AFL 2020: Adelaide Crows and Bendigo Bank reach financial agreement to avoid handout

The Crows will avoid having to rely on an AFL handout to deal with the fallout of COVID-19 after coming to a major agreement with their banking partners.

Scott Thompson and Brad Crouch after Thompson’s last AFL game in 2017. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Adelaide will be an “unassisted” club after the Crows reached an agreement with its banking partner Bendigo Bank to not require an AFL loan to deal with the financial fallout of COVID-19.

The Crows had long signalled its intention to be one of a handful of clubs that do not rely on AFL assistance to overcome the significant financial impacts brought on as a result of the pandemic.

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John Olsen says the Crows were fortunate to have the Bendigo Bank on side. Picture: Brenton Edwards

On Thursday the club announced it had secured a debt facility with its premier partner, with Crows chairman John Olsen saying the ability of Adelaide to be unassisted by the AFL was telling.

“Liquidity was the number one priority for all businesses and organisations when the impact of the coronavirus pandemic hit and we are fortunate to be able to turn to Bendigo Bank,” Olsen said.

“Our Club can now move forward with certainty and importantly, we are in control of our own destiny.”

The financial impacts of the pandemic meant the Crows had to put plans for a relocation to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre on hold.

But upon his replacement of Rob Chapman as Crows chairman, Olsen said he would reignite a bid for relocation closer to the city.

A working group to examine potential locations has been established with venues such as Thebarton Oval to be under consideration.

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Former club champion Scott Thompson is back at the Crows. Picture: Michael Klein

Crows champ back at West Lakes

— Reece Homfray

Former Crows club champion Scott Thompson is officially back at West Lakes and wishes midfielder Brad Crouch was too, declaring Adelaide will miss his experience and hardened body around the footy next year.

Crouch joined St Kilda as a free agent this month after the Crows decided not to match the Saints’ five-year deal for the 26-year-old and instead accepted pick No. 23 in compensation.

Speaking after it was announced he was returning to Adelaide in a part-time coaching role with the Crows’ AFLW side, Thompson said he hoped the men’s team could cover the loss of their 2019 best-and-fairest.

“Even when I was at Port Adelaide as a coach I always kept a close eye on the Crows and how they were tracking, and they’ve lost some experience and strong bodies and a bit of maturity from their team,” Thompson said.

“I don’t know enough about the young guys who are coming through but the hard part for me is they’ve lost some guys who I really liked watching play, and I think they offered a lot to the club and the sort of guys you need in your team.

“The latest one was Brad Crouch going to St Kilda and good luck to him, I wish him all the best because I really love Crouchy and the way he goes about it.

“And I think personally they’ll miss him and I wish he was still around the place but it’s not to be and they’ll have to manage with what they’ve got going forward and I hope they have enough experience to guide these young guys through the right way.”

Adelaide’s senior coach Matthew Nicks. Picture: Kelly Barnes (Getty).

But one part of the club Thompson isn’t concerned about is the man in charge, having worked alongside senior coach Matthew Nicks at Port Adelaide.

“I was lucky enough to spend a year with Nicksy at Port Adelaide before he went to the Giants and landed the job at the Crows, I think he did a great job in his first year from trying to implement a new game plan to Covid hitting and everyone having to go their separate ways and training in small groups,” Thompson said.

“If you threw someone into a coaching role and said ‘here’s your first year, good luck’, he’s done a pretty good job with what he’s had to work with.

“There’s been a huge amount of change to the men’s list in recent years so he’s got a fair challenge ahead of him, but knowing Nicksy, (he’s) a people’s man, great communication skills, I’m sure he’ll get the best out of that group going forward.”

Thompson, who played 269 of his 308-game career at Adelaide, left Port Adelaide’s coaching panel after two years when the Covid-19 pandemic put the 2020 season on hold in March.

He had been doing some work in personal training and at a football academy where he trained alongside some of the Crows’ AFLW players when coach Matthew Clarke asked whether he’d come on board.

Thompson’s two-year stint with the Power ended in April after Covid halted the season in March. Picture: Sarah Reed.

He is now working with the team one night a week alongside current player Tom Lynch ahead of the season starting in February.

The 37-year-old has also been unveiled as midfield coach of amateur side Unley for next season.

“It keeps my foot in the water when it comes to footy and to (work) with a bunch of up and coming young women having watched them improve year after year ... it’s a good fit for me right now,” Thompson said of joining the AFLW ranks.

“The girls really pride themselves on working hard, getting better and growing their own games, and if I can go back to the club that I spent so many years at and contribute a little bit to that, why not?

“They train hard, they pride themselves on getting better and some of them don’t have a huge background in football so they’re all ears in soaking up the knowledge you can give them.

“But they do train really hard and when you watch them do some of the contested work, because they don’t have that background, they’re almost kamikaze the way they go about it and need some education on how to protect themselves but to be honest I love watching the way they go about their training.”