The Crows didn’t draft a ruckman but did add size to the list with their seven pick-ups
They took a punt by overlooking a ruckman but the Crows say they addressed key needs, including height, in the national and rookie drafts: Andrew Capel’s AFL draft wrap.
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There was no ruckman but Adelaide just got a whole lot taller.
The average height of the Crows’ seven draft pick-ups this week is 190cm – quite remarkable considering four of them are mainly midfielders.
“We needed to get our midfield bigger, get some more size in there,’’ said national recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie.
“It was really important for us to do that. All the midfielders we got have some height and size, which is something we have been crying out for.
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“We lost Cam (Ellis-Yolmen) and Hughy (Greenwood) and we’ve been able to get some mids in with some similar height who are going to be with us for a long time.’’
Adelaide addressed its key position stocks by taking Vic Metro pair Fischer McAsey (No. 6) and Josh Worrell (28) with two of its first three national draft picks.
The pair are close mates from Vic Metro and the Sandringham Dragons, which will make it easier to make the move to Adelaide and settle in at a new club.
McAsey, 197cm, is primarily a key defender who has been earmarked as Daniel Talia’s long-term replacement but he also is a capable forward.
The 195cm Worrell, who was a draft slider after being expected to be a first-round pick, is a versatile player who can play at either end of the ground while being quick and agile enough to play on the wing.
He has been compared to veteran Port Adelaide swingman Justin Westhoff.
Croweater Harry Schoenberg (pick 24, 182cm), West Australian Ronin O’Connor (42, 191cm), Victorian Lachlan Gollant (48, 191cm) and Queenslander Ben Keays (pick 7 rookie draft, 185cm) are all midfielders with nice height.
Lead-up forward Ben Crocker, 188cm from Collingwood, rounded out Adelaide’s draft haul when it took the 22-year-old at pick 21 in the rookie draft.
“We felt we got a nice, balanced group,’’ Ogilvie said.
THE PICKS
National draft – Fischer McAsey (6), Harry Schoenberg (24), Josh Worrell (28), Ronin O’Connor (42), Lachlan Gollant (48).
Rookie draft – Ben Keays (7), Ben Crocker (21).
RUCK CONCERN
Adelaide did not draft a ruckman, despite losing former No. 1 Sam Jacobs to GWS, key forward/ruckman Josh Jenkins to Geelong and delisting untried rookie Paul Hunter.
Ogilvie has backed new No. 1 Reilly O’Brien to carry the mantle after he replaced Jacobs this year and says he can be supported by recruit, former Port Adelaide key forward Billy Frampton, and untried rookie Kieran Strachan, who has a mature body at age 24 and played well in the ruck in the SANFL finals.
But if O’Brien goes down, the Crows – who do have one spot left on their list to fill if they want in the supplemental draft periods – will be in trouble.
MORE NEWS
Why the Crows are wild about Harry
Adelaide hooks Fischer with first-round pick
DID THEY NEED MORE SPEED?
On the surface, yes, but Ogilvie believes Schoenberg, O’Connor and Gollant have breakaway pace from stoppages.
Worrell is quick for a big man while the Crows did address their need for speed with their four national draft picks last year – Chayce Jones, Ned McHenry, Will Hamill and Lachlan Sholl.
All four will push for regular AFL selection in 2020.
THE STEAL
Worrell.
“Josh was probably the slider that was really highly rated by everyone and to get him (at 28) was a big bonus,’’ Ogilvie said.
“He was just too good for us to refuse, with the industry probably saying he’s the most versatile tall athlete in the draft, so we were stoked to get him.”
THE VERDICT
While Crows fans wanted ace Norwood wingman Dylan Stephens, who went to Sydney at No. 5, the highly-respected Ogilvie appears to have again hit the mark. A developing ruckman would have been nice, but there weren’t a lot of good ones on offer.