In moving from half-forward to half-back, Wayne Milera has given Crows fans a beacon of hope for Season 2019
IN the ashes of disappointing AFL seasons for Adelaide and Port Adelaide, new half-back Wayne Milera has given Crows fans a beacon of hope for Season 2019.
- Crows deliver ‘unconditional’ final effort
- Pyke: There’s plenty to look forward to
- Crows finish with springboard of hope
- Chris McDermott: Power damned by loss of faith
EVERY AFL season — even those that end unexpectedly short of hefty expectation — need to deliver a player who offers that shining light at the end of the tunnel.
Adelaide has, of course, its Rising Star-nominated defender Tom Doedee … and its “Shining Light” defender Wayne Milera.
Milera’s rise to appear — as he always promised — quite comfortable in the big league is also the silver lining to the hefty loss of long-kicking half-back Brodie Smith with a serious knee injury at the end of the last year.
The No. 11 pick in the 2015 AFL national draft, Milera started his AFL journey at half-forward. He almost (stress almost) appeared to have the Cyril Rioli theme of maximum efficiency from minimal touches (averaging 11 in his first season in 2016). He understood how very good footballers create time and space, even in congested fields.
But, as is to be understood with novices, Milera did not quite fit in Adelaide’s dynamic attack that was overloaded with diverse talent last year — as was underlined by Milera’s absence from finals last season.
Disaster with Smith in September last year has created a bonus with Milera at half-back this season. His form, his presence, his assertive play, his figures (averaging 19 disposals this season) and his confidence as an AFL player make Milera one of the stand-out success stories of a difficult year at Adelaide.
All of Milera’s figures — except scoring, of course — improved this season that ends with his record at 43 AFL games in three years.
And what does Crows coach Don Pyke do with Milera next season when he has Smith and All-Australian Rory Laird to reunite — and torment opponents with their intercept marks and line-breaking run — on the half-back line? Is it Milera’s moment in the Adelaide midfield that needs to be revitalised next season?
It is a tantalising theme to contemplate across the long summer. Milera as a midfielder offers that itch to quickly renew membership — a concept every AFL club, particularly those that miss finals, craves.
Who fits the same bill at Port Adelaide? It is far too soon to put the same expectation on young left-footer Kane Farrell, who made Power fans become excited with his three goals in the first term of Showdown 45.
Adelaide increased its count of AFL debutants to five on Saturday night with the rise of “Big Easy” forward Elliott Himmelberg. The others are rookie-listed small forward Lachlan Murphy, fellow forward Darcy Fogarty, Doedee and midfielder Myles Poholke.
For all that is made of the “age profile” of the Adelaide list by counting how many Crows players will be in their 30s next season, Pyke did ensure there were green shoots amid the scorched turf.
Port Adelaide had three — Farrell, ruckman Billy Frampton in the season closer against Essendon and the impressive Jarrod Lienert in defence. The Power was certainly denied the chance — by family tragedy — to advance forward Todd Marshall as the Milera equivalent at Alberton; and young ruckman Sam Hayes was cursed by an ACL injury.