Adelaide Crows AFL news: Latest news and pre-season selection whispers
Adelaide has revealed its plan to ease Matt Crouch back after a long absence, while two young guns continue to firm for Round 1 debuts.
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Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch will play reduced minutes when he takes to the field for his first game at AFL level in 11 months on Friday.
Crouch, whose 2021 was ruined by groin and hip problems, was named in a 25-man Crows squad for the pre-season clash with Brisbane at Metricon Stadium.
The 26-year-old’s most recent match was a trial against Port Adelaide in March.
Adelaide had only 28 players available to face the Lions after Covid swept through the squad last week.
Midfield coach Nathan van Berlo was pleased for Crouch, who had completed most of the pre-season after having groin surgery in October.
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“He had a really challenging year last year, a lot of frustration at times, which was understandable,” van Berlo said.
“He’ll have some capped minutes but with us taking a squad of 25, we’ll be able to spread the load quite easily.
“It’s been 12 months since he’s played a game of footy so it’s exciting for him to get back out there.
“He’s itching at the bit.”
Draftees Josh Rachele and Jake Soligo, who both extended their contracts this week until the end of 2025, were also selected.
Rachele will play in attack, while Soligo will feature on the ball and up forward.
“Josh has … a freakish set of skills on him, which players around him really enjoy watching, defenders not so much,” van Berlo said.
“Jake has been able to earn the trust of his teammates in a short period of time on the back of his work ethic, level of skill and attention to detail.”
Wayne Milera, who has not played a minor-round match since Round 2, 2020 because of serious foot and knee injuries, is unavailable this week but in calculations for Round 1.
The Crows have overlooked Taylor Walker – and will do so again in next week’s trial against the Power – because he is suspended for the first three games of the season due to his racial.
Van Berlo said the team needed to give opportunities to Elliott Himmelberg, Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty, Shane McAdam, Lachlan Gollant in Walker’s absence.
Thirty players went through a light “captain’s run” session at West Lakes on Friday.
Fischer McAsey, Patrick Parnell and Josh Worrell trained longer than their teammates after missing selection to face the Lions.
Van Berlo said the trio had improved over summer and the decision did not indicate a loss of faith.
“It’s a matter of selection for this week and there’s going to be some change in that selection for next week and I dare say for Round 1 again,” he said.
NICKS’ HIGH PRAISE FOR CROWS TOP PICK
Matthew Nicks has spruiked Adelaide’s chances of surprising its critics this year while also calling top draft pick Josh Rachele a dream to coach.
Speaking at the Crows’ season launch at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday night, Nicks said his side was primed to improve, buoyed by its recruits and pre-season training standards.
Adelaide rose from claiming its first wooden spoon in 2020 to finish 15th with a 7-15 record in the coach’s second season.
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“They’ll keep writing us off this year and I hope they keep doing it because we’ll come out and try to under promise and over deliver,” Nicks said.
“I’ve got no doubt the group will play footy like they did towards the end of last year and you’ll be proud of what you see.”
Some of Nicks’s optimism stems from the arrivals of a draft crop headlined by No. 6 pick Rachele and Jordan Dawson coming from Sydney.
Rachele and last year’s 36th selection Jake Soligo were guest speakers on the night after extending their contracts by two seasons until the end of 2025.
Asked to describe Rachele in one word, Nicks said: “As a coach, it’s just a dream”.
“We’ve got a beauty,” he said.
“As a coach, it’s really exciting when you bring players in like those two and it’s not just them but (fellow draftees) Luke Nankervis and Zac Taylor as well.
“But the two you have seen tonight, these two stand out.
“I’ve got no doubt in years to come at an event like this we’re going to be talking about those two and I hope it will be in the same vein as Reilly O’Brien, Rory Sloane and players of the like.”
Nicks also lavished praise on Dawson, who finished third in the Swans’ best-and-fairest last season.
Adelaide traded a future first-round pick in October to secure the 24-year-old.
“Jordy has come in and I wouldn’t say surprised us, but he’s been a top-level performer and one of the best players I think I’ve seen in a long time,” he said.
Nicks said the team was in great shape ahead of Friday’s pre-season match against Brisbane at Metricon Stadium despite having to cancel its internal trial last week due to Covid.
With players exiting Covid protocols in coming days and others still unavailable, the Crows planned to field a weaker side.
“We’ve had a fantastic two or three months,” Nicks said.
“If you compare where we are at the moment to the same time 12 months ago, we’ve put in so much more work.”
Here are other notable moments from Tuesday:
■ The main focus of the Crows’ season launch is to induct their newest life members.
This year’s recipients were two statisticians, a board member and ex-Adelaide star.
