Here are the Crows players who could benefit greatly from Adelaide’s list rejuvenation in 2020
Adelaide underwent big list changes at the end of 2019, saying goodbye to a number of long-serving players. But their departures have opened the door for a new wave of Crows to make their mark.
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By the end of the 2019 season much of the talk surrounding the Adelaide Crows was about a club enduring a ‘mass exodus’.
Coach Don Pyke resigned, fan favourite Eddie Betts was shipped back to Carlton, stalwart Richard Douglas was delisted after many years of service, while Josh Jenkins, Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Hugh Greenwood, among others, all found new homes and whacked the Crows on the way out.
Throw in the sacking of head of football Brett Burton and long-term assistant coach Scott Camporeale and quite quickly you could mount an argument this was a club in serious trouble.
But since then the narrative has changed.
The arrival of Matthew Nicks as Pyke’s successor has brought with it a renewed optimism, as has the opportunity to blood more youth already on Adelaide’s list in addition to the talent the club picked up at this year’s AFL national and rookie drafts.
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But when you look deeper into the fallout of a ‘mass exodus’ at the Crows, or that their list is in some sort of irreparable turmoil, how much have they really lost?
And was season 2019 – with all the background noise created by speculation over player unrest, and lingering resentment of the Gold Coast pre-season camp – really the disaster it was painted out to be?
Adelaide finished its year with a 10-12 record, losing four of those games by two goals or less – had they turned just two of those results around, the Crows very likely would’ve played finals.
While the club has certainly lost significant experience in terms of career games played, when viewing 2019 in isolation the players who have departed may not leave as big a hole as many may think.
Here’s the list of players who are waiting in the wings and really to fill the spots left by Adelaide’s off-season movements:
OUT: Eddie Betts | IN: Tyson Stengle
When it comes to departures at the Crows, there was none bigger than Eddie Betts.
The much-loved forward was traded back to his origin club Carlton at the end of the 2019 season, but while Adelaide fans were sad to see him go, the usually livewire goalsneak’s output over the past two years hasn’t exactly set the world alight.
Betts kicked just 29 goals in 2018 as the Crows battled a grand final hangover, and didn’t fare much better last season when slotting 37 majors from 21 appearances.
Former Richmond small forward, 21-year-old Tyson Stengle looks a likely fit for Betts – his two games this year yielded five goals – as Adelaide looks to youth to help propel it back up the ladder.
OUT: Josh Jenkins | IN: Darcy Fogarty
Despite booting 296 goals for the Crows across eight seasons, it was clear Josh Jenkins had fallen out of favour at West Lakes in 2019.
The key forward played just 11 games, spending the rest of the year either injured or in the SANFL, and kicked only 22 majors at AFL level.
His trade to Geelong opens the door for Darcy Fogarty, who has shed 2kg from his frame over the pre-season and shaved six seconds off his 2km time trial PB in a bid to lock down a spot in Adelaide’s best 22.
Crows fans love ‘The Fog’ and were buoyed by his five-goal haul against then reigning premier West Coast in Round 21 – in one of only four games of senior football he played for the season – in what could be a glimpse of what’s to come in 2020.
OUT: Cam Ellis-Yolmen | IN: Ned McHenry
After securing a free agency move to Brisbane, Cam Ellis-Yolmen left no grey area as to how he felt about the club’s infamous Gold Coast training camp, which he said “divided” the playing group.
Football director Mark Ricciuto said the 27-year-old – who only played 10 AFL games in 2019 – had left for “cash and security” and would not be part of the club’s rejuvenation going forward.
One player who will be, though, is Ned McHenry, 19, who at 179cm and 75kg would inject youth and speed into the position occupied by the bulkier, 190cm, 94kg Ellis-Yolmen.
A car crash and resulting back stiffness limited McHenry during the latter part of the SANFL season, but before that he showed his on-ball capability with a 28-touch, 11-tackle game against Central District in round five.
OUT: Hugh Greenwood | IN: Chayce Jones
Another Crow who opened up on the Collective Mind camp after securing a trade to Gold Coast, Hugh Greenwood, like Jenkins and Ellis-Yolmen, struggled to cement his spot in the side in 2019.
The 27-year-old was dropped twice throughout the year, managing just 14 games – during which he averaged 17 disposals and less than a goal per match.
Much has already been said and written about Greenwood’s seemingly ready-made replacement Chayce Jones, who gathered 18 touches and kicked two goals in the Round 23 match against Western Bulldogs after being thrown into the guts.
The 19-year-old, who has only played eight AFL games, has added 3kg to his 180cm frame over summer and won the club’s 2km time trial, and will almost certainly get a crack at making a midfield spot his own.
OUT: Alex Keath | IN: Tom Doedee
Of all the Crows’ 2019 departees, Alex Keath was arguably one of the most consistent performers across the season.
He played 18 games, highlighted by his 26-touch, five-mark effort in Round 8 against Port Adelaide that won him the Showdown Medal.
Thankfully for Adelaide it has a carbon copy replacement - perhaps even an improvement - in the returning Tom Doedee, 22, who will slot into Keath’s role, after the latter landed a trade to the Western Bulldogs.
Doedee – already considered a leader at Adelaide – will virtually be a new recruit for the Crows, having had his entire 2019 campaign wiped out by a ruptured ACL that required a subsequent knee reconstruction and lengthy rehabilitation.
OUT: Sam Jacobs | IN: Billy Frampton
After eight impressive seasons at Adelaide, ruckman Sam Jacobs found himself on the outer at the selection table in 2019 as Adelaide looked to young gun Reilly O’Brien to fulfil the number one ruck role.
As a result, the man affectionately known as ‘Sauce’ was limited to just five senior games and accepted a two-year deal to join GWS at the end of the year.
O’Brien will continue to shoulder the Crows’ main ruck duties, but still needs a chop-out – and ex-Port Adelaide big man Billy Frampton, who crossed over from Alberton to West Lakes post-season, could be the one Adelaide looks to.
OUT: Richard Douglas | IN: Ben Crocker
After 246 games with Adelaide, stalwart Richard Douglas only played nine AFL games throughout 2019 due to injury and form, and was subsequently delisted at the end of the year.
The Crows recruited Collingwood 22-year-old Ben Crocker who looks a suitable replacement for the retired 32-year-old Douglas, with his preference to play across high half-forward or even on the wing.
While Crocker has only played 26 senior games, the fact Douglas was restricted to less than 10 games last season means there’s nothing but upside for Adelaide by adding the former Pie to its list.
If Crocker can play his role - the honest, no-fuss brand of football Douglas did throughout his career - he could be a very handy pick-up indeed.