AFL Power Rankings Round 9: Evolution of No.32 at the Adelaide Crows
SOME guernsey numbers have to be honoured rather than worn at football clubs and the way Darcy Fogarty has started his career with the No. 32 on his back at Adelaide, he is doing exactly that.
Reece Homfray
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SOME guernsey numbers have to be honoured rather than worn at football clubs and the way Darcy Fogarty has started his career with the No. 32 on his back at Adelaide, he is doing exactly that.
Fogarty doesn’t turn 19 until September but is already imposing himself on games at AFL level.
There were big raps on him when he was drafted and the Crows couldn’t believe their luck when he slipped to them at pick number 12.
Injuries at Adelaide have helped his cause but the club has fast-tracked his development to have him not only the logical replacement for Taylor Walker and Mitch McGovern but the perfect one.
The way Fogarty attacks the ball and the man, he embraces and invites contact, and has naturally drawn comparisons to Mark Ricciuto and Patrick Dangerfield who both wore the No. 32 before him.
No wonder supporters are so excited and at 193cm and 94kg Fogarty is bigger than both with Dangerfield (189cm and 92kg) and Ricciuto (184cm and 93kg) in his prime.
He is a beautifully composed set shot for goal and analysis of his possession count shows he likes getting his hands dirty with 50 per cent of his disposals this year contested.
So the brawn is there and has never been in doubt but, underneath that, what Adelaide fans and footy experts are seeing is the brain is as well.
Those who watch Fogarty closely say his footy smarts are elite and as a forward his leading patterns mean it’s no coincidence he’s in the right spots at the right time and has kicked five goals in five games to open his AFL career.
The instinctive way he finds space in heavy traffic — like he did in the wet on Friday night — shows the knee surgery that ended his season last August now seems ages ago.
And in coming years when Walker, McGovern, Lynch and Jenkins are all playing together, Fogarty could become a big-bodied midfield bull like the old No. 32s.
The way he has come into Adelaide’s team this season reflects the mindset of the players that has helped the team overcome a horror injury toll to reach 6-3 nearing the halfway mark of the season.
The players are hungry. If not to avenge last year’s grand final loss then to keep their spot in the team and if they only get one week to audition then they are making it count.
Cameron Ellis-Yolmen and Tom Doedee haven’t put a foot wrong, Jordan Gallucci is showing why he was a top-15 pick, Lachlan Murphy has vindicated the club’s decision to draft him and Myles Poholke can play at the level as well.
They’ve all helped the Crows weather a storm they could never have predicted.
Many thought Friday night’s win over the Western Bulldogs was a danger-game yet this Crows side that was almost unrecognisable to last year was unflinchingly strong.
The next month will reveal more with Melbourne, West Coast and Hawthorn all waiting for them but Adelaide’s Gen Y led by the new No. 32 is proving up to the challenge.
GOOD WEEKEND FOR ...
Jordan De Goey. On thin ice at Collingwood in the pre-season but kicked six on Saturday prompting some to say the Pies should re-sign him before going after Tom Lynch.
ONE TO FORGET FOR ...
Geelong. The loss to Essendon was horrible and underlines why so many have their doubts about them.
BURNING QUESTION
When will injuries finally catch up with the Crows? They got away with it on Friday night but a red-hot Melbourne side without both the Crouches, Walker, McGovern and Sloane is a big ask.
ROUND 9 POWER RANKINGS
1. WEST COAST (8-1)
Jack Darling kicked six goals but his selfless tap to Josh Kennedy for West Coast’s third yesterday typified their team-first mindset. The Eagles have cemented their No. 1 spot on the rankings
2. RICHMOND (7-2)
Won’t be too disappointed with that result in Perth although that’s two quiet weeks and no goals in three games for Dusty.
3. N. MELBOURNE (5-4)
Said they were the real deal last week and a win over GWS — albeit a wounded Giants — only enhances their reputation and chances of being there in September.
4. ADELAIDE (6-3)
A 37-point win in heavy rain with only half a side was enormous for the Crows’ top-four hopes and self-belief. Paul Seedsman’s asking price will be rising every week at this rate. His skills in the wet were sublime.
5. PORT ADELAIDE (6-3)
How’s Sam Powell-Pepper’s form since coming back into the side. In two weeks he’s had 47 disposals (28 contested), laid 16 tackles and kicked 3.2. Port simply can’t justify taking a game to China if it doesn’t win and got the job done.
6. MELBOURNE (6-3)
Essendon, St Kilda, Gold Coast and Carlton isn’t premiership form but the speed with which Melbourne scored yesterday put the competition on notice. Jake Melksham is arguably its best recruit right now.
7. SYDNEY (6-3)
Regulation win over Fremantle but strangely wasn’t a given based on their recent form at home. The other bonus was Buddy Franklin’s three-goal return from injury.
8. GEELONG (5-4)
Early-season concerns about their patchy form have again reared their head. Cats are the big slider on this week’s rankings after losing to Essendon on Saturday.
9. COLLINGWOOD (5-4)
Jordan DeGoey has kicked a goal in every game he’s played this year and his six in Saturday’s win over St Kilda took him to 15 in total in six games.
10. HAWTHORN (4-5)
Very un-Hawthorn like, ball-watching, slow to the footy and that’s two losses in a row so a slide down the rankings.
11. GWS (4-4-1)
Injuries or not, North Melbourne in Tassie was a 50-50 contest for the Giants and they failed miserably. Finals are looking more and more unlikely.
12. W. BULLDOGS (4-5)
Couldn’t have been more disappointing on Friday night. Lacked competitiveness and any real threat inside 50. Missed a real chance to make a stand.
13. ESSENDON (3-6)
Great response to a horror week but now the question for Essendon is what are they going to do against GWS this week?
14. FREMANTLE (4-5)
Didn’t offer much against the Swans but the Dockers are a different side at home than on the road.
15. BRISBANE (1-8)
Reward for effort because Brisbane’s body of work over the past month has deserved a victory and the Hipwood/Andrew bookends looked very exciting.
16. GOLD COAST (3-6)
Competitive but ultimately nothing to show from the trip to Shanghai. Nick Holman (25 disposals, 8 tackles) has been a revelation.
17. ST KILDA (1-7-1)
Sound like a broken record but until St Kilda learns how to kick they are staring at a bottom four finish.
18. CARLTON (1-8)
How quickly the Blues’ bubble burst. They were insipid at times in the second quarter and it’s those sort of performances that will have Brendon Bolton feeling nervous.
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