Bob Shoolbread and Don “Buzz” Bailey volunteered together in taking game data from the club’s inaugural campaign in 1991 for 23 years.
Forward Tom Lynch was honoured for his 158 games over 10 seasons from 2010 to last year, while former deputy chairman Jim Hazel was inducted after a decade of service.
Very grateful to be recognised with Life Membership at the @Adelaide_FC Thank you to all the amazing people who have had an incredible influence on myself and my family.
— Tom Lynch (@tom_lynch27) February 23, 2022
Adelaide’s head of women’s football Phil Harper introduced Shoolbread and spoke about his optimism for every game, even when the club had no chance of winning, always having a smile on his face and handing out race tips to players.
Crows great and football director Mark Ricciuto described Bailey, who died in 2019, as committed, versatile and thoroughly deserving.
Former teammate Richard Douglas spoke in Lynch’s absence, aided by a speech he said Lynch emailed to him about 30 minutes before he went on stage.
Hazel talked about how lucky he felt to have received life membership, years after being stuck in traffic heading to the Crows’ first game “with 45,000 others” on March 22, 1991.
He said the club’s 2019 AFLW flag was the proudest moment of his time on the board.
■ Nicks and O’Brien also played the description game for the other draftees.
They called midfielder Taylor “smooth” and “explosive”.
O’Brien labelled his housemate Soligo “hardworking”, while Nicks said he was “rock solid”.
Nankervis, who arrived at the club donning a Jedi Padawan braid in honour of his love of Star Wars, was dubbed a “different cat” with X-factor by O’Brien.
Nicks lauded Nankervis’s energy.
■ Rachele and Soligo both said re-signing was an easy decision.
“It’s been unreal,” Soligo said.
“It’s a good, young group and everyone’s there to make you feel welcomed.”
The duo expected plenty of family members would come to Adelaide if they were chosen to debut in Round 1 against Fremantle.
“I’m from a big Italian and Greek family so I think we’d need half the stadium if we got all of them over,” Rachele said.
Both youngsters will play against the Lions this week.
■ The Crows cannot wait for Wayne Milera to play at AFL level for the first time since Round 2, 2020.
Sidelined with foot and knee injuries the past two seasons, Milera boasts something the Crows’ lack – class.
“It’s something that we’re dying to get into our footy side at the moment – just ultimate talent with ball in hand,” Nicks said.
“He distributes the ball as good as any.
“I watch Junior play … and it’s really exciting what he brings.”
Nicks said Milera would not line up against Brisbane on Friday.
■ Adelaide chairman John Olsen said the club would announce a modest cash profit next week.
“It’s the result of a lot of hard work and this will allow us to focus on reducing debt that we had to take on during the pandemic,” Olsen said.
Eleven months ago, Adelaide reported its first deficit since 2014 – a $2.8m statutory loss, taking into account consideration from non-cash items, including depreciation.
That pushed the club’s debt to $4.5m.
■ The Crows held the event on Lindsay Head Terrace at Adelaide Oval, a large, outdoor space with great views of the city behind the stage.
That setting was announced earlier this month when invites were sent but became more appropriate because of the club’s Covid drama over the past week.
On Tuesday night, Nicks, O’Brien, Rachele, Soligo and AFLW trio Matthew Clarke, Chelsea Randall and Abbie Ballard had to follow Covid measures.
They arrived in separate lifts to what other guests were using and spent fewer than 15 minutes on stage to minimise the risk of being a close contact if there were cases from the night.
Crows draftees pushing for Round 1 debuts
Adelaide has locked away its first two draft picks from last year until the end of 2025.
In a mutual show of faith with the club, Victorian duo Josh Rachele and Jake Soligo have extended their initial contracts by two seasons before they have played a game.
Small forward/on-baller Rachele, taken at pick 6 in November, and midfielder Soligo, selected at 36, have impressed over summer, putting themselves in contention for round-1 debuts.
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Their re-signings a little more than two months after arriving at West Lakes are a boost for the club’s culture under third-year coach Matthew Nicks.
Adelaide had long been stung by key players drafted from outside SA departing.
Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), Jack Gunston (Hawthorn), Jake Lever (Melbourne), Charlie Cameron (Brisbane), Brad Crouch (St Kilda) and Kurt Tippett (Sydney) were among those who left to continue their careers in the eastern states.
The string of exits led some outsiders to call for the Crows to draft more locals, particularly with early selections.
But after choosing homegrown tall Riley Thilthorpe with its first pick in 2020, Adelaide had no hesitation in taking Rachele last year ahead of some of SA’s top prospects, despite him having close ties to his Shepparton-based family, of Italian and Greek heritage.
The Crows then snared Soligo, a product of Mornington Peninsula club Dromana, with their second selection in November.
