The Adelaide Crows began their trade period by committing to a rebuild that probably started at the end of 2019.
Losing three players in the free agency and trade period, compared to six last year, the Crows made a decisive further six delistings to free up limited list space.
Picking at the top of the draft for the first time in their history (sorry Crows fans, but you were due a wooden spoon eventually), Adelaide bid on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan to make the Bulldogs pay full value for the next generation academy (NGA) prospect, which was both fair for all clubs and recognition of the consensus number one player.
Nevertheless, getting West Adelaide ruck forward Riley Thilthorpe at pick two delighted fans for his potential and the fact that he’s a local with no go-home factor.
(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
In fact, the Crows used four of their five picks on South Australian talent, taking Glenelg’s Luke Pedlar at pick 11, after the bullish mid-forward shot up the power rankings late and Adelaide took no chances on being there at their next pick.
Next, they took Brayden Cook from South Adelaide at pick 25, who they traded up for knowing that he wouldn’t make it out of the first round, with the wingman rated by some as top 15 talent.
The only player recruited by Adelaide from outside of South Australia was Sam Berry from Gippsland at pick 28, which is low risk because Victorian country boys know they are going to have to move no matter which club picks them. His inside ball-sharking abilities were too good to pass up.
The Crows moved a few places up the board to select Woodville-West Torrens premiership forward and SANFL leading goal kicker Jimmy Rowe at pick 38. The popular mature-age player had missed out on his first two drafts, so he provides ready made quality at this pick.
In addition, the Crows’ NGA prospects – Tariek Newchurch from North Adelaide and James Borlase from Sturt – both slipped to them as category B rookies, which was fortunate given that Adelaide exited the draft pretty early and matching one or both of these talents might have been in question.
Whatever the reason, GWS failed to secure a deal for former first-round draft pick Jackson Hately, so he walked into the preseason draft where the Crows had the first pick, giving them another local product with two years of experience inside the AFL system as a quality midfielder.
Bryce Gibbs’ retirement and re-drafting is widely known to be for contract settlement terms, but due to a technicality, it will allow the Crows to put him on the long-term injury list and potentially recruit a supplemental player from as early as January 6.
All in all, with medium-sized defender Mitch Hinge returning to SA from Brisbane in delisted free agency and the list size reduction enforcing a list clean out, the Crows have done a classy job of trading to end up with five picks inside the first 38. Adelaide secured nine players in total across a range of positions to form a promising core of new talent.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Steady on, few could match Macca. He was/is a rare breed.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I think the suns don’t lack for key back depth. But you’re exactly right in that they lack someone who can play on the smaller faster guys. Like I guess lukosius can play down but they’ve lacked a gun small defender since they traded saad in 2017. They need someone who can fill that roll and I don’t see who that is. I guess McClellan if he gets a good run at it along with Rosas could fill that role but they’ve already lost Hanley and richestelli, and are going to lose harbrow over the next few years
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Sam Collins has been Steven May level good for the Suns. The team couldn't win without him in 2019 and he spends 98% of time on the field playing on the biggest forward. If Rory Thompson can come back to play the lockdown role, Collins will be free to play his more natural game intercept marking and spoiling. Charlie Ballard is another important player in the backline whose ceiling could be even higher than Collins and his performances this year coming back from a preseason shoulder injury and operation weren't far behind. Jack Hombsch missed playing at AFL level because Ben King took him out in a preseason intraclub game that shattered his ribs, but he represents solid depth. Jack Lukosius continues to play down back and offer elite distribution, while Caleb Graham continues his key defensive position development and Chris Burgess remains a skilled swingman who can hold his own in the AFL. But something has to give in 2021 where the backline evolves into a faster, more evenly balanced group rather than a bunch of 6 foot 6 rangy types who get thrashed by fast medium talls like De Goey, Dusty, Gunston, etc. Oleg Markov will be an interesting addition with his speed, rebound and medium size, although both Aiden Fyfe and Rhys Nicholls offer similar skillsets so the battle for half back flanker positions will be intense. Wil Powell and Connor Budarick will be first picked on 2020 form, but there will be competition from a fully developed Jez McClennan and there's speculation that Joel Jeffrey could play in defence. Jack Bowes is the most under-rated Suns player and his deployment will be crucial to the success of the team with the new rules at stoppages allowing I'm to play as a defensive midfielder with more room and time to navigate the counter attack in a similar way to Scott Pendlebury.