How Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson is leading from the front

Crows captain Jordan Dawson has enjoyed a career-best start to the season. If he keeps it up, writes Andrew Capel, there’s more than just good footy on the road ahead.

Jordan Dawson is Adelaide’s Captain Fantastic.

And he might be on the way to becoming just the Crows’ second Brownlow Medallist.

The player Adelaide brought home from Sydney at the end of 2021 – after an intense backyard battle for his services with arch rival Port Adelaide – is leading his team’s charge to relevance again.

The Crows’ 3-0 start to the season is their best since 2017 when they last made the finals, finishing minor premier before losing the grand final to Richmond.

Super skipper Dawson is steering the ship.

In his previous three seasons at Adelaide, including the past two as captain, long-kicking midfielder Dawson has been the Crows’ best and most consistent player.

He immediately made his mark at his new club when he famously kicked a clutch goal with his trusty left foot after the final siren to lead Adelaide to a derby victory against the Power in Round 3, 2022, resulting in him winning the Showdown Medal as best afield.

Adelaide’s Captain Fantastic Jordan Dawson celebrates a goal against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval in Round 1. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

After managing only 64 games in six seasons at the Swans from 2016-21 after being selected from SANFL club Sturt at pick 56 at the 2015 national draft, Dawson finished runner-up in the Crows’ best and fairest award in his first season at the club.

He was named captain in his second year in the Adelaide tricolours and performed so well as a leader that he won consecutive gold jackets as Crows club champion, sharing his second Malcolm Blight Medal with Ben Keays.

This season, Dawson, who will turn 28 on April 9, has taken his game to the next level and is on track for a career-best year.

After three rounds, he is averaging a super-impressive 26.3 disposals, 599 metres gained, 4.3 clearances and 6.7 score involvements.

Most are career-high numbers, with his impact – and Adelaide’s early-season success – propelling him into early Brownlow Medal contention.

Dawson is currently third on the line of betting, having rocketed from a pre-season quote of 50-1 into 12-1.

Only proven votegetter, Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (6-1), and in-form Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell (10-1) are ahead of him in TAB markets.

The Crows’ only Brownlow Medallist is club great Mark Ricciuto, who tied with Collingwood’s Nathan Buckley and Sydney’s Adam Goodes on 22 votes in 2003.

Jordan Dawson swoops on a loose ball against North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval last Sunday. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Fellow Crows legend Andrew McLeod was runner-up in 2001 after finishing third in 2000.

Midfield ball magnet Scott Thompson holds the record for the most votes in one season for the Crows, receiving 25 in 2012.

He also has polled the most overall votes for Adelaide, with 152, ahead of Ricciuto (146) and McLeod (144).

Dawson is a proven vote-getter, having polled 38 in the past two seasons – 20 in 2023 and 18 last year.

No Crow has polled more in that span, with veteran Rory Laird next with 27.

Dawson’s high votes tally came despite playing in a losing team, with Adelaide finishing 10th and 15th respectively in the past two years.

This season, with the victories flowing, Dawson should capture the attention of the umpires even more.

He polled the maximum 20 votes in the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year award after Round 2, receiving 10 for best-afield displays against St Kilda and Essendon respectively, to lead the award by five from rising Greater Western Sydney sensation Finn Callaghan.

Dawson failed to poll in Sunday’s six-goal win against North Melbourne, when he was quieter with 19 disposals.

But he still impacted the game, doing the dirty work with six clearances and six tackles.

Jordan Dawson reaches high for a mark against St Kilda. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Jordan Dawson in action for Adelaide against St Kilda in Round 1. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

After three rounds, Dawson still leads the AFLCA award by one vote from the Western Bulldogs’ Tom Liberatore and could already have six Brownlow votes tucked away.

Former Crows teammate and current Glenelg SANFL player Patrick Parnell has observed Dawson from close range and believes he is a “genuine star’’ of the competition who is at the peak of his powers.

“As a player he can do it all,’’ Parnell said.

“He came to Adelaide probably pigeonholed as a wingman/halfback but he has proven how good he really is since he’s gone into the midfield at the Crows.

“He’s probably been the best player in the competition in the first few rounds and while his elite skills are his best attribute, I don’t think people realise how tough he is.

“He came to the Crows as that outside ball user type but I think it’s been really underrated how tough and physical he is at the contest.

“His aerial ability is also underrated and as a leader he came straight in and was in our leadership group in his first year and named captain in his second, which shows how good his leadership qualities are.’’

Illustrating his leadership and selflessness was that Dawson last season was awarded the club’s Players’ Trademark Award for the second consecutive year.

Bigger accolades await.

NUMBERS GAME

6782

Rory Laird career disposals for Adelaide – the most in club history, surpassing Scott Thompson’s 6752

12

Quarters won by the Crows in their first three games this season – only the second team in VFL-AFL history to achieve the feat, joining West Coast in 1988

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“Our players are showing a much higher level of maturity at the moment – the understanding of it wasn’t necessarily our best, but what a great win.’’ – Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks after the six-goal win against North Melbourne.

“The disappointing part, our better players, the ones we needed to stand up, they just weren’t quite at that level all the way through the game.’’ – Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley after the 12-point loss to Essendon.

Originally published as How Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson is leading from the front