Adelaide Crows: Latest post-season news, trade whispers

After negotiations dragged out longer than the Crows expected, star midfielder Matt Crouch has signed a new deal to remain at the club. Here’s the latest.

Jordan Dawson is in Adelaide’s sights.

Midfielder Matt Crouch is staying with Adelaide after all.

Following weeks of speculation about his future, the out-of-contract Victorian has inked a two-year deal to remain at West Lakes.

Crouch, 26, and the Crows had been negotiating over terms as the midfielder sought a longer extension.

But the restricted free agent ultimately agreed to a two-year deal, which the club announced on Saturday.

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Matt Crouch has signed a two-year deal to stay the Crows. Picture: Tom Huntley

Crouch, an All-Australian and Crows’ best and fairest in 2017, did not play a game this season due to groin and hip problems.

“It was always my preference to re-sign with Adelaide and it was just a matter of taking the time to work through where both I and the club were at,” Crouch said.

“I’m excited by our young list and confident in the direction we are heading.

“Although it has been a frustrating year for me personally with injury, I’m now looking forward to getting back on the training track with all my teammates in pre-season and returning to the field next year.

“We are building something special here and I am confident I have plenty of good footy ahead of me as has the team.”

MORE: EVERY CROWS PLAYER, CONTRACT ANALYSED

Taylor Walker at the Crows best-and-fairest. Picture: MATT LOXTON

Meanwhile, Crows coach Matthew Nicks has said that while he wants Taylor Walker to be at the club next year, the former captain is no guarantee to report for day one of pre-season training in November.

Walker is serving a six-game ban for using a racial slur towards North Adelaide’s Robbie Young, and Nicks said he had some other priorities over playing.

“He’s still got a lot that he wants to work through, he still has a lot that he feels he has to work through,” Nicks said.

“There’s stuff there that is a priority for him at the moment, and that’s not talking about footy for 2022.

“It’s not a lock (that he is there for pre-season training), but as a coach I really want him at the footy club next year.”

RISING CROWS EARN NEW DEAL

Adelaide ruckman Kieran Strachan’s impressive SANFL form has helped him secure a two-year contract extension.

The Crows on Friday announced Strachan, who won the club’s state league best-and-fairest last week but had been without a deal for next season, had re-signed until the end of 2023.

Strachan featured in Adelaide’s final two minor round games at AFL level after improving markedly in the state league this year to become arguably the competition’s best ruckman.

He joined the Crows via the 2018 rookie draft and made his debut against North Melbourne last year.

“It’s nice to have the security to work on my game for the next two years,” said Strachan, a product of South Bendigo who was drafted from VFL club Port Melbourne.

“After that last game (Round 23) was probably the best moment of my life and makes me super excited for what’s to come.

“We have a really good young list along with the older guys’ experience, so I definitely think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Kieran Strachan in action against the Kangaroos in Round 23. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Adelaide has also handed forward Lachlan Gollant a one-year contract extension.

Taken at pick 48 in the 2019 national draft, Gollant, 19, debuted in the win over the Kangaroos in Round 23 after recovering from finger surgery.

“I’ve loved my time at the club so far, it’s been an amazing experience and I’m excited about the young group that we’ve got and where we can get to in the future, so I’m looking forward to next year,” Gollant, who was recruited from Calder Cannons, said.

Adelaide list manager Justin Reid said both Strachan and Gollant had taken big strides this year.

“Kieran has had a brilliant season and been the premier ruckman in the SANFL competition and Lachie put in a lot of work in rehab after finger surgery to get back to playing some strong footy late in the season,” Reid said.

“We had the opportunity to see both of them compete and perform at AFL level over the final two weeks of the season and we are looking forward to their continued improvement.”

CAN CROWS FINALLY LAND A BIG TRADE FISH?

It wouldn’t just be the result of Port Adelaide’s dominant qualifying final win over Geelong that would have hurt Crows fans.

Crows supporters would have looked at the Power’s recruiting over the past years and wondered why the hell haven’t they been able to do the same.

No, not bringing in the elite draft talent such as Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma in one swoop like the Power did.

Rather, it was Port’s ability to target and lure established players from other clubs that stood out in the win over the Cats.

Aliir Aliir (65 games at Sydney) was immense in the first quarter with his intercept game and then Orazio Fantasia (80 games at Essendon) kicked four goals to help the Power cruise to a fine win.

And they weren’t the only key players who were poached from other clubs either through trades or free agency.

Charlie Dixon (65 games at Gold Coast), Scott Lycett (75 at West Coast), Steven Motlop (135 at Geelong) and Trent McKenzie (106 at Gold Coast) all played in the qualifying final.

The now-retired Tom Rockliff played 154 games at Brisbane before coming to Alberton, while the Power made the best of Chad Wingard wanting out of the club to snare Ryan Burton, who had played 47 games at Hawthorn.

Jackson Hately joined the Crows from GWS in the pre-season draft but spent most of the season in the SANFL.

It has been moves like those that have helped Port Adelaide change the profile of its list to one of the most exciting in the competition, without falling into the bottom four.

“We don’t get every one right, so don’t think just because we are in the position that we are that we are doing things exponentially better than others,” Port general manager of football Chris Davies said.

“We are just in a fortunate position where those guys are helping, but clearly Jason Cripps our list manager does a fantastic job in identifying the types of players that we want to get into the club.”

While the Power are reaping the rewards for this approach, over at West Lakes the Crows have done little at the trade table or free agency for years.

Ben Keays has been a big success over the past two seasons after delisted by Brisbane, while Jackson Hately (13 games at GWS, three for Adelaide and Mitch Hinge (three games at Brisbane, one for the Crows) still have time on their side. But the Crows haven’t lured an established player from another club since they went all out to land Bryce Gibbs after losing the 2017 grand final.

Paul Seedsman had played 49 games at Collingwood before he was traded to the Crows in 2015, while excluding Gibbs the last big fish Adelaide was able to land was Eddie Betts in 2013.

In nearly eight years the Crows have brought in three played who were established at other clubs. The Power have brought in eight since 2015.

So, will Adelaide be able to change this around in what looms as a crucial off-season for its rebuild?

Can the Crows lure Jordan Dawson home?

On Monday Crows chief executive Tim Silvers did hint that Adelaide may try to be more active in this player movement period, but going to the draft was again the priority.

“We’ve committed to a rebuild,” he said on FIVEaa.

“That has been our strategy, draft and develop, and you have seen that has been our process over the last two to three years and getting games into our young talent.

“And you’ll see us to go the draft again, we have a high pick and our commitment is that we will go to the draft again and get some young talent.

“And we will be active in the trade market, we will look for young talent potentially from other clubs to bring in.”

Jordan Dawson, 24 years old and a veteran of 64 games for Sydney, looms as a player the Crows could target this off-season, and he would improve the side instantly, with the Swans salary cap squeeze giving Adelaide hope he can be lured back to South Australia.

The Crows are also in the mix for Dawson’s teammate Dylan Stephens, but the No.5 pick in the 2019 Draft is also being pursued by Victorian clubs — mainly Collingwood and Essendon.

But Stephens falls more into the Hately category after playing just six senior games.

It won’t take a lot for the Crows to turn the picture around — get Dawson this off-season and position themselves for a real crack at Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine in 2022.

Adelaide has significantly refreshed its playing list over the last two, maybe three years.

It’s time it improves it as well.

Originally published as Adelaide Crows: Latest post-season news, trade whispers