Adelaide Crows add midfield depth by selecting Jordan Gallucci
ADELAIDE has added crucial depth to its midfield after taking Vic Metro co-captain Jordan Gallucci with its first pick in last night’s AFL national draft in Sydney.
ADELAIDE has added crucial depth to its midfield after taking Vic Metro co-captain Jordan Gallucci with its first pick in last night’s AFL national draft in Sydney.
Gallucci, 18, is a 180cm, 78kg midfielder with the breakaway pace the Crows were missing this season and also has a raking kick which bears promise for Adelaide’s forward line.
“I was really excited about the prospect of moving over to Adelaide and playing for the club,” Gallucci said last night.
“It’ll be an unreal experience and an unreal honour with some of the players who have played there in the past.”
But Gallucci’s passage to the Crows wasn’t smooth.
Adelaide put in a bid for GWS Academy product Harry Perryman when it was its turn to make a selection, having rated the courageous utility who also has proven leadership qualities.
But the response from the Giants, who had first dibs on its academy-developed players, was swift. They took Perryman and left the Crows to look to the next name in their order.
Gallucci hails from Lilydale in Melbourne’s outer east and played with TAC Cup club the Eastern Ranges this season.
Hawthorn great and list expert Gary Buckenara, who had tipped Gallucci to go as early as No. 11, was glowing in his assessment.
“Gallucci is a polished player who has good pace and is very athletic,” Buckenara said. “He probably does need to tidy up his disposal a little bit but he has all the traits of becoming a very good midfielder because of his athleticism and speed. Recruiters like his dash.”
Gallucci has already been burdened with the comparison with Patrick Dangerfield, the explosive midfielder who won the Brownlow Medal the year after he collected the best and fairest at West Lakes.
Gallucci’s coach at the Eastern Ranges, former Essendon premiership player Darren Bewick, earlier this month compared him to Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen.
“He works really hard and he’ll get into a club on day one and put his head down and do what he has to do,” Bewick said.
Gallucci will add depth to a midfield that is moving into its prime alongside proven players such as Rory Sloane and Crouch brothers Matt and Brad and emerging players such as Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Charlie Cameron, Wayne Milera, Harrison Wigg and Paul Seedsman.
With their second pick at 44 the Crows chose Myles Poholke from Dandenong Stingrays, a 184cm, 84kg midfielder.
He is rated an excellent overhead mark who can push forward as a difficult match-up near goal.
OFF THE RECORD: Crows chief ties the knot. Page 41