Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks told Riley Thilthorpe before the draft the club would take him

Riley Thilthorpe knew before the draft he was going to Adelaide. But he had to keep the big news a secret. This is how he found out.

Riley Thilthorpe poses with his family.

Riley Thilthorpe has revealed Matthew Nicks came to his house hours before the national draft to tell him Adelaide was going to make him its highest ever pick.

The Crows had said publicly they would not inform whoever they took with their opening choice but Nicks confirmed the club’s plans at Thilthorpe’s home about 1pm on Wednesday – much to the delight of the 18-year-old forward/ruckman.

Thilthorpe managed to keep the information from spreading ahead of the draft, six hours later, as pundits speculated if the Crows would take him, West Australian spearhead Logan McDonald or Victorian hybrid midfielder Elijah Hollands.

Adelaide ultimately called Next Generation Academy prospect Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s name first in a strategic bid that the Western Bulldogs matched, then selected Thilthorpe.

“I still wasn’t sure until he (Nicks) met me … and told me then, which was unbelievable,” said Thilthorpe, who played 15 league games over the past two years for West Adelaide.

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Riley Thilthorpe in his new colours. Picture: Getty Images

“They bid on Jamarra obviously, but they wanted to let me know I was still their first pick but they had to do it to secure some picks later on in the draft.”

Rory Sloane, Taylor Walker and Reilly O’Brien were among the many Crows to text or call lifelong Adelaide fan Thilthorpe once he was drafted.

“It was just about the whole list, so it was pretty surreal to have those boys messaging you, wishing you good luck,” he said.

Thilthorpe missed out on a $10,000 prize from draft sponsor NAB that went to Ugle-Hagan as the No. 1 pick, but the Bloods product said that was the least of his worries.

This year, Thilthorpe battled groin issues, causing him to miss the last five matches, but he believed he was ready to play next season and looked forward to joining his new teammates.

“I’m starting from the bottom again tomorrow so I’ll work my way up,” he said.

Two other first-round picks will begin their journeys at Adelaide alongside Thilthorpe: Glenelg inside midfielder Luke Pedlar and South Adelaide wingman/half-forward Brayden Cook.

Pedlar said there was plenty of emotion at his parents’ place in Kingston, in SA’s southeast, when he was selected at pick 11 on Wednesday night.

“I don’t really cry too often but I shed a couple of tears with my family,” said Pedlar, who was a boarder at Prince Alfred College, where he was First XVIII captain this year.

“I’ve done a fair bit of hard work the last couple of years to get where I am this year and this was the cherry on the cake.”

Asked to describe himself as a player, Pedlar said he enjoyed the contest.

“I love to crack in and win my own ball,” he said.

Cook struggled to make the Panthers’ under-18 side last year, playing 13 games for his Southern Football League club Happy Valley.

He was one of the bolters of the season and was taken 25th overall on Wednesday after the Crows traded ahead two spots to grab him.

“I had no idea they were going to trade up but I’m very happy that they did,” Cook said.

Adelaide’s other two national draft selections were hard-nosed Victorian on-baller Sam Berry (No. 28) and Woodville-West Torrens mature-age small forward James Rowe (37).

Luke Pedlar, Riley Thilthorpe and Brayden Cook were snapped up by the Crows. Picture: Mark Brake

WHY CROWS TARGETED LOCALS ON DRAFT NIGHT

The next wave of talent to help rejuvenate the Crows has a distinct South Australian flavour.

In what was billed as arguably the most important draft in the club’s history, Adelaide picked four locals with its five selections on Wednesday night: West Adelaide key forward/ruckman Riley Thilthorpe, Glenelg hard-nut Luke Pedlar, South Adelaide wingman Brayden Cook and Woodville-West Torrens mature-age goalsneak James Rowe – the son of ex-Crow turned radio commentator Stephen Rowe.

Adelaide began the night by bidding on Western Bulldogs’ Next Generation Academy prospect Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, then making Thilthorpe the club’s highest-ever choice, at No. 2, after the Dogs matched.

Inside midfielder Pedlar was snared nine picks later, then the Crows traded No. 27 and a 2021 third-rounder for Collingwood’s No. 25, where it grabbed Cook, knowing the Magpies had some interest in the exciting Panther.

Riley Thilthorpe was taken with Adelaide’s first pick. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Adelaide’s final selection was its feel-good story – 21-year-old Rowe, who slotted 47 goals in 17 games this past SANFL season and shared the Ken Farmer Medal.

The only interstater the Crows drafted was Victorian Sam Berry, another tough inside midfielder, at No. 28.

There had been weeks of speculation about who Adelaide would take with its top choice and after coming down to a battle between Thilthorpe and McDonald, Adelaide went with the player who in coming years could help replace Taylor Walker in attack as well as support Reilly O’Brien.

Crows recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie told The Advertiser it was tight between Thilthorpe and McDonald “but in what world can we not take a South Australian who’s basically been the best player in Australia since 14 years of age to now”.

South Adelaide’s Brayden Cook.

PAC’s Luke Pedlar.

Ogilvie also revealed the Crows bid on Ugle-Hagan to help get Rowe, knowing the Dogs were keen on the Eagles forward, but would have their late picks pushed back to match their call.

“There was no way we couldn’t take him,” Ogilvie said of Thilthorpe.