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I don’t doubt that. The picks they’ve got over the last few years will be able to build confidence. Though honestly I did not expect Collins to be as good as he has been for the suns
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
The answer is simply that Brodie Lake wasn’t top 59 in the draft for a reason. I have no idea why because he’s a very good player. I suspect that he wasn’t overly interested the Suns and this meant he wasn’t looked at by all clubs because they just thought he’d go to the Suns, but since he wasn’t drafted it could just be that he wasn’t rated that highly. I think he’s a favourite to go in the SSP as you suggest. But he was given a place in the U16s All Australian team to play in U17s this year because he was seen as a kid who needed extra time to develop. Give him time and he’ll play AFL. Just a weird year.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Late reply, but I have to say that the Lions reserves that Keays last played in were undefeated because the list had next to no injuries and the only top up player was Keidean Coleman playing as a 19yo. They were stacked and could have challenged some AFL teams. The NEVFL will increase the standard for Northern AFL teams out of sight. The Suns also haven’t been able to use their large list to get a competitive side together. They almost beat the undefeated Brisbane NEAFL team with Jack Martin dropped, but he got injured and the Lions won from behind. The Suns reserves will win the NEVFL in 2021. Just wait and see. They’ll field listed players most weeks and any top up players will be either ex AFL or top notch U19 Academy guys.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Scholl and Schoers: "We Have All Your Footwear Needs"
Fairsuckofthesav
Roar Rookie
I was thinking Gary McIntosh.
The Rocks
Roar Rookie
I'm fairly confident on a new look midfield more so if Wayne Milera stays in there fit! With Sloane, Crouch, Keys, Milera, Schoenberg, Scholl, Hately and an improving Jones to work with plus a bunch of high drafted kids and a star ruckman to take the comp by storm. Plenty to work with
The Rocks
Roar Rookie
I'm still most curious as to why they took Berry over Poulter? Also curious as why Powell wasn't second pick. But it's hard not to be excited by the grunt of the kids taken. 3 key positions taken in two years that add to the promising Fog and Himmelberg. Setting up the spine and if the midfielders taken don't measure up although Scholl and Schoers already look good. The next two crafts they can take the elite midfield talent available as the rebuild continues.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I do wonder if the merger of the NEAFL and the VFL will help or hamper development. On the one hand they’ll come up against more AFL standard opposition but contrary to that they won’t have easy games in the twos. Take Ben Keays for example he was carving it up in the old NEAFL
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Oh, the Suns are 2 or maybe 3 years ahead of the Crows, but the shortened season didn't do the Suns many favours in terms of being able to pick weekly teams on merit and having no development competition for the reserves meant that the selectors stuck with the same team whenever possible. That will now change with the reserve grade team bale to play with the same game plan and replacement players can make the smaller step up to AFL rather than scratch matches or NEAFL.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I still think the crows lack for a lot more than the suns. Part of that stems from the draft concessions the suns received and part of that stems from the stage of their re development they’re at. I think what’ll happen next year is the suns will continue to rise up the ladder particularly with the addition of three top 20 talents at the draft this year ad the crows will either stagnate or continue their ascent up the ladder. I also think Stewy Dew is a coach with more resources available to him, that’s not to cast any aspersions on Matthew nicks but Nicks is held back by being in a traditional footy marketplace and having an intransigent board that refuses to be dragged into the 21st century. That being said my early favourites for the wooden spoons are hawthorn, collingwood, north or essendon.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
