All the latest Adelaide Crows news, updates ahead of Round 15
Matt Crouch has started running at training and while it’s a sight for sore Crows eyes, it could be a long time before the star is back in an Adelaide guernsey.
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Star Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch has resumed running again after groin surgery.
But the out-of-contract onballer is still set to be six weeks away from returning to the field for the Crows for the first time since pre-season.
Crouch, 26, has yet to taste any action this season outside of the Crows Community Series match in pre-season.
The ball-winner had hip surgery in the off-season and has been struggling with groin soreness as a result.
He did return to full training in May but his groin issues flared up again and the Crows put him in for surgery.
Crouch has again resumed running, but Adelaide head of football Adam Kelly has said he is expected to be six weeks away from playing.
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With eight games to go unless the Crows can somehow crash the top eight, and with the club previously flagging that he would have come back via the SANFL, Crouch is still in danger of not featuring for Adelaide in 2021. His contract expires at the end of the year.
Daniel Talia, also out of contract at the end of the season, has no timeline for his return from a foot injury.
There is better news for defender Luke Brown who is set to return for this weekend’s clash against Carlton, and former star Crow Eddie Betts.
Brown has missed Adelaide’s last two games against Collingwood and St Kilda due to lingering Achilles soreness, but Kelly said he was set to be right for the Blues clash.
Lachie Sholl looks set to return for the clash at Marvel Stadium.
Crows forward coach James Rahilly said the mid-season bye had freshened up the young wingman.
“He had a really good game at Marvel the last time we played there, so to get his run there it will definitely be an opportunity for him.” he said.
“He has had the week off so we will definitely discuss him at match committee.”
Riley Thilthorpe left the track on Tuesday after copping a small knock towards the end of the session, but Rahilly said the young gun was fine.
Reilly O’Brien had limited contact after copping a knock to the shoulder against the Saints, but is expected to play against Carlton.
Small forward Lachlan Murphy has exceeded expectations in rehabilitation from ankle surgery and is on track to resume playing in the next two to three weeks. Kelly said Murphy would be reintegrated with the main training group in the next fortnight.
“He’s progressed really well and exceeded our expectations all the way through and is probably a couple of weeks ahead of where we planned him to be,” Kelly said.
Veteran Tom Lynch is still three to four weeks away from fully recovering from a toe injury.
How long should Crows sign Walker for?
Adelaide talisman Taylor Walker has “a couple of more years” left in him following his late-career revival, Crows forward coach James Rahilly says.
The Crows have started discussions with the 31-year-old over a new contract, following a fine 2021 by the former captain.
After only managing 15 goals in 14 matches in 2020, Walker has booted 37 goals in 12 games this season to sit equal second in the Coleman Medal race.
From question marks around whether he should continue at the rebuilding Crows at the end of last season, Walker has now all but earnt him a new contract at West Lakes.
Crows head of football Adam Kelly indicated on the weekend that the club would like to offer Walker a one-year deal, but Rahilly said he could continue to shine longer than that.
“From my point of view I’m just really focusing on Tex continuing to play well week in week out,” he said.
“(But) if he keeps going you can see him playing for a couple of more years.
“But I think he’s just focusing on this week and this year, he is loving his footy with all these young guys that are with him.”
Initially the rule changes introduced by the AFL to open the game up was credited with Walker’s late-career revival.
But Rahilly said Walker had shown his stunning form in 2021 wasn’t down to that.
From what I saw he was ready to go by the time I got here (from Geelong), just the off-season he had and then he followed it up with a good pre-season,” he said.
“There were a few things we worked on in terms of his contested game, because we are a young side we aren’t always going to have the ball moving beautifully to the forwards.
“He is a leading player but he is not getting a lot of his marks on the lead, a lot of them are contested.”
Walker has led a Crows tall threesome of himself, No. 2 draft pick Riley Thilthorpe and recently re-signed Darcy Fogarty in Adelaide’s last four games – after he had a rest against West Coast.
The contingent of smalls has changed because of injury, but Rahilly said the Crows were getting a settled mix up forward.
“They are going OK, early on in the St Kilda game we weren’t where we want to be but that was more around the contest,” he said.
“We need to find a way to score some easier goals and uncontested marks.”
But Rahilly did say the Crows coaching staff were keen to find a way for Elliott Himmelberg and Billy Frampton in the AFL side after strong form in the SANFL.
“We are pretty keen to get the big fellas in, Elliott and Billy with their opportunities in the SANFL they can’t do much more,” he said.
“So we are looking at ways to get them in, our smalls are still developing in the SANFL so we don’t want to be too tall up there.”
Crows begin contract talks with Tex
Adelaide has opened discussions with veteran forward Taylor Walker over a new contract.
The Crows are hopeful of re-signing the 31-year-old, who is in All-Australian form but without a deal for 2022, and have recently begun negotiations with his management.
Walker has booted 37 goals from 12 games this season to sit second in the Coleman Medal race entering Round 14, behind Carlton’s Harry McKay.
It has been a stunning turnaround for the former Crows captain, who is coming off 15 goals from 14 matches in 2020.
“They (talks) have only been recent,” Adelaide football manager Adam Kelly said on ABC radio.
“Taylor’s enjoying a wonderful season to date and we hope that continues on.
“We’d certainly hope that he’ll be with us again next season.
“He’s expressed his desire to do so.”
Kelly remained confident Matt Crouch (groin) and Daniel Talia (foot) would both return to play games in the back half of the season.
Neither have featured so far this year after undergoing operations in May and April respectively.
“Matt’s rehabilitation is going well and according to what timelines we’ve set out,” Kelly said.
“Daniel’s had a little bit of soreness in that foot that he’s had operated on so we’re a little bit cautious in our approach.
“For Daniel to experience soreness in recent weeks is of concern, but we’re still hopeful of both players.”
Adelaide has the bye this round but club officials have hardly had time for a break due to David Mackay’s contentious tribunal hearing.
Tex has taken home the AFL Mark of the Year nomination for Round Five 🙌#weflyasonepic.twitter.com/70sRfEPoJw
— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) April 22, 2021
Mackay was found not guilty of rough conduct for his collision that broke the jaw of St Kilda’s Hunter Clark in last weekend’s Adelaide-Saints game in Cairns.
Kelly said the outcome of the hearing was a relief and the Crows believed the right decision had been made.
He said Mackay did not want an appeal because it had been a tough week that Clark had suffered through and he was concerned for the club’s resources.
“We just saw two players committed to the football and that's what we want in our game,” he said.
“In the immediate future we would expect no different of our players.”
Several Crows still in limbo after latest re-signings
A pair of promising defenders have signed on at Adelaide, but a number of Crows remain in limbo as the club prepares for a bumper trade period.
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