Adelaide Crows to audition its young guns — and future captain — in AFLX

AFLX — the new seven-aside fast footy competition — will not only be a trial of Australian football’s push for a new market but also the Crows’ young guns.

Adelaide is not planning to work captain and key forward Taylor Walker in the fast-form AFLX at Hindmarsh Stadium next week, opening the door for the AFL club to audition a new captain in the seven-a-side game. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

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ADELAIDE on Wednesday will map its future — including a new captain — as the Crows prepare for the AFL’s new fast-form game, AFLX.

Crows football chief Brett Burton is not expecting Adelaide captain and key forward Taylor Walker to be a part of the seven-a-side AFLX format to be launched at Hindmarsh Stadium next Thursday evening.

This opens the door to the Crows measuring the leadership qualities of its young guns, more so when Adelaide is looking to expose its youth in the 20-minute games on the rectangular field.

The “future captain” exposed in AFLX could have the Crows look beyond its 2017 AFL leadership group that had Walker supported by mature players Rory Sloane, Eddie Betts, Daniel Talia, fellow forwards Tom Lynch and Eddie Betts and the now-retired Scott Thompson.

This creates the chance to watch one of the Crouch brothers, All-Australian and club champion Matt or fellow midfielder Brad, handle leadership duties.

“I would not have thought Taylor (Walker) needed to play, so it is most likely we will have an AFLX captain,” Burton told The Advertiser.

“This is an opportunity for our younger players — those who have not been exposed to elite competition and elite opposition before and those who have had limited opportunities in the AFL (because of a short injury list) in the past two years.”

Adelaide’s reigning club champion Matt Crouch fires off a handball during a training camp on the Gold Coast last week. Picture: Adelaide Football Club.

Adelaide, after taking a union-scripted four-day break on return from its training camp on the Gold Coast last week, regathers at its West Lakes base on Wednesday.

The agenda turns to narrowing its focus on AFLX that has seven players on the soccer-style field and three on the bench. The inaugural AFLX series will be played with matches made up of two 10-minutes halves.

Unlike some of its AFL rivals, Adelaide is planning to keep senior coach Don Pyke in charge during AFLX. He can use just two assistants in the series that has the Crows paired with West Coast and Collingwood.

Adelaide is endorsing the AFL’s search for a short-form game — and Burton notes the fast-paced, quick-scoring game does meet the Crows’ objectives in Pyke’s playbook.

“The game does suit our style — and we see it can assist our preparation for the season,” Burton said. “AFLX is not different to the short-form games we already have in training.

“The advantage of AFLX is we get to work against genuine AFL opponents. It is still an elite competition and allows us to expose our players to a true game-day routine. It is better than training. It is better than a trial game.

“And we applaud the AFL for looking a new way for the game, particularly when the Big Bash (T20 cricket) has highlighted how sports fan appreciate fast, short-form games.”

AFLX will open in Adelaide with the first of the six-team groups that includes Port Adelaide, Geelong and Fremantle.

The other two series — each with six teams — will be in Melbourne on Friday, March 16 and in Sydney on Saturday, March 17.

AFLX IN ADELAIDE

Seven-aside, short-form football.

Starts Thursday February 15 at Hindmarsh Stadium

Pool A: Port Adelaide, Geelong, Fremantle

Pool B: Adelaide, West Coast, Collingwood

6.10pm: Port Adelaide v Geelong

6.38pm: Adelaide v Collingwood

7.06pm: Geelong v Fremantle

7.34pm: West Coast v Adelaide

8.02pm: Fremantle v Port Adelaide

8.30pm: Collingwood v West Coast

9.03pm: Final

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