“He’s a 200cm South Australian who can play forward with a genuine second position.

“The gap was tight but Riley was our man and we would’ve picked him at one if not for the Jamarra strategy.

“He was our number one the last two or three weeks.

“We’re rapt to get him.”

Thilthorpe kicked 13 goals in 15 league games for West Adelaide over the past two seasons, but might have been somewhat underrated by football pundits coming into the draft.

Woodville West-Torrens export James Rowe will start his AFL career at West Lakes, following in the footsteps of his dad and former Crow Stephen Rowe.

While McDonald became arguably the hottest prospect in the country after finishing second in the WAFL goalkicking with 21 majors, Thilthorpe was restricted to nine matches this year, missing the last five of the campaign due to groin problems.

But Thilthorpe had also made his mark at senior level in 2019, when he booted 3.1 in just his second league game as a 17-year-old, then backed it up with two goals, 15 touches and eight marks in his third.

He showed his versatility and athleticism this year by spending two matches in the ruck.

Ogilvie said Thilthorpe was almost the best player in the country at the under-16 nationals in 2018.

“If you had of said to me (then), you’re going to get a chance to get that big, tall kid out there, I’d have signed up on the spot,” Ogilvie said.

Pedlar and Gippsland Power product Berry will add grunt to Adelaide’s midfield, while Cook has X-factor.

Asked about taking four South Australians with five picks, Ogilvie said: “If the gap’s big, we’ll take someone from WA or Victoria or Tasmania, but the gap wasn’t that big.”

“Cook we thought would go a bit earlier so we were lucky and thankful he got through to us,” he said.

“Pedlar was had pegged for that pick from a long way back – we loved him.

“We were a bit nervous because we knew a couple of clubs might have tried to jump us to get him.

“Berry had a really good year as a 17-year-old last year … and we’ve liked him for a long way out.

“He’s a finals player, just tough.

“He’ll add some strength to our midfield and I’m pretty sure him and Pedlar will end up being best mates.”

Rowe, whose dad Stephen played 29 games for the Crows from 1991-95, should be able to push for a Round 1 berth.

Sam Berry is the only interstate player Adelaide took in the 2020 AFL national draft. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Not only did Adelaide bid for Ugle-Hagan but it also traded up from pick 40 to make sure it could get Rowe, believing the Bulldogs, Carlton and Hawthorn were keen on him.

“We knew the Bulldogs were keen and we had to knock their picks out, so bidding for Jamarra allowed us to get Rowey – that was the strategy behind that one,” Ogilvie said.

In a bonus for Adelaide, no teams bid on its NGA prospects Tariek Newchurch and James Borlase, ensuring the Crows would be able to secure them as rookies on Thursday – the day it planned to also take ex-GWS midfielder Jackson Hately in the pre-season draft.

“The draft went pretty well and pretty close to plan,” Ogilvie said.

HUGE CROWS FAN LIVES HIS DRAFT FAIRYTALE

Adelaide has addressed its glaring need for a key forward and ruck support for Reilly O’Brien by taking West Adelaide’s Riley Thilthorpe with its highest ever draft pick.

The Crows chose 201cm, 100kg Thilthorpe with the second selection in Wednesday night’s national draft after bidding on Western Bulldogs’ Next Generation Academy prospect Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, only for the Dogs to match.

DRAFT RECAP: SEE WHO EVERY CLUB SELECTED

Adelaide had been considering four players with its top choice, believed to be Ugle-Hagan, Thilthorpe, West Australian spearhead Logan McDonald and Victorian hybrid midfielder Elijah Hollands.

It stuck to its talent order by calling out Ugle-Hagan’s name first and then in the battle between Thilthorpe and McDonald, the Crows’ recruiting team went with the player who in coming years could help replace Taylor Walker in attack as well as help O’Brien in the middle.

Riley Thilthorpe with his family after being recruited by the Crows.

Thilthorpe kicked 13 goals in 15 league games for West Adelaide over the past two seasons, but might have been a touch underrated by football pundits coming into the draft.

While McDonald became arguably the hottest prospect in the country after finishing second in the WAFL goalkicking with 21 majors, Thilthorpe was restricted to nine matches this year, missing the last five of the campaign due to groin problems.

But Thilthorpe had also made his mark in 2019, when he booted 3.1 in just his second league game as a 17-year-old, then backed it up with two goals, 15 touches and eight marks in his third.

He showed his versatility – and athleticism – this year by spending two matches in the ruck.

Thilthorpe told The Advertiser this week that he was excited to head to any club but the Crows would have been particularly special given he was a lifelong supporter of the club, following in the footsteps of his late great-nan, Marie.

“I’ve gone to as many games as I can get to for as long as I can remember,” Thilthorpe said.

“Nana had the posters from when they won the two flags (1997, 1998), so I’ve got them framed and on my wall.”

Riley Thilthorpe celebrates a goal for West Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

Thilthorpe also said this week his groin issue was “feeling pretty good” and he was “back to some pretty decent training loads”.

With its second pick, at No. 11, Adelaide snared another local – tough Glenelg midfielder Luke Pedlar to add grunt to its on-ball brigade.

During the first round the Crows also orchestrated a selection swap with cross-town rival Port Adelaide, exchanging No. 38 and a 2021 fourth-round choice and receiving No. 34.