Adelaide Crows Round 3 deep dive: Daniel Curtin proving one of the Crows’ best improvers

Across pre-season, all the talk was about the Crows’ three recruits and Sid Draper, but Sunday’s win showed there’s another player whose flexibility is turning them into a danger side.

For the second-straight week, Adelaide’s review is going to have its fair share of Dan Curtin highlights.

The Crows’ 36-point win over North Melbourne on Sunday was the best game of the former No. 8 draft picks’ career from a statistical standpoint.

The 20-year-old West Australian had a career high 15 disposals, five marks, three tackles and two goals – as well as five score involvements – in the win over the Roos as the Crows’ unbeaten start to the season continued.

But this was the moment that would have thrilled senior coach Matthew Nicks, and truly capped what looked to be Curtin’s coming of age game for the Crows.

Daniel Curtin had his best game for the Crows on Sunday. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

While the final margin was ultimately a comfortable one for the Crows, in the third term they were seriously tested by the Roos.

But they were able to absorb the Roos pressure and then respond and put the visitors away again and cruise to a third-straight win.

One act from Curtin was key in this.

With just over six minutes to go in the third, the margin was down to 15-points after the two sides traded goals.

After a Crows’ turnover the Roos were on the attack, and after a contest captain Jy Simpkin soccered the ball into the path of spearhead Nick Larkey – who finished with four goals for the game.

But before the Roos’ star could get the ball and bring the deficit back to nine-points, Curtin was first clean with his interception of the ball and reading the bounce.

He then took Larkey on, evading the tackle, before handballing it to Lachie Sholl and quickly the Crows were rebounding from defence.

It was the closest the Roos would get as from there the Crows took control of the game and while it wasn’t their best performance they were able to come away with the win.

And the role of Curtin – who was on the wing and was able to work his way back into defence – in that moment did not go unnoticed.

“It was massive,” emerging Crows midfielder Jake Soligo.

“We know what he could do internally so the way he played today was not a surprise to anyone here.

“His pre-season has been great so hopefully he can keep it going.”

Nicks was also not surprised that Curtin stood up in that key moment.

“There was an edit that nearly mirrored it from last week (against Essendon), so it is not new and we are not surprised by it but it is very pleasing,” he said.

“To see such a young player, he is a student of the game and he is learning really quickly and he has some other attributes.”

Some other attributes could be putting it lightly when it comes to Curtin.

Outside of Reilly O’Brien and Riley Thilthorpe, both over 200cm, Curtin is the tallest Crows player at 197cm.

Yet he can move like someone far shorter than him, his hands are clean and his kicking is accurate.

Riley Thilthorpe and Daniel Curtin. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

That the Crows are yet to also really determine what position Curtin will end up playing further adds to the mystic around him.

Drafted as a defender from out west, Curtin also played as a midfielder at times last year as the Crows eased him into life as an AFL player with four sub-impacted games.

He has been used as a forward by Nicks so far in 2025, after his solid pre-season at West Lakes, but has also spent time on the wing because of his running ability.

On Sunday he looked more and more comfortable on the wing.

“We love Danny,” Soligo said.

“He has found his own (spot) on the wing I reckon.

“Playing that wing/forward role, he is kicking goals and looking like a beast there.”

For Nicks, it will be another week of Curtin highlights in the review, for good reasons.

“I thought last week Dan was solid as well,” he said.

“It might not have been on the stat sheet with kicks and handballs but we highlighted a lot of Dan’s stuff from last week as a group when it comes to things that we value highly.

“He is a competitor, he is playing a couple of roles for us at the moment.

“He is learning so much from the guys he is playing alongside, Darcy Fogarty, Tex (Taylor Walker), there is not many better than Tex when it comes to someone teaching you how to play.

“I think he is really learning a lot.

“We will keep trialling him in different spots, depending on what the team needs. What is his game bringing, is he pinch-hitting on a wing occasionally for us?

“Because I think he can bring something unique for us there.”

That moment against the Roos showed just what Curtin can bring for the Crows.

And it has his teammates very excited.

Originally published as Adelaide Crows Round 3 deep dive: Daniel Curtin proving one of the Crows’ best improvers