Defender Nick Murray looming as Adelaide SSP signing, set for huge Round 1 task
Nick Murray is set for a huge task should he win a spot on Adelaide’s list, with two Coleman Medal winners awaiting the Crows in Round 1.
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From sitting on the tractor harvesting in 2020 to a likely spot on Adelaide’s list and maybe even a place in the team for Round 1 in 2021.
Nick Murray has been “thrown into the fire” in his bid to win an AFL contract but has impressed the Crows coaching staff and had a big chance to secure his spot on Adelaide’s list for 2021 on Sunday.
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The 20-year-old younger brother of former Collingwood player Sam, Murray has been training with the club during the Supplementary Selection Period, which ends on March 9.
Murray, who has committed to playing with Williamstown in the VFL if he doesn’t get a contract with the Crows, played for Adelaide’s AFL side against Port Adelaide in the trial match at Alberton Oval last week.
And the key defender will get another chance to test himself at the highest level today at Noarlunga against Port Adelaide, with Daniel Talia set to return from knee surgery in the early rounds of the season, Tom Doedee coming back from a groin injury through the SANFL and Fischer McAsey also playing in the twos on Saturday after a rough time out against the Power.
This means it will be Murray and two-gamer Jordon Butts who will try and stop Power All-Australian key forward Charlie Dixon at Noarlunga, and possibly Geelong’s star duo Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron in Round 1 with Talia’s likely absence opening up a key defender spot.
Adelaide defensive and senior assistant coach Scott Burns said the Crows were hoping to get a final look at Murray – who spent 2020 working on a farm at Yerong Creek in the NSW Riverina – before they made a call over whether he stays on.
“He’s one of those boys who didn’t play a lot of footy last year because of what happened in the eastern states and the COVID situation there,” he said.
“He played a little bit of footy before that at GWS in the reserves, I think he was on a tractor harvesting for a long part before he came over so he’s come from a long way back but in terms of being able to not miss a session since he has been here and improve his physical output he has put himself up there.
“Their key forwards are pretty strong, he is being thrown into the fire but he’s rapt with the opportunity.”
Dixon kicked three goals in the Power’s convincing 52-point win over the Crows last week, but Burns said Butts could be proud of his efforts on the key Port forward.
“Watching the game on Saturday it’s apparent that he is a hard defender to beat,” he said.
“While Charlie kicked a couple of goals I reckon he’d be sitting at home after the game thinking he’s not easy to get a kick on so we’ve been really impressed with Buttsy.”
Doedee and McAsey played in the Crows SANFL sides’ four-point loss to Norwood on Saturday.
Doedee emerged unscathed from the clash.
Burns said McAsey, the No. 6 pick from the 2019 AFL Draft, had been improving but also had been “a little bit interrupted in this pre-season”.
Jackson Hately also played for the SANFL side following the return of Matt Crouch from a groin issue, while Tom Lynch was a late inclusion for the Crows against Norwood.
He kicked two goals in the 12.3 (75) to 11.5 (71) win, while Elliott Himmelberg kicked three.
No. 2 pick Riley Thilthorpe and fellow draftee Sam Berry are set to taste their first bit of senior action for the Crows against the Power.
ADELAIDE BULLISH ON MORE DEALS AFTER LAIRD RE-SIGNS
Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks says there was “no hesitation” in re-signing two-time All-Australian and 2018 club champion Rory Laird on a five-year deal.
And Nicks says he is confident the club will make some serious inroads on the re-signing of some other key Crows in the near future following Laird’s extension.
The 27-year-old was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but will likely be a one-club player with Adelaide after he signed the big contract extension.
The Crows have been burnt with handing out long-term contracts to players in Laird’s age-bracket in the past — choosing not to give Brad Crouch the five-year deal he was seeking for last year — and initially offered the SA product a three-year deal.
But fresh off a successful shift into the midfield in the second half of 2020, Laird was able to get the extra security he desired and put any speculation around his future off the table before the start of the season.
“Yeah I think if you would ask most players they would be looking for a bit of long term security,” he said.
“I believe in the direction the club is going in.
“I think it made it a bit easier and clearer for me and I didn’t want that lingering over my head with the distractions other players have gone through.
“I’m just happy to get out there and play footy now.”
Nicks told The Advertiser he “couldn’t be more pleased” that Laird — who he coached at Scotch College — had signed on.
“We are talking about a super consistent, hardened player who has proven himself as a top three best-and-fairest for five or six years straight,” he said.
“He’s versatile, he has played halfback, he can play on ball and really confident of taking his game to another level, he is also a very strong on-field leader.
“There was no hesitation for us in looking after Rory, we looked after him and we felt like he wanted to look after us as well and be part of our future.
“They joke he is my son so we have my son signed on.”
The Crows still have 22 players whose current contracts expire at the end of the season, including prolific midfielder Matt Crouch, No. 1 ruckman Reilly O’Brien and captain in waiting Tom Doedee.
Nicks said he was confident the club would have some more re-signings in the near future.
“I hope so, I’m confident that regarding most of the players coming out of contract at the moment we are building a culture here that would want them to be involved and stay,” he said.
“There is always details around contracts, a lot of that is to do with term and value but we are looking to do the right stuff by all our players.”
Laird said he was confident his extended time at the Crows would coincide with a rise back up the ladder.
“You look at a fair few clubs in the AFL and Brisbane being the most recent example,” he said.
“They were in a position similar to us a couple of years ago and now they have this really strong core group of young players who are elite players and a few pretty handy veterans.
“I don’t see why in two to three years why we can’t (do the same).”
Crows drop Round 1 clue on draft duo
Adelaide leadership group member Tom Doedee will return through the SANFL, while the Crows may have given a big hint whether two draftees play in the AFL team this weekend.
Doedee and Matt Crouch got through the Crows main training session on Thursday, after both battled groin soreness over the past two weeks, and the decision was made to bring back the young gun defender in the SANFL squad to take on Norwood on Saturday.
Doedee is joined in the SANFL side by Jackson Hately and Fischer McAsey, after both featured in the AFL side during last week’s trial against Port Adelaide at Alberton.
No. 11 pick Luke Pedlar is also in the SANFL side but No. 2 pick Riley Thilthorpe and 28th selection Sam Berry have not been named.
It doesn’t guarantee the exciting duo plays for the AFL side this Sunday against the Power at Noarlunga.
But Berry was playing for the stronger darker blue side as a forward during match-sim on Thursday.
Thilthorpe kicked four goals, and set up two more, in the SANFL match against Port last Saturday to thrust his name into calculations for the senior side.
Jake Kelly is unlikely to play against the Power as he battles a hamstring issue, that limited his training on Thursday.
His likely omission, plus Doedee and McAsey – who had a rough time against Port Adelaide at Alberton – playing in the SANFL means the Crows will likely have key Jordon Butts and train-on Nick Murray as their key defenders for the Community Series clash.
Daniel Talia took part in some drills as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, but is still expected to miss the start of the season.
Elliott Himmelberg has not done enough to get called up to the AFL side, after Billy Frampton’s strong pre-season giving him the edge.
Mitch Hinge, a new recruit from Brisbane, has not been named in the SANFL side as he chases a first appearance for the Crows AFL team.
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