The Lowdown: Simeon Thomas-Wilson runs the rule over SA footy in round 1

Adelaide almost conjured a Houdini act on the Gold Coast with a comeback from nowhere in the rain. But as SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON writes, it shouldn’t detract from major issues exposed by the Suns. See all the SA footy likes and dislikes.

Welcome to SA footy’s new column, The Lowdown.

Port Adelaide kicked its season off in style, but it was a very different story for Matthew Nicks’ Crows.

Simeon Thomas-Wilson sets the SA agenda with his hits and misses from the weekend’s action.

LIKES

1. CAPTAIN CONNOR

Some players just look like they are born leaders and Connor Rozee is one of them. He is the youngest captain in the league – and there is a lot of history around the No.1 at Alberton – but Rozee didn’t look at all daunted by the pressure. In fact, he looked like he enjoyed it in a masterful debut performance as skipper. Yes it was against the Eagles, but it was an electric performance from the Power star, who is as good as it is to watch when he is up and about. He finished with 27 disposals, 18 in the first half, 10 marks and two goals. We didn’t truly see what role Ollie Wines will have for the Power this season, that will come in the tougher tests, as he had just the 65 per cent time on ground. But with Zak Butters (27 disposals, one goal) and Jason Horne-Francis (20 disposals, two goals) in the midfield with Rozee, Port’s engine room is as dynamic as it comes. Willem Drew also kicked two goals, as did ruckman Ivan Soldo. If the Power can get nine goals from that group each game, Hinkley would be a very happy coach.

Connor Rozee starred in his first game as Port Adelaide captain. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

2. WEAPONS-GRADE KANE

If you don’t have a weapon off halfback in the AFL in 2024, then what are you doing? The Power has All-Australian halfback Dan Houston. His sidekick Kane Farrell might be even more potent when he gets going. The left-footed superboot finished with two goals against the Eagles and 17 disposals. When he got the ball going through the corridor, the Power often tore straight through West Coast en route to goal. Farrell started as a forward, then was placed on a wing, before finding a spot at halfback. There was some talk Farrell could be sent back to the wing because of the Power’s issues there, but he is just too valuable for Hinkley’s side coming out of defence. The only negative for him was that the Eagles began to read that his teammates wanted to dish the ball off to him just outside of 50 as the game went on.

Kane Farrell's long bomb might be the clincher for the Power 💥⚡

📺 Watch #AFLPowerEagles on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5VwhmeFbG
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/gst6Ly2TYd
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/kvAphWSCNdpic.twitter.com/c6xMCKfns8

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) March 17, 2024

3. MIDFIELD RANKINE

He needs to improve some of his work defensively around stoppages, but if there was a big positive from the Crows’ poor showing against the Suns it was how Rankine fared in the midfield. You can see why Matthew Nicks and the rest of the Crows coaching staff want him in the middle. The big question for Nicks is how do they best use Rankine this season? He can’t be in two positions at once, so they have to weigh-up whether putting him on the ball takes away too much from what he can give the Crows’ attack. Josh Rachele could be key to this. He was quiet for more than two quarters, but exploded into life later on in the game. Rankine showed that him in the midfield is something worth looking at for the Crows this season, but it is going to be a balancing act.

Jake Soligo cannot be Adelaide’s sub again, says Simeon Thomas-Wilson. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos

DISLIKES

1. CROWS WOES

Yes, they came back and nearly snatched what would have been an entirely undeserved draw if Sam Berry was able to take a mark and kick a goal in the final seconds against Gold Coast. But that shouldn’t paper over just how poor a showing this was from the Crows. Taylor Walker turns 34 in just over a month and he is still their most important player by some way. Without Tex, the Crows forward line looked completely lost for much of the game, until Rankine and Rachele sparked the fourth-quarter comeback. Yes, it was in trying conditions – and you can barely trust the weather forecast these days – but the wet conditions were hardly a surprise and the ball was going to be on the ground. So why weren’t they ready for this? The phrase out of West Lakes this pre-season was that the Crows are ready to embrace the expectations that comes their way. Well, they fell at the first hurdle. It was losses like this that killed their finals chances in 2023 just as much, if not more, as the goal-umpiring error. The midfield was beaten up by the Suns and the forward line ineffectual for pretty much three quarters. Jake Soligo should never be a tactical sub again.

Adelaide needs Darcy Fogarty to respond against the Cats. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos

2. THE FOG HAS TO RISE

Darcy Fogarty kicked one more goal (34 from 33), improved his disposals by 15 per cent in 2023 (11.3 per game from 9.8) and his marks by 11 per cent (4.9 from 4.4). But has he actually kicked on from what looked to be a breakout season in 2022? Yes, the numbers are up in those areas, but Fogarty played four more games last season. His goals are down from 1.9 a game to 1.6 (16 per cent), his goal accuracy, seen as his big strength, is down 18 per cent from 65 per cent to 53 per cent and his contested marks are down from 1.4 a game to 1.1. He was added to the Crows leadership group over the off-season with the hope that it would take his game to the next level. Over his past 27 games, Fogarty is only rated above-average for key forwards for disposals and marks and is ranked average for contested marks, goals and goal accuracy. The conditions weren’t ideal for a key forward, but the Crows needed their leaders to step up and Fogarty didn’t with Walker and Riley Thilthorpe out. He wasn’t alone in that regard. Captain Jordan Dawson had arguably his worst game for the club, while vice-captain Brodie Smith was involved in two moments that ended up gifting the Suns goals. The Crows will be desperately hoping Walker is back to take on Geelong, but also that Fogarty can lift.

Zak Butters was treading a fine line on Sunday. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

3. CLOSE CALL FOR BUTTERS

Footy is a game of inches and, for Butters, a fair part of his season was defined by that on Sunday. While he executed what was an ultimately legal bump on West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern, if he caught the Eagle just a couple of centimetres higher, it could have been a different story. The Power have already lost Sam Powell-Pepper for its first four games in 2024; it doesn’t need to lose Butters for a similar time frame. Those who are lamenting the death of the bump would be celebrating, but it was a close call for Power coach Ken Hinkley. “Yeah absolutely … you have to be careful. You shouldn’t probably elect to bump unless you really have to,” Hinkley said. “Unless you are bracing to protect yourself. Sometimes because he is only little he does that a little bit but he is learning the art of making sure that he doesn’t make too many mistakes in that area. “Because we don’t want any of our players, including Zak out of the contest for very long because of suspension.”

AND THE LOWDOWN ON …

Matthew Nicks’ contract

Fremantle’s decision to re-sign Justin Longmuir on a one-year deal just before the season is still an eyebrow-raising decision, despite the win over Brisbane. The Crows don’t need to attract these questions and back themselves in. It has been expected for a while that Nicks will get a new two-year contract at West Lakes. If the Crows are convinced that he is the man, then fair enough. But they don’t need to rush into any announcement. Adelaide has been careful to not put any time frame on a new deal for Nicks and that is the right thing to do.