Promising Crow Harrison Wigg on the trade block and facing uncertain future

PROMISING Crow Harrison Wigg’s AFL career is in limbo, with the club not offering him a new contract and shopping him in the trade period.

Harrison Wigg is fighting for his Adelaide career. Picture: Stephen Laffer.

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PROMISING Crow Harrison Wigg’s AFL career is in limbo, with the club not offering him a new contract and shopping him in the trade period.

A star at SANFL level, North Adelaide product Wigg has failed to play an AFL game in three years on Adelaide's list and appears to have fallen out of favour with coach Don Pyke.

“He hasn't been offered a new contract and the club has told us that they are taking him through the trade period and will then see where things are after that,’’ Wigg’s manager Greg Size told The Advertiser.

“It’s disappointing because he’s been there for three years and they haven’t given him a game.’’

It is understood there is interest from rival clubs in Wigg, 20, but that they are unlikely to offer a draft pick to secure him from the Crows believing that he will be delisted and they can sign him as a delisted free agent.

Selected at pick 35 at the 2014 national draft, Wigg possesses an elite left-foot kick.

Recruited as a half-back flanker, he played much of the 2017 season as an inside midfielder and for the second consecutive season finished third in the club’s SANFL club champion award behind just-retired star Scott Thompson and 2015 first-round draft pick Tom Doedee, who also is yet to play an AFL match.

Harrison Wigg tackles South Adelaide's Ben Heaslip. Picture: MATT LOXTON

Wigg, 180cm and 78kg, was the only Crow named in the SANFL Team of the Year.

A regular emergency for Adelaide’s AFL team, he missed three SANFL matches but still led the club in disposals with 380 at an average of 25 while ranking third for inside 50s (76) in the league and second at the club for contested possessions (143) and clearances (72), illustrating his talent.

Wigg also was the Crows’ highest votegetter in the Magarey Medal with 11.

Size said he is confident that there is enough interest in Wigg to continue his AFL career at another club if Adelaide, as expected, moves him on.

It is understood another uncontracted Crow, strong-bodied midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen, will be offered a new one-year deal by the club.

He failed to play an AFL game this year after undergoing a knee reconstruction after he broke down against Richmond in the pre-season competition.

The Crows have so far delisted forward Troy Menzel and midfielder Dean Gore while Thompson has retired.

Key defender Jake Lever and speedy forward/midfielder Charlie Cameron are seeking trades to Melbourne and Brisbane respectively.

Adelaide expects its entire playing group apart from star half-back Brodie Smith, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the qualifying final win against GWS, to be available for the start of pre-season training.

The Crows’ first-to-fourth year players resume on November 20 and the rest of the playing group on December 4.

Captain Taylor Walker has had minor surgery on a finger and will also undergo a minor ankle operation but is expected to be ready to go when he returns.

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