Adelaide rolls dice with possible father-son draft pick Jackson Edwards

ADELAIDE is at serious risk of losing father-son prospect Jackson Edwards to a rival club.

RISKY BUSINESS: Adelaide is rolling the dice with father-son prospect Jackson Edwards, who was watched closely by AFL recruiting scouts at the SA Draft Combine. Picture: Tom Huntley.

ADELAIDE is at serious risk of losing father-son prospect Jackson Edwards to a rival club.

The Crows’ eleventh-hour decision to trade pick 91 to North Melbourne for veteran ball magnet Sam Gibson and upgrading of rookies Hugh Greenwood and Alex Keath to the senior list has left them short of draft selections and playing a dangerous waiting game.

Adelaide has nominated Edwards – the oldest son of 321-game club great Tyson Edwards – as its second-ever father-son pick, behind his cousin Ben Jarman, who was taken as a rookie last year.

But with only two live selections (12 and 39) at the November 24 player lottery, the Crows, who currently do not believe Edwards is worth taking that high, will not have the draft arsenal to match a bid for Edwards should a rival call his name after they have used their second pick.

Adelaide has committed only to taking the left-footed midfielder in the rookie draft – he automatically becomes a Crow if he slips that far – and, at this stage, says it won’t use one of its two live national draft picks on him. The Crows also have selections 77 and 109 but they have been preserved for upgrading big-bodied midfielder Greenwood and key defender Keath, who played AFL this year and are considered fine long-term players.

Adelaide also had pick 91 but offloaded it to the Kangaroos to bring in 31-year-old midfielder/half-back Gibson, who finished sixth in the Roos’ club champion award this year and is a good insurance policy for injured rebounding defender Brodie Smith, who will miss most of next season following a knee reconstruction.

“There is always that possibility and a little bit of risk there,’’ chief executive Andrew Fagan said of the chance of the Crows letting Edwards slip through their grasp.

“We’ll have to stick true to our talent order through the draft. Should he be available after the national draft, then we will certainly pick him up.”

Edwards, who played four league games for Glenelg this year, is widely projected to be in the 35-70 draft range.

But AFL list analyst and four-times Hawthorn premiership player Gary Buckenara has rated him as his 25th-best prospect.

“He has really come on this year, has good skills and makes good decisions because he is composed with the footy in hand,’’ Buckenara said of Edwards.

The knock on Edwards, who is a good size at 186cm and 77kg, is his lack of speed.

But he is a natural ballwinner who uses it well and is renowned for being super-professional with his preparation.

He is not dissimilar to Crows club champion Matt Crouch in the way he plays.

Fagan said the Edwards family are well aware of where Jackson sits in their pecking order.

“We’ve been in constant dialogue with Jackson and his family,” Fagan said.

“They know there is a commitment to take him in the rookie draft.

“It doesn’t provide a promise to Jackson that we will get him, so there is a little bit of risk there, but we will stick true to our talent order in the draft.

“It’s all about the balance of the team.’’