Top Adelaide Crows draft pick Jess Allan expects more from AFLW this season

WHY top recruit Jess Allan expects more from the AFLW in its second season.

Jess and Sarah Allan will play for the Crows in their first game of the AFLW season on Saturday. Picture: Sarah Reed

• Crows co-captains tell teammates to embrace being the hunted
• Crows coach Bec Goddard challenges players to get better
• SANFLW teams get shake-up with competition expansion

TOP Crows draft pick Jess Allan has predicted the AFLW will rise to another level after completing her first summer of training alongside premiership sister and teammate Sarah.

Ruck-utility Allan, 18, is the only first-year player who — because of her sister — was close enough to the team to get a feeling for the program last summer.

She also worked with coach Bec Goddard in the under-18 program and played under her in a representative game for the Allies.

“Pre-season went really quick and it was a lot different for me,” Allan said. “I was obviously used to a lot of training but it was different training all the time with the girls — I loved every second of it.

“Most of the girls say it’s gone up a level again from last year.

“They did all the training properly last year but this year the competition has improved again.

“Everybody’s doing everything they can to get better.

“You can tell all the girls have a bit of experience now but they were really welcoming.”

Allan, Ruth Wallace and Rheanne Lugg are among first-year players who will be pushing for selection for Adelaide’s first match of the season against Brisbane at Norwood Oval on Saturday night.

Jess Allan training with the Crows on Wednesday. Picture: Matt Turner

Despite winning the premiership last season, a vote among the captains of the other teams suggested the Crows will only be an outside chance again, even though bookmakers have installed them as the equal favourites to win the flag alongside Melbourne and Carlton.

Allan welcomed the chance to prove the predictions incorrect.

“That was a bit interesting,” Allan said of the captains’ votes. “But I suppose we were the underdogs last year.

“So going back into the season not expected to win it will be interesting to see how we go.

“Hopefully we can prove them wrong.”

Allan noted another big difference from last pre-season, when she was a spectator rather than a player.

The inclusion of Crows premiership players Andrew McLeod and Peter Caven means there are more expert advice to tap into for the players, and in particularly the first-year players who have so much to learn.

McLeod and Caven joins existing coaches Andrew Hodges, Mark Moody and Brooke Copeland to work under Goddard.

“Peter Caven and ‘Bunj’ have definitely changed the dynamic of the coaching group a bit,” Allan said. “Just the experience that both of them bring into the club, having played so much at such a high level.

“It’s been really good for us to have them teaching us because they’re not just good coaches but they’ve got all the playing background as well so they know exactly what we’re going through.”