Adelaide and Port Adelaide have had the same number of first-round draft picks with different results

While Port Adelaide’s first-round picks power on, Adelaide’s crop are failing to fire. We compare the SA rivals’ draft hits and misses.

Matthew Nicks did not mince his words after Adelaide was heavily beaten by Port Adelaide for the second week running to finish off the Crows’ 2021 pre-season.

“They are a better side than us at this point,” he said.

“They are going to fight it out at the end of the year and it is a credit to the work they have done. They have some really good young talent in there.”

The first part will hurt Crows fans, but won’t come as a surprise given their side’s 2020 season.

But the second part, and just how Adelaide is faring compared to their fierce rivals in this regard, will really rankle.

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Much has been written and spoken about Port’s risky but, at this stage, inspired decision to trade out big names and bring in multiple first-round draft picks in the 2018 and 2019 drafts. But from 2019 to 2015 – it is far too early to make any call on the 2020 draft – the Crows and Power had the same number of first-round selections – seven.

Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma have shone and been integral parts in the Power’s transformation to one of the most exciting teams in the competition – and Mitch Georgiades how shown promising signs in his limited amount of games to date.

But Crows fans are still asking questions about their recent first-round draft picks.

Former Adelaide recruiter Matt Rendell said if the status quo remained and the Crows’ recent first-rounders didn’t make their mark quickly, the questions would intensify.

“They are decisions you have to get right, you have to get your first-rounders right,” he said.

“They make your team great and then you try and pinch a couple at the back-end and that, but make sure you get your first rounders right. We’ve seen clubs get a couple of drafts right and they become a powerhouse really quickly.”

Port Adelaid’s Zak Butters breaks a tackle from Adelaide’s Chayce Jones in last week’s practice match. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

After bidding on North Melbourne’s Tarryn Thomas, the Crows took Chayce Jones ahead of Butters and Ned McHenry ahead of Duursma.

There is little to separate Jones and Butters in physical profile – they are about the same height and weight. But their past two years have been polar opposites.

While Butters has shone for the Power, getting an All-Australian nod last season, Jones is yet to fully make his mark with the Crows – averaging just 11 and 8 disposals a game in his first two years – after being widely viewed as a top 10 pick in his draft.

McHenry has only played eight games because of injury and form, while Duursma – who was taken two picks below him – has been ever-present for the Power.

While the Crows’ No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft, Fischer McAsey, was in the SANFL side on the weekend – even with Daniel Talia and Tom Doedee not in the AFL team – after a torrid time against Port the previous week, Georgiades was showcasing his high-flying ability for the Power’s senior side in the Community Series.

McAsey is out of contract at the end of the season, and clubs back in Victoria are monitoring a player who was at the time Adelaide’s highest-ever draft pic.

Ned McHenry tries to stop Power opponent Lachie Jones. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Going back further for the Crows Darcy Fogarty (Pick 12 in 2017) is truly yet to show his talent and consistently has his professionalism questioned, while Jordan Gallucci (Pick 15) who Adelaide selected over Tim English was delisted at the end of the year. Arguably, the Crows’ best selections in the period – Wayne Milera at Pick 11 and Tom Doedee at 17 in 2015 – have had issues with their bodies.

The Crows have had success in the later rounds, with the likes of Lachlan Sholl (No. 64 in 2018) and Andrew McPherson (No. 40 in 2017) but, as Rendell says, it is the first-round picks that are key.

But it isn’t just down to the selections.

McAsey was viewed as the best key defender in the 2019 Draft, Jones was viewed as a top 10 player in the 2018 “Super Draft” and Fogarty was considered to be a steal at 12 in 2017.

Adelaide’s decision to largely do nothing at the trade table for the past five years looks to have come back to bite it.

Connor Rozee in action during last year’s premlinary final against Richmond. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

While the Power brought in established players such as Charlie Dixon, Tom Rockliff, Scott Lycett, Steven Motlop – and now Aliir Aliir and Orazio Fantasia – to help its young players integrate into the side, the Crows have just lost senior players.

Even Brisbane, the side who Nicks, his players and his coaching staff have been quick to point to as an example of how quickly things can change, brought in Jarryd Lyons, Lachie Neale and Luke Hodge to help its climb back up the ladder.

This week, the Crows released an analysis on their website showing they had gone from the third-oldest squad in the league to being the youngest.

Almost half of the Crows will be 21 or younger when Round 1 begins next week, and Adelaide will also go into the season with the least experienced squad in the AFL.

Fremantle, which is trying to emulate Port’s high-end draft success, has the 13th youngest list and is 14th when it comes to experience.

So with many of the young Adelaide players being thrown in at the deep end with a dwindling amount of senior teammates to support them, former Crow Richard Douglas said this week on FIVEaa that development was now the key for the Crows.

“We have spoken a lot about recruiting and recruiting is one thing but development that is now the challenge at the footy club and to make sure they have the right people in the right area,” he said.

“To give these kids the opportunity on game day is one thing but they need to be doing the work and the right work in training.”

There are now 32 players on the Crows’ list who have less than 50 games under their belts, and Rendell said the club needed to be patient as it worked its way out of this huge imbalance.

“They need to keep taking the kids, the Crows, and when those kids get 50/60 games they can go out and target some experienced players to complement them,” he said.

“It’s going to take three or four years at least.”

Port Adelaide premiership-winning captain Warren Tredrea said on FIVEaa Adelaide’s list management had been “terrible”, while its recruiting had been “poor”.

The Crows have a new chairman and chief executive for 2021, and if Nicks’ side continues to struggle this year, it might be those in list management and recruiting who start to feel the fans’ ire.

Originally published as Adelaide and Port Adelaide have had the same number of first-round draft picks with different results