Adelaide to play hard-ball on want-away forward Mitch McGovern as assistant Josh Francou leaves
THE Adelaide Crows are facing plenty of change with Mitch McGovern likely be traded, assistant coach Josh Francou leaving for the Gold Coast and the fallout from Collective Mind.
- The mind game that torments the Crows
- Adelaide charts course back to finals
- Collective Minds wash hands of camp
MITCH McGovern will be traded on Adelaide’s terms as football boss Brett Burton plays hard-ball with vultures circling the star utility.
McGovern, 24, has handed Adelaide a trade request despite two years remaining on the deal signed in August 2017.
Head of football Burton said the Crows would entertain a trade for an “appropriate level” of compensation.
“We are open minded and happy to explore the options available with Mitch and his manager,” Burton said on Tuesday night.
“However, the needs of the club will be held as a high priority in any possible negotiation, especially given he is a contracted player.”
After copping a public hammering on the handling of its Gold Coast pre-season camp as well as mystery over contracted McGovern’s unhappiness, the mood at West Lakes has sharpened.
Josh Francou is to reunite with former Sydney assistant now Suns coach Stuart Dew on the Gold Coast. Adelaide can reshape its coaching panel with another senior voice for Don Pyke after tumbling to 12th this season.
Former Port Adelaide midfielder Francou spent just one season with the Crows after moving from John Longmire’s system in the Harbour City. Adelaide yesterday delisted Jackson Edwards and Ben Jarman, sons of premiership legends Tyson and Darren respectively. Harry Dear was cut in addition to the father-son selections.
“It’s always a difficult time of the year in the AFL industry,” Burton said.
Carlton could want at least Adelaide’s No.7 pick and McGovern in return for a top-end pick that delivers once-in-a generation forward Jack Lukosius or midfielder Izak Rankine to West Lakes.
Adelaide knows rivals will seek to bleed it for South Australian under-18 star Lukosius but will play hardball with McGovern. Having ignored multi-million dollar overtures from Fremantle to return home last year, McGovern will be forced to serve the remaining two years on his Crows deal unless a win-win trade can be struck.
Gold Coast which finished second bottom, could be implicated in any trade shuffle for Lukosius. The wild card remains the value of priority picks the AFL will bestow on wooden-spoon unit Carlton and Gold Coast and Adelaide’s use of future picks.
Adelaide won’t dignify continued shots across its bow about January’s controversial Gold Coast pre-season camp - its first since defeating Collingwood in Dubai’s extreme heat a decade previous under Neil Craig.
Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan was on Tuesday in no mood to address reporters assembled at West Lakes, making a swift getaway in his car. Burton looked a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders leaving the club with Fagan.
Adelaide parted ways with Collective Mind in June despite signing a two-year deal with the consultancy in the search to reconcile its 2017 grand final defeat to Richmond.
Adelaide believes 95 per cent of its players had no issue with the Gold Coast camp while the club will deal with the “miss” that affected some younger and indigenous players including Eddie Betts.
Midfielder Hugh Greenwood told The Advertiser on Friday that Adelaide’s pre-season camp had helped him process the passing of his mother and 2017 grand final loss.
Collective Mind on Tuesday continued the defence of its work with Adelaide, expressing disappointment at “further unsubstantiated claims in relation to the Adelaide Crows pre-season camp.” Collective Mind noted it wasn’t sacked by Adelaide “twice or even once.”
Adelaide will not respond to media reports that captain Taylor Walker hosted a meeting that saw the club part ways with Collective Mind only for the consultancy to be reinstated by coach Don Pyke ahead of its 91-point loss to Melbourne in Alice Springs.
Adelaide has five list changes with Sam Gibson and Curtly Hampton retiring. There will be no further list changes until after the AFL trade period.