Questions mounting in a winter of discontent for failing Crows

MANY of the questions on Adelaide’s fall from AFL pacesetter to also-ran have obvious answers, but will not come with admissions from West Lakes until the race to September is formally out of reach.

Adelaide coach Don Pyke talks with skipper Taylor Walker on the bench during the Crows’ disastrous third quarter against Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein

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• Fagan breaks his silence on Crows losses
• Mooney’s Lynch advice for Crows
• Bickley: Crows’ scars of September 30, 2017
• Crows turn to family and friends

SILENCE is not so golden for the Adelaide Football Club today.

The in-crisis Crows wanted “radio silence” for much of this week. They were seeking — during the four-day reprieve with the mid-season break — relief from what Adelaide dubs as “noise” (read as distractions) while being the growing focus of national attention.

The main question is not going away: How can an AFL pacesetter, a grand finalist, tumble into such mediocrity so quickly?

But putting up the shutters at West Lakes — while some players continue their paid media engagements — has not stopped the questions being asked.

Questions are obvious in looking at how the Crows have tumbled from AFL pacesetter to also ran so quickly this season. The answers to the key questions are not too difficult to find either. Picture: Michael Dodge (Getty Images)

And the “noise” continues to mount as 11th-ranked Adelaide (6-7) deals with the daunting challenge of winning seven of the remaining nine home-and-away games to qualify for a fourth consecutive AFL finals series.

Advertiser columnist and radio commentator Kane Cornes immediately blasted the Crows describing their silence as a “disgrace”. He said on FIVEaa on Monday: “Someone from that club had to speak. They say there’re not speaking until Friday, which is a disgrace.”

Cornes’ father, inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes, has long argued the Adelaide Football Club does not need to answer to anyone — and certainly not the media.

But the Crows do need to deal with an increasingly frustrated and agitated fan base. Chief executive Andrew Fagan on Tuesday night finally reacted by issuing by email his first “note to the members” since April 20 when the Crows were proving their resilience in Sydney by beating the Swans at the SCG for a 3-2 record.

His last tweet on Saturday night noted: “We know we are challenged right now. We recognise this is also very tough for fans.”

Dressing room reflected the performance last night. Boys were shattered. We know we are challenged right now. We recognise this is also v tough for fans. Team will recharge for a few a days & then review & regroup & work our backsides off to get back to our level post bye. https://t.co/iD0JRZAiB5

— Andrew Fagan (@Fages1) June 16, 2018

In his message to the members, Fagan notes there are many “extravagant theories” on the Crows’ fall from the top of the AFL ladder.

The professional trolls on social media have played on Adelaide’s initial silence with a campaign demanding answers to a long list of questions, many that would fit Graham Cornes’ theme of being mischievous.

But there are genuine — and appropriate — questions that should be posed and answered during the midseason break.

Taylor Walker, who has just returned from injury, with injured trio Brodie Smith, Rory Sloane and Riley Knight. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Q: Is Adelaide’s long and damaging injury list a case of bad luck or bad management?

A: Already the Crows have declared they made mistakes in the summer. The soft-tissue injury count points to a mismanaged pre-season campaign. Asking where it went wrong starts a campaign for a scapegoat with fitness coach Matty Haas seen as vulnerable, particularly when it is noted there was a heavy injury list at his former AFL club, Brisbane.

More relevant is finding answers to ensure there is no repeat of the mistakes.

Q: Did the pre-season camp on the Gold Coast — with the Collective Minds — program do damage to the group?

A: Yes, it did. After all the denials, the admissions from club chairman Rob Chapman and coach Don Pyke last week that there were elements of the program that should not have been allowed make it easier to deal with the problems that linger in the player group.

So many senior players have lost their edge — and their leadership qualities — to underline a program that was to make the Crows stronger has created a disaster.

Still to be asked is why football chief Brett Burton felt the search for a mental edge should have taken this path — and why with Collective Minds?

Jake Kelly, Daniel Talia and Josh Jenkins after last year’s grand final loss. Picture Sarah Reed

Q: Did Adelaide handle its post-grand final emotions correctly?

A: This has been perfectly answered by key forward Josh Jenkins in The Advertiser last week when he noted: “It took a heavy toll in the off-season. It is a bad scenario … you play the grand final, you lose and everyone disperses when you actually need each other the most.

“The off-season was difficult.”

Q: Why does Adelaide “struggle” to hold players?

A: Season’s end will answer if free-agent Rory Sloane stays, if young forward Mitch McGovern seeks to break his new three-year contract and if forward star Eddie Betts can overcome his pre-season scars to play on.

Until then, the more pressing question is why would the Crows want to manufacture a draft raid in November by trading team leader Tom Lynch in October?

Several other questions — built on the “noise” of the relationship between the strong-minded Pyke and Burton — will fester and be posed more often if Adelaide’s campaign loses relevance with no win in the demanding three-game run after the break against West Coast (home), AFL premiers Richmond (MCG) and Geelong (home).

And then silence will not be the best policy at West Lakes.

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