At the time, Adelaide’s national recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie told News Corp he had learnt enough from Rachele’s 13 under-age games the past two years and chats with the “worldly, mature” draftee to be confident it was making the right call.
Ogilvie described Soligo as an old-school footballer with solid fundamentals.
“Josh is exciting and he’s kicked some difficult goals,” Ogilvie said in November.
“He’s been out on the (family) orchard from 10, 12 years of age out in the sun … so he knows what hard work looks like.
“Soligo is just pure football skill, genuine mid, more hard running power.”
Rachele looms as a fan favourite for a team that has lacked pizzazz since Eddie Betts’ departure at the end of 2019.
The 18-year-old has a knack for kicking crafty goals, boasts neat skills and is composed in possession.
A genuine two-position player, according to Ogilvie, Rachele kicked six majors in a NAB League match last year and was the standout at the 2019 national under-16 titles as a midfielder.
Coming off winning Eastern Ranges’ best-and-fairest, Soligo has been picked on the stronger sides during match simulations for much of the Crows’ pre-season, in an indication of how highly he is rated.
Rachele is on track to play in the season-opener against Fremantle at home on March 20.
Soligo is set to push his case for a debut versus the Dockers by featuring in the trial game against Brisbane at Metricon Stadium on Friday.
The Crows announced their re-signings at the club’s season launch at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday night.
Adelaide has just 10 players out of contract at the end of 2022 – a low figure at this time of a year.
The Crows had a signing spree during 2021 as a swag of its squad, along with Nicks, committed their futures to the club.
Like Rachele and Soligo, Thilthorpe is contracted until the end of 2025.
The club’s previous three top picks, Fischer McAsey, Chayce Jones and Darcy Fogarty, are all signed until after the 2023 campaign
Young Crow ready to explode in midfield role
Covid-hit Adelaide expects to have no issues fielding a side for Friday’s pre-season game against Brisbane on the Gold Coast.
Five days after cancelling their internal trial due to coronavirus sweeping through the club, the Crows had 28 of their squad training at West Lakes on Tuesday and more were set to exit protocols this week.
About a dozen Adelaide players had been sidelined with Covid or in isolation, prompting last Friday’s practice game to become a match simulation featuring SANFL top-up players.
It would be unlikely those on the cusp of emerging from protocols would be chosen in squads of up to 26 to face the Lions.
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Second-year midfielder Sam Berry said the players were “not thinking about who’s available and who’s not”.
“You can only control what you can control,” Berry said.
“It’s not what you expect at this time of year but things happen with Covid and it’s pretty unpredictable.
“I’m sure every club is going through the same things.
“We kind of knew things would happen at some point during the year, maybe not this early.
“Boys will start to filter back pretty soon and I’m glad this patch is done to get it out of the way before the season.”
Berry contracted Covid when he was home in Victoria over Christmas and missed a couple of days of training but was fine with no lingering effects.
He said Friday’s match simulation was encouraging under the circumstances.
“I think the boys did really well considering our numbers,” he said.
“I think the intensity and level everyone is at is really good.”
Drafted with pick 28 in 2020, Berry played 17 games in his debut campaign.
The 20-year-old said he had something to prove in pre-season games as he tried to establish himself as a midfielder, rather than a half-forward who could pinch-hit on the ball.
“I’m not sure where I sit, to be honest,” he said of his selection hopes.
“It’s tough to break in there but we’ll see how we go.”
Berry said no matter who lined up on Friday, the team needed to recreate how it had been training.
“It’s good to do it against an opposition – we’re a bit sick of playing each other and everyone’s pretty excited,” he said.
TUESDAY’S TRAINING NOTES
PAIN IN THE BUTTS
For a moment, Adelaide looked like it might need to add fullback Jordon Butts to its lists of unavailable players.
The 22-year-old was crunched by ruckman Kieran Strachan during match simulation and landed heavily on his back.
Butts, a shining light for the Crows last season, playing all 22 games in Daniel Talia’s absence, appeared to be ginger as he slowly got to his feet.
Strachan came over to check on him and pat him on the back, before Butts continued training.
“I think it just took the wind out of him but (he is) all good I believe,” Berry said.
Small forward Ned McHenry was wearing an orange hat during match simulation to remind teammates not to make contact while he nursed a stiff neck.
MIDFIELD MINUTES
Plenty can change between now and Round 1, but there are more clues regarding the Crows’ first-choice on-ball unit.
Berry was in the second-string team on Tuesday, along with Strachan, Jackson Hately, Luke Pedlar and Lachie Sholl.
Jake Soligo and Brayden Cook appeared to spend time with both the strong and weaker sides.
The top-tier midfield featured Reilly O’Brien, Schoenberg, Matt Crouch, Ben Keays and Rