Hugh Greenwood’s management keeps options open but he wants to stay at Adelaide
Unsigned Hugh Greenwood is exploring his options at other clubs should a deal not go through with the Crows – it’s all revealed in the latest edition of The Lowdown Podcast.
ADELAIDE midfielder/forward Hugh Greenwood says his management is keeping all options open for next season in case a new deal with the Crows falls through.
The 27-year-old is due to play his 50th game against Essendon on Friday night after debuting in 2017 following a US college basketball career.
He is one of a handful of key Crows yet to sign a contract beyond this season including fellow Category B rookie success story Alex Keath, ruckman Reilly O’Brien, defender Jake Kelly and small forward Riley Knight.
Both Greenwood and Keath have told the club they want to stay and are believed to be seeking medium to long-term deals but nothing has been signed.
Responding to a report on the AFL website last week that Hawthorn is “leading the chase” for him for next year, Greenwood told The Lowdown Podcast his management was exploring his options in case a deal to stay in Adelaide does not eventuate.
That followed his manager confirming Greenwood’s intention was to work through a new deal to remain at West Lakes and senior coach Don Pyke said both he and Keath were “required players”.
“It’s Round 17 so we’ve been exploring or having stuff in the bank in case the Crows stuff doesn’t work out for a long time now,” Greenwood told The Lowdown Podcast.
“We thought Round 4 we’d have a contract offer and that never came so obviously we’ve had to put stuff in place.
“I’m not going to confirm or deny who it is or what it is, I’ve left that up to my manager of course, we’d be silly if we banked on one particular path because imagine if that path closed down and I’m left with nothing next year.
“From day dot I’ve made my intentions clear that we want to stay in Adelaide and will continue to work through that but we’d be silly not to have things in place.”
It comes as the Crows insist Richard Douglas and Sam Jacobs’ papers have not been marked as the veterans find themselves out of the side and out of contract this year.
Jacobs, 31, has been stranded on 198 games since hurting his knee in Round 2 and watching his stranglehold on the No.1 ruck spot go to his understudy O’Brien, while Douglas, 32, was dropped last week after 242 games.
Adelaide assistant coach Ben Hart on Monday said he believed both Douglas and Jacobs still had good footy left in him.
Douglas was one of two players along with Jordan Gallucci who was dropped after the Showdown loss and they made way for Knight to return and Tyson Stengle to make his club debut against Gold Coast on Saturday night.
Tom Lynch is next in line to return to the forwardline but is still touch-and-go for the Bombers as he battles a lingering calf injury.
“I think Dougy still has a place to play absolutely, his form and openly he has said hadn’t quite been to the level he and we would like, but I’ve got no doubt he’s got plenty of good footy left in him and hopefully he can get back in that side,” Hart said.
Douglas hurt his ankle against Hawthorn in Round 1 and didn’t return to the AFL side until Round 12 but Hart said he was not still managing any soreness.
“It was a significant injury but he’s been 100 per cent fit and ready to go so he just has to find that consistent form again,” he said.
Hart said Jacobs was still putting pressure on O’Brien but the Crows were still unlikely to play them both.
“It’s an interesting dynamic because they’re competing for one spot, it’s not like a forward, defender or midfielder, he knows he’s just got to get himself in form and stay in form.
“He has been pretty good for a couple of weeks and keep knocking and if he does that then I’m sure there will be a spot for him.
“We’re not adamant (that they won’t play two rucks) but at this stage we haven’t done it. It’s an option and if they’re both in really ripping form it might be something we’d look at.”
The Crows returned from the Gold Coast on Sunday after their 95-point win over the Suns. Vision of Don Pyke laughing in his coaches’ box stirred debate after rival coach Stuart Dew said it should “sting” his team.
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Hart confirmed the smiles in the coaches’ box were directed at Taylor Walker trying to get Eddie Betts to handball to him in the goalsquare late in the game.
Greenwood and Power co-captain Tom Jonas - who co-hosts The Lowdown Podcast - said players and coaches should be able to show emotion and character but it was not a sign of disrespect.
“Apparently it was Eddie taking a mark on the goalsquare and Tex trying to get a little handball over the top with three blokes hanging off him,” Greenwood said.
“It obviously wasn’t directed at the Gold Coast I wouldn’t have thought. It was interesting because Pykey has been on the interchange for weeks now and it was the first time he stayed up in the box.
“You want some emotion and character from your coaches and players and as long as it’s not directed in a negative way, I think was more the fact he was laughing at our skipper and if anyone was going to give it off it’s Eddie.”
Jonas added:
“I’m a big one for humility but Pykey has done nothing to prove otherwise in his time at senior level.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au