AFL 2021: Adeaide struggling to explain third-quarter problems

Whatever Adelaide is doing at halftime needs to change — fast. This is the big issue which has cost the Crows dearly this year.

Adelaide is the only side in the AFL yet to win a third quarter this season, a stat Matthew Nicks is desperate to rectify.

Even the bottom-placed North Melbourne and 17th-placed Hawthorn have won five and two third terms respectively, well ahead of the Crows.

Nicks said he was acutely aware of his side’s woes after halftime.

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“We’ve been really disappointing in third quarter for whatever reason,” he said.

“We will sit down with out playing group at tomorrow’s captains run where we drill in on the finer detail and we will have a discussion on why that is.

“Is it something that we are doing at half time? Possibly, we have been pretty consistent in what we do at half time breaks so maybe we could do something different there.

A frustrated Jimmy Rowe after Adelaide squandered a strong position against Richmond.

“It might not be a player issue, it might be a coaching issue and something that I’m saying.

“So we will look at that and how we come back out and what time onto the ground.”

Nicks said he was excited at looking at how he and his coaching staff could address the issue.

“We have reviewed a lot of games and when it comes to the third quarters it is not necessarily the fact that it is the third we have done a lot of things wrong that we know it is part of our improvement and development,” he said.

“But you are right the numbers do stand out in the third quarter, and at least if we can maybe get back to even it can help us win some more matches.

“I guess the one positive out of it is that there is something there. there is something there and we haven’t been able to bounce back into the game quick enough.

“So from a coaching point of view we have something that we can have a look at and try and change.”

The Crows will make at least one change with Sam Berry sitting out after being concussed in the loss to Richmond, while Luke Brown’s nagging Achilles injury could mean he also misses the match against Collingwood on Saturday.

Nick Vlastuin tangles with Ned McHenry.

Collingwood are in the midst of a woeful run of form of late, and sit a spot below the Crows with half the number of wins.

“We won’t change too much and that is not taking anything away from Collingwood, they are defending very well,” he said.

“You look at the numbers and there has been commentary the past couple of weeks about their game which I think is way off the mark.

“They are playing some good footy, they (just) are not scoring like other teams are.”

THIRD QUARTER WINS THIS SEASON

0 – Adelaide

2 – Hawthorn

3 – Collingwood, St Kilda, Essendon

4 – Western Bulldogs, Richmond

5 – North Melbourne, West Coast

6 – GWS, Brisbane

7 – Gold Coast, Carlton, Sydney

8 – Port Adelaide, Melbourne

9 – Fremantle, Geelong

MID-SEASON DRAFT: GET TO KNOW NEWS CROWS, POWER ROOKIES

Adelaide chose to “take the most talented player at our pick” Crows National Recruiting Manager Hamish Ogilvie says after the club picked up small defender Patrick Parnell in the Mid-Season Draft.

And Ogilvie said the Crows also chose to just go with the one selection in the Draft so they could have some “list flexibility” come the end of the season.

The Crows had the fourth pick of Wednesday night’s Mid-Season Draft and were hotly tipped to take a small forward, especially after senior coach Matthew Nicks raised the prospect when Lachie Murphy suffered a syndesmosis injury in Showdown 49.

But the Crows decided instead to pick up Parnell, who has been likened to Western Bulldogs’ playmaker Caleb Daniel – although he can also play in the forward line if required.

Lachlan Murphy suffered an ankle injury in the Showdown. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Standing at 178cm the 19-year-old from the Murray Bushrangers, who is playing senior footy for the Albury Tigers as well, is lightly built but has started the NAB League season strongly.

He has averaged 25.3 disposals, 7.5 rebound 50s and five marks from his first four games for the Bushrangers.

His disposal efficiency has been 86 per cent in the NAB League this season and Ogilvie said Parnell was an elite kick on both sides of his body.

Ogilvie said Parnell also showed composure under pressure, an ability to generate run and carry and can make good decisions from the backline.

“We knew Patty from when he was a 17-year-old playing at the Bushies but he is a bit of a different player now,” he said on the AFL’s coverage of the Mid-Season Draft.

