillette ads? Perhaps for a club that has been proud of its overt faux-masculinity (power stance, Texs media outbursts) and ‘jobs for the boys’ culture which has completely destroyed the administrative side of club business - a destruction that is now quickly seeping on to the field of play, perhaps the kind of introspection and behaviour changing messages in those commercials would be beneficial for the club?
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Actually, the point is that they have been tried, haven't stood up to the test, and should now be delisted. Murphy (30+ games is a trier but does not have the quality (or speed) to be a small forward at this level). Himmelberg (8 games over 2 seasons since debut + 2020). Poholke 11 games over 2 seasons since debut (+2020). Galucci has 30 + games and is no longer under consideration as he seem not to be up to spec. Wilson - 2 games since 2018 (and both were VERY bad) Then there are the older players that should also be cut - Gibbs, Mackay ... They are in a world of trouble at the moment (but a Number 1 Draft Pick for finishing bottom, GWS's first rounder, a couple of 2nd and 3rd rounders this year PLUS a Special Pick from the AFL (they do that for clubs in a bit of trouble onfield don't they - say Pick 2) and any compensation for players that may be traded (eg: Crouch 1 and 2) and they can rebuild!
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
There's a lot of conservative new-age thinking which is an odd mix going on in the heirarchy. You'd hear names get drafted and then they'd disappear down a Bermuda vortex.
Champs
Roar Rookie
You're making some glacial sized assumptions about the previous coaching panel's ability to identify talent.
Champs
Roar Rookie
But see, aside from Galluci, they have not been tried. Most of them haven't even played one senior AFL game.
HR
Roar Rookie
Yep. If those third- and fourth-year players can't outmatch the first- and second-year players in training, they simply don't deserve to be in the team. The other way around is a bit different - you have to make some allowances for the kids, but if they're in the team on form, it's a damning indictment of their senior colleagues who can't dislodge them.
HR
Roar Rookie
They could just play him every four or eight weeks. Have him in the team, get him to poleaxe the star player on the opposing side, then have him cop the ban. Might be useful that way, and a lot of people around here seem to like the idea of "bringing back the biff", so it would made some people happy. Until he irons out their favourite mid.
Crow man
Guest
How long can Tex stay as a first pick every week?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Absolutely but l thought Gallucci should've been given a better go last year. A bit late now I suppose. I agree, there maybe is a chocolate biscuit in the 1st or 2nd years somewhere.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Play those in their first or second season (Schoenberg, Hamill ... ) not those who have been on the list for 3 or 4 years (like Galucci and Himmelberg) and have been tried and failed.
Phil Inn
Guest
Heavily disagree. The 3-4 year players have all had the opportunity to force their way into the side and failed dismally. Playing them now would firmly come under the sunk cost fallacy. They drafted the wrong players, try and learn what we can from that and move on. Now is the time to get games into the 1-2 year players. With smaller lists moving forward we want to see what the new players can do not re-affirm what we already knew about the older players.
Timbo's rules
Guest
yawn
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Who are these players though? The best we’ve got is a Scotch Finger. Not a creme biscuit insight let alone a Tim-Tam.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
The problem with giving Gallucci and/or Himmelberg an extended run is that they will be taking up the spot of somebody who might be an AFL player.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Same way the camps in a certain Teutonic country of central Europe circa Mid40s went. Kaput.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I think they need something to get them going and focussed. A mind camp maybe? How’s that business they recruited going I wonder.
Timbo's rules
Guest
Almost 100% agreement. Frampton is not an Afl player, he is just tall and provides injury coverage for the first ruck. The time is now to give those guys you mentioned a go. Some of them need to be told (Galucci, Himmelberg) we'll give you 10 games no matter what your form is, then make a call on you at the end of the year. That way they can play without the demon of being dropped and hopefully settle in and play some good long term footy. I'd also be looking to drop any of Atkins, Seedsman, Brad Crouch, Smith, Lynch, Walker and let them fight their way back into the side. That would sharpen up their attitudes. I fear Lynch has gone the way of Gibbs, both formerly elite field kicks, they are now good at finding grass or an opposition player.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I think adelaides problem is kind of like Richmonds circa 2001, they recruited and drafted in an exceptionally poor way. Like curtly Hampton and Bryce Gibbs have not been good pick ups, nor has Ben Crocker or Keays, it’s only the last year where they’ve agreed to embark on a full rebuild that they’ve made the right call.
Champs
Roar Rookie
That’s the actual point of the article.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I agree about first years. But it's the quality of our 3rd n 4th years which is alarming. And that they are still called 4th years is damning. I think of a player like Galucci would've really come on if they had given him a longer run in the seniors.