‘It’s a very disappointing day and year’: Daniel Talia says Adelaide Crows have underperformed
Senior Crows player Daniel Talia says he feels numb knowing he won’t be playing finals for a second consecutive year. And he believes he and his teammates have let their coaches down.
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Adelaide defender Daniel Talia was deflated even before Sunday’s 34-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat, learning overnight that the Crows needed a miracle to make the finals.
After the game, Talia was gutted that the club — which played off for a premiership just two years ago — would be missing September action for a second consecutive season.
“It’s obviously numb as a player when you finish your year and you underperform as a team,” said Talia, who held Bulldogs high-flyer Aaron Naughton to one goal
“It’s a very disappointing day and year.
“I feel for the coaches because they come with a game plan and a lot of guys aren’t performing their role.
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“I don’t want to whack the group — we’re all in it together — and as a leader you take it on your shoulders a bit more than others.
“We’ve got to have some time to reflect and work out what we can do better.”
The Crows defenders were under siege early as the Bulldogs kicked the first six goals of the game and continually put Adelaide players under pressure with ferocious tackling and slick ball movement.
Talia believed news of Hawthorn’s upset win in Perth on Saturday night, which effectively ended the Crows’ finals hopes, affected his side’s performance in the first term.
“It’s obviously deflating — you come out here and know you can’t play finals,” he said.
“I thought that probably flowed onto how we came out today — it’s as much a mental battle as anything.
“You’re out there as a leader trying to get some energy and spark but it can be pretty tough at times.”
Not being able to win for fellow Assumption College student Richard Douglas, who played his last game for the club but could play on elsewhere, compounded the disappointment.
“I went to the same school as Doug … all those years ago — he was a Year 12 and I was a Year 7 looking up to him, and he was one of my idols,” Talia said.
“He’s the best bloke going around the club, mentors the young guys, humble, team man — I’m really going to miss Doug personally and all the boys are as well.”