Adelaide Crows and Cameron Ellis-Yolmen have kept the faith and now it’s paying off

IT’S been a seven-year relationship with plenty of ups and downs but Cameron Ellis-Yolmen and Adelaide are finally being rewarded for their mutual faith in each other.

Toby Nakervis of the Tigers confronts Cam Ellis-Yolmen of the Crows.

IT’S been a seven-year relationship with plenty of ups and downs but Cameron Ellis-Yolmen and Adelaide are finally being rewarded for their mutual faith in each other.

The Crows made the first move back in 2011 when they took him from Woodville-West Torrens with Pick No.64 in the draft and maintained patience for three years until his AFL debut in 2014.

The following year he played 11 games which remains a career-high but by 2016 Ellis-Yolmen had become a victim of the club’s increasing depth and couldn’t get a look-in.

He was dominating in the SANFL but couldn’t crack Adelaide’s senior side and there was interest from rival clubs to go elsewhere for an opportunity.

But Ellis-Yolmen decided to stick it out at West Lakes only for disaster to strike in the 2017 pre-season when he did his ACL in Adelaide’s first NAB Cup game and missed the entire season.

Again their relationship was tested but again the Crows kept the faith by delisting him last October with a promise to re-rookie list him a month later - which they did.

Now the 25-year-old is finally back in the side and has kicked goals in both of Adelaide’s games to open the season including Thursday night’s spirited win over Richmond.

Ellis-Yolmen played his first AFL game in 564 days against Essendon in Round 1.

“It’s an amazing feeling, going down last year in the first NAB Cup game and managing to get myself back into the team now is the best feeling ever,” Ellis-Yolmen said.

“It was such a good feeling to walk off with that win especially against Richmond.

“I just wanted to do everything I could in rehab and show the club I really wanted to be there, they showed faith in me and got me back and re-rookied me, and it’s just an awesome feeling.”

Regaining fitness was Ellis-Yolmen’s biggest challenge but he never lost his touch particularly in close where his big-body was crucial in Adelaide winning contested ball against the Tigers.

“In rehab you still do a lot of touch and skill work once you’re able to get back on your feet, so I still had it and I did a lot of work with Duncan Kellaway who was awesome through my rehab and the boys got around me.

“The first game was a good test, obviously the JLT’s aren’t a full-length game but you get match fitness the more you play so it will come.”

Ellis-Yolmen went to Melbourne with the Crows for last year’s grand final and although he didn’t play, he said he shared the pain.

Ellis-Yolmen walks off after last year’s grand final loss with Charlie Cameron.

“We all went over and watched and supported the boys and even though you’re in rehab you’re still there with the team so something like that you feel it and you’re upset.

“It’s a tough thing but we’re now looking to 2018 and moving on and a win like that is a great step.”

Asked about how the hysteria surrounding the Crows’ pre-season camp had affected him last week, Ellis-Yolmen was forthright.

“That was all external stuff, we were just focusing on us and the task at hand which was Richmond and we did what we had to do,” he said.

“For me I’m just focusing on footy.”