“He was very lightly framed as a 17-year-old. Obviously no footy last year but he has been so impressive this year.

“And our philosophy was to really take the most talented player at our pick. It was more about where we are going and what Patty might be in the future.

“So we didn’t really go for needs but it is nice that he has some real speed and he can play at both ends and on the wing.”

Ogilvie said the Crows had Parnell locked in as their first pick of the Draft, if he was available, for a couple of weeks and when he came to Adelaide via Sydney he may play SANFL this weekend.

“This is a pick for the long term,” he said.

“This isn’t for 12 months it is hopefully for many years.”

The Crows had the ability to make three selections in the draft if they wanted to, but only nominated the single pick prior to Wednesday night.

Ogilvie said it was about keeping list flexibility.

“That was the main reason and we were really sure of Patty,” he said.

“Really for list flexibility at the end of the year.”

The Crows did have the chance to take highly rated ruckman Ned Moyle at Pick No. 4, following Hawthorn’s decision to select Jai Newcombe with the second selection of the Draft.

But Ogilvie said the Crows were “Patty all the way”.

PORT’S PLANS FOR SA DRAFTEE

McEntee has been playing league footy for Sturt in the midfield, but it is Port Adelaide’s view of him as a pressure forward that has Power list manager Jason Cripps excited about their Mid-Season Draftee.

After deciding to get involved in the Mid-Season Draft, mainly because of their growing injury list, the Power took the 20-year-old from the Double Blues with pick No. 13.

The member of South Australia’s Under 18 team in 2019 debuted for Sturt in 2020 and this year has played eight games for the Double Blues, averaging 19.1 disposals, 5.4 tackles and 4.1 clearances per game.

This has been through the midfield but Cripps told The Advertiser Port viewed the 176cm McEntee as a player who could play a role in the forward line.

“We are happy with Jed, his skill sets, his strengths and attributes that complement our list and complement our forwards and our current small forwards,” he said.

“We think he adds something different to our group of small forwards, his speed and agility and he has a real desire to hunt the opposition and close down time and space.

“He is a physical player and quite combative, we think those attributes complement some of the players on our list.

“He has been playing predominantly midfield for Sturt but we think he has the skill-set and capability to play in our front half as a pressure forward.”

Jed McEntee is now a Port Adelaide player. Picture: Sarah Reed

McEntee was tracked by Port Adelaide during his draft year in 2019, and the Power continued to monitor the youngster over the past two seasons.

“He has been playing senior footy at Sturt and again we had some interest in him in the 2019 Draft,” Cripps said.

“A lot of those players we continue to track them, regardless of where they are playing and we just felt that his attributes and his strengths could compliment what we currently have on our list.

“It’s more about his attributes and being able to see that at senior footy in the SANFL and also the other part that comes into it is a players drive and their willingness to preserve and their work ethic.”

Cripps said it was hoped McEntee could not only have some growth and development, but would help out the Power this year.

“We probably identified wanting to bring in a player that has some growth and upside and at 19 or 20 we took a view that it would be someone who might be able to help us with injuries in the short term,” Cripps said.

“But also bring in someone that has potential to be a long term player and has some growth and upside.”

Jackson Callow was picked up by the Hawks. Picture Matt Loxton

Cripps said McEntee had earned the chance to be on an AFL list after growing from the disappointment of 2019.

“It’s about his attributes and being able to see that at senior footy in the SANFL and also the other part that comes into it is a players drive and their willingness to preserve and their work ethic,” he said.

“And what we know with Jed is from the disappointment of not being picked up in 2019 he has a terrific attitude and he has continued to work on his game, to the point where he has been able to play senior footy pretty quickly as a young player in the midfield.”

Fellow Sturt teammate Ash Johnson joined Collingwood with the third pick of the draft while Norwood’s Jackson Callow went to Hawthorn with No. 17 after being overlooked last year.

Woodville-West Torrens’ Cooper Sharman went to St Kilda with Pick No. 21.

Former Crow Tyson Stengle was not selected by a club, after getting interest from Melbourne clubs.

Stengle, who was sacked by the Crows earlier this year, will now need to wait until the end of the year to receive another AFL lifeline.