AFL 2024: Matt Turner runs the rule over every Adelaide Crows player coming out of contract at season’s end
Taylor Walker, Brodie Smith, Lachie Sholl, Sam Berry and Elliott Himmelberg are among 12 Crows players without deals for 2025. Who will still be at West Lakes next year? Here’s the latest.
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Taylor Walker will hold off on deciding whether to play on into an 18th season at the Crows.
Walker’s management has been in constant communications with Adelaide about his future and, like a lot of clubs with their greats, the Crows are expected to be guided by his call.
The 34-year-old has been dealing with a back issue that sidelined him for two matches.
Coming off kicking two goals in his return against GWS on Saturday night, Walker wants to play consistently during the second half of the campaign before making a decision.
The former captain would be keen to re-sign if his body was right.
Walker has not spoken to other clubs and dismissed speculation he may finish his career elsewhere.
“I almost need to prove to myself that I can play because I’ve had a month off,” Walker told Triple M.
“Hopefully I can help this young team win a few more games.”
Drafted from Broken Hill in 2007, Walker sits equal-seventh among Crows for match played (272) and is the club’s all-time leading goalkicker.
He had a standout campaign last year, being selected as an All-Australian for the first time, finishing second in the Coleman Medal (76 goals) and third in the club’s best-and-fairest.
Walker could complement emerging forwards Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty, as well as father-son prospect Tyler Welsh, if he played on.
The spearhead is one of a dozen Crows who have been unsigned beyond this season.
Veteran Brodie Smith, wingmen Lachie Sholl and Brayden Cook, half-back Will Hamill, key forwards Elliott Himmelberg and Lachlan Gollant, hard nut Sam Berry, goalsneak Ned McHenry, tall backman James Borlase, small defender Paddy Parnell, and untried second-year utility Hugh Bond are the others.
Retired ex-skipper Rory Sloane is so far the club’s only departure.
Like with all sides, Adelaide’s list management decisions on uncontracted players will be influenced by who it adds and loses during the off-season, as well as squad balance.
Here is the status of every Crows player without a contract for 2025:
3. Sam Berry
Status: Likely to stay
Age: 22
AFL games: 49
Berry has delayed contract talks, wanting to first cement himself in the AFL side. He is coming off arguably his best performance since the 2022 season, collecting 21 disposals and registering nine tackles in last week’s win over GWS. Consistent game time has been an issue – the midfielder/forward has been the substitute or subbed off in seven of his 10 matches this year. “We’ve been in constant dialogue with (Crows list manager) Justin Reid,” Berry’s manager Tom Seccull told AFL.com.au last month. “They’re really happy with how he’s progressing and can see a future there. It’s just a matter of timing for Sam.”
13. Taylor Walker
Status: Up in the air
Age: 34
AFL games: 272
The former skipper’s future will be decided later in the year. Walker has hosed down speculation he would play for another club. If he gets through the rest of the season unscathed, you suspect he will continue. Time will tell.
15. Brayden Cook
Status: Will stay
Age: 21
AFL games: 23
Adelaide is expected to re-sign Cook in the next few weeks, rewarding him for taking another step in his development. The club knew he would be a bit of a slow burn when it took the South Adelaide product at pick 25 in 2020 given he was a draft bolter. Cook has played more games this season (11) than any of his others, kicking 12 goals, including two hauls of three, and is promising.
17. Will Hamill
Status: Up in the air
Age: 23
AFL games: 45
A broken finger that will sideline the half-back flanker for three to four weeks has come at a bad time after playing the past three matches. Probably needed a strong month of football to be assured of a new deal so his future could be a late list call.
25. Ned McHenry
Status: Up in the air
Age: 23
AFL games: 70
McHenry is no longer a first-choice Crow but has been a handy depth player as the club has dealt with injuries this year. The lively forward has been the substitute on 11 occasions over the past two seasons – seven times last year and four in 2024.
33. Brodie Smith
Status: Set to stay
Age: 32
AFL games: 259
A trigger in his contract has the veteran defender on track to play on in 2025. On Thursday, coach Matthew Nicks described him as “a big part of our future”. Smith was dropped after the home loss to Richmond but he was poised to return to face Brisbane on Sunday.
34. Elliott Himmelberg
Status: Up in the air
Age: 26
AFL games: 46
Do not rule out GWS making another off-season move for Himmelberg after missing out on him last year. The Giants had hoped to pair the key forward with his brother, Harry, only for the Crows to hold onto him. Talks around a club switch have not progressed. Himmelberg is instead focusing on cementing his spot in Adelaide’s side – he was recalled against the Giants last week – before assessing his options.
35. James Borlase
Status: Likely to stay
Age: 21
AFL games: 12
Adelaide last week offered Borlase a two-year contract extension. The free agent will probably stay and has not spoken to other clubs, but he may wait to commit to the deal. He remains behind the likes of Nick Murray, Jordon Butts and Mark Keane in the key defensive pecking order. Borlase has shown his versatility with stints in attack and the ruck.
37. Paddy Parnell
Status: In trouble
Age: 22
AFL games: 17
The Crows are yet to offer a deal to the half-back flanker so he looms as a wait and see. He only played one AFL game this year before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury. Might come down to list balance.
38. Lachie Sholl
Status: Expected to stay
Age: 24
AFL games: 66
Sholl is having a stellar run of form and deserves a contract extension. He has featured in 12 AFL games this year.
40. Hugh Bond
Status: Up in the air
Age: 19
AFL games: 0
Looms as a wait and see, but the club is said to be happy with the North Ballarat product’s development as a lockdown defender. Adelaide selected Bond at pick 50 in the 2022 national draft. He is a hard worker with good endurance whose kicking is an area that needs improving.
44. Lachlan Gollant
Status: In trouble
Age: 22
AFL games: 15
The high-leaping forward has played three AFL matches this year, getting subbed off in two, and featuring six times in the SANFL. His future may come down to squad balance. Rival clubs have expressed interest in him in recent years.
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