Izak Rankine not the only answer to Crows’ woes | Graham Cornes

The Crows are optimistic. The Power are disappointed. Now all eyes are on the new recruits both sides think can put 2022’s troubles to rest, writes Graham Cornes.

So that’s it. For the Crows and Port Adelaide season 2022 is over. When you don’t make the finals, it’s a sudden end. There’s an element of relief but if a team has any self-respect and a modicum of ambition, a sense of shame would be the over-riding emotion.

It should fuel an ambition to do better next season. However, our two teams share differing emotions.

Regardless of last night’s result, the Crows are positive and optimistic.

Port Adelaide is wracked by the disappointment of unfulfilled expectation. Both expect to do better next year. To improve both teams must rectify their obvious weaknesses of season 2022.

There has been much excitement around the Crows about the anticipated recruitment of Izak Rankine who was drafted by the Gold Coast Suns in 2018.

A small forward with exceptional skills, the former West Adelaide junior is a special talent. No doubt.

But he is not the player the Crows need most.

Adelaide does not have a pressing need for small forwards. Josh Rachele, Lachlan Murphy, Ned McHenry, James Rowe and the intriguing but untried Tariek Newchurch would seem to fulfil that need, especially Rachele, who is also special.

No, Adelaide’s biggest need is in its midfield. It needs elite big-bodied power and outside speed.

Izak Rankine of the Suns. Picture: Russell Freeman

Jason Horne-Francis of the Kangaroos. Picture: Daniel Pockett

In the latter half of season 2022, some young talent emerged in the Crows mid-field.

Sam Berry and Harry Schoenberg in particular are developing into mid-field beasts. Honest and desperate they may be, but their ball use is not elite. The same can be said about Rory Laird and Ben Keays. Both will poll well in the Malcolm Blight Medal, but neither are penetrating ball users. Nor do they hit the scoreboard often enough.

After round 22, Keays had kicked 10 goals for the season, which included three when he played as a defensive forward against Carlton. Laird has six for the year. Other mid-fielders – Pedlar, Hately and even Rory Sloane whose midfield role has been much diminished, provide depth in a midfield that does not bat all that deep.

No, the Crows list management team, if it has its priorities right, should be pursuing a midfielder. The most obvious one is the prodigiously talented Jason Horne-Francis, whose time at North Melbourne has been troubled.

The appointment of Alastair Clarkson may now complicate any move back to South Australia, but Adelaide should not die wondering. Obviously the Crows do not have the talent and the draft picks to trade for both Rankine and Horne-Francis.

Direct the priority and resources to the midfielder first.

Another option is Josh Dunkley from the Western Bulldogs. A prolific mid-fielder, he is nearing free agency and flirted with the idea of moving to Essendon last season. He has been mentioned in the same conversation as Port Adelaide, so it would seem he is available and would not require the same cost in draft picks or talent to trade.

The Crows would be derelict of duty if they did not examine his availability.

The other resource Adelaide badly needs is an elite intercept-marking defender. Adelaide’s defence has developed nicely this season but there is no Steven May, Aliir Aliir, Sam De Koning, Jeremy McGovern or Jake Lever (oh wait — didn’t we once have him?).

However, apart from a lack of elite midfielders and intercept-marking defenders, Adelaide’s other big challenge is the team’s inadequate skill level.

They turned the ball over far too often. Some say if it’s not innate it can’t be taught, but an intensive summer of skill training under simulated match conditions will definitely help.

At Alberton, it’s much more complicated. They seemed to have a good enough list to take them deep into September but 2022 turned into a train wreck. Injuries hurt them badly but maybe it was the pressure of expectation that crushed them.

In February 2021, Port’s chief executive, Matthew Richardson, in the club’s strategic vision of Chasing Greatness, made the bold prediction that the club would win three AFL premierships by 2026.

It would be easy to ridicule the statement but begrudgingly I admired it. Don’t be afraid to tell the world what you stand for. Better to have tried and failed than to have stood and watched the world pass by. Besides, failure is only temporary.

As Port’s season 2022 limps to a disappointing end, the emotion should turn to determination.

Port did not lack intensity or effort. Every week they laid it on the line, competing fiercely but too many times fell short.

Robbie Gray of the Power celebrates a Showdown goal. Picture: James Elsby

It’s no excuse but they had a difficult draw and couldn’t find a way to win the close ones. They may have been the best team outside of the eight but that is no consolation to a fan base which has been indoctrinated to expect premierships.

There are two huge deficiencies on their playing list. Obviously, with the injury to Scott Lycett, they lacked a ruckman all season.

Jeremy Finlayson surprised everyone with his efforts in the ruck, but he played as an old-fashioned ruck-rover. As well as he played, it was not sustainable and the deficiency contributed to several losses.

They badly need another ruckman and should be looking at Brodie Grundy, particularly if Collingwood will pay some of his salary.

And like the Crows they were too short in defence too often. They drafted Ollie Lord last year. He’s 197cm tall, does not lack confidence, and despite impressing at SANFL level has not yet played a senior game. He seems an obvious choice to trial in defence.

Port’s skill level was also disappointing: too many turnovers and too many missed goals. The coaching staff may lament a lack of time to devote to skill training and goal-kicking practice but they are after all full-time professional footballers. Find the time.

Season 2023 won’t bring any relief for Ken Hinkley and his players. They must have early wins – if only to silence the more militant and vocal supporters. Not to mention the club president.

We now prepare for season 2023. Matthew Nicks’s honeymoon period is over. The team must seriously start to eye finals’ participation, although he still will be given some wriggle room. For Ken Hinkley and Port Adelaide it’s much different. There is no wriggle room.

Going deep into finals is the only option.