‘Aggressive’ trade period looms for Adelaide Crows says CEO Tim Silvers

Adelaide CEO Tim Silvers says the Crows will do whatever it takes to beef up their list, after this season, while emphatically backing coach Matthew Nicks to lead them to glory.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 19: Matthew Nicks, Senior Coach of the Crows reacts during the 2024 AFL Round 06 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Essendon Bombers at Adelaide Oval on April 19, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Adelaide has promised to move heaven and earth to secure elite established talent at season’s end to beef-up its list.

It comes as chief executive Tim Silvers backed in coach Matthew Nicks despite a 1-5 start to the season.

Adelaide has vast cap space and an inclination to bring in free agents and hit the trade space.

The Crows have plenty to offer up rivals, with both their first-rounder this year and their future first-rounder up for grabs.

Silvers said the club would prefer to go down the free-agency route.

Sydney forward Will Hayward shapes as an obvious target, given he is a restricted free agent.

Silvers labelled Nicks as the club’s premiership coach in waiting and said nothing had changed despite the one-win start to the year.

Sydney's Will Hayward is likely to be on the radar of the Adelaide Crows come season’s end. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Crows want to add to their talent base as Rory Sloane considers retirement with a retina issue and Taylor Walker hits the twilight of his career.

“We are going to be really aggressive in this trade period,” Silvers said.

“We have made a lot of people in the industry know about that.

“We will be aggressive. We were aggressive around Harry Petty last year but he was in contract and is still going to be in contract this year.

“We just want to find talent that can support our list.

“We need to find the sprinkling of free agents and top end talent that can help us take that step.

“We have looked at what Izak Rankine has done, Jordan Dawson (as well). We want to find a couple more of those to top off our list.”

Silvers would not confirm the Crows offered Sydney’s Errol Gulden a 10-year deal before he re-signed at the Swans, but said clubs were prepared to offer long-term deals.

“The market is getting that way. There is more money, clubs are cashed up and there has to be an attraction to get players across,” he said.

“Ten years is a long time, but we are keen to invest in the right players for our footy club.”

Silvers said coach Nicks was not under any pressure for his job despite the early-season struggles.

“No, he is our guy,” Silvers said.

“We need to support him, we need to turn our form around. But form is temporary. We have had a bad month, but the form we showed last weekend, we are confident that is more us.

“I am confident as well as the club and our board that he is going to be our next premiership coach.”

Originally published as ‘Aggressive’ trade period looms for Adelaide Crows says CEO Tim Silvers