https://youtu.be/SNdcFPjGsm8 Even the famous have problems with the finality of 9. Richmond's theme song for a while.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Time will tell, but they were impressive. It's too early to tell with the 2019 crop, which could still turn out pretty good, while the 2018 guys are now joined by Jacko Hately and are looking likely. The Crows list has an interesting age profile. 29 players are 24 and under, with 11 of the 25 and over all from the 2017 GF team, plus Brodie Smith, while Kieran Strachan and Shane McAdam are mature agers, then Bryce Gibbs will be cleared out of the list and they'll bring in a 30th player under 24. The Suns are out the other side with their list rebuild, so their list profile and size looks much different. Their 17 players 25 and over aren't necessarily first 22, yet there is impressive depth there and there'll be no 30yos in the Round 1 team and they have even more games experience than the Crows in this bracket. But it is the 24 and under group is both the reason the team has been losing and the reason for optimism. There is over 600 of experience in this group and 14 first round draft picks, as well as Touk Miller and a few Suns Academy players pre-listed who were rated All Australian. It shows that all Adelaide can do is play the kids while the old guard pass on their experience. Maybe it will jell faster than they know, but from experience I can say it will more likely be a couple more years and possibly a couple of big free agency signings before finals are likely.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Yep 9-10 type spots are hard to get out or away from[we stuck there for 5 or 6 years] its no mans land,not surprised what Kanga's are doing they have been there with us,richmond was there for ages before they got their stuff together,hard place to get good picks in and attract good free agents
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Josh Worrell and Fischer McAsey were brought in last year to replace Daniel Talia, but I reckon the big fella will be around for a few seasons yet. The Texan will be harder to replace, but Darcy Fogarty and Elliott Himmelberg have shown signs and Riley Thilthorpe as a ruck forward will make the transition easier. But in all reality, unless Tex was carrying injuries all year, his decline this year was alarming. 5 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks, 1 tackle and 1 goal per game will see Walker playing SANFL by round 3.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
I think taking 8 out of 9 players overall from SA with one kid from vic country is no mistake. You make a good point about exposed form, but Hately and Hinge were both offered contracts by GWS and Brisbane, were unable to be traded, then got back to SA, while Rowe was the outstanding small forward in the SANFL. It is arguable that Borlase and Newchurch might have attracted bids in a regular season, but with extra list spots they probably have been matched. Otherwise, I think they targeted the players they took with pick trades and having great draft position. Berry was certainly value where they picked him, so the risk of losing any of these players is minimal.
Footyguy
Guest
The rebuild didn't start in 2019, it started at the end of 2018, Adelaide have been in a rebuild since the end of 2018, they had there first top 10 pick in a very long time, Adelaide's club culture has not been top 10 picks, similar to the West coast eagles and hawthorn until this year, Sydney until a couple of years ago Here's an example They got stengle young small fwd to replace eddie belts They got Shane McAdam liam Ryan type player if stengle didn't work out They get Chayce Jones with pick 9 2018 and then get Ned McHenry with pick 16, they also acquire Hamill, Butts, Scholl and Strachan from Port Melbourne as a mature aged rookie to replace Sammy jacobs Adelaide's list is about 11th-17th Key defenders well stocked Rucks stocked but don't have an experienced ruckman on their list Should have got Stefan Martin Forward line isn't bad The big thing which will hold Adelaide back is the midfield, that's the sore point, lack of experienced midfieldrrs, they missed out on Jack Graham and Luke Dunstan in the trade period, yes they have some very young and talented and promising midfielders, but there's no real balance especially with crouch leaving, the midfield will be good in 2022,
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
I like the fact that Matthew Nicks was able to take on player feedback and end the season with a competitive team. Right now, you rather be Adelaide 2 drafts and a season into the rebuild with some momentum than North with their coach gone after a dismal ending to the season and the sudden decision to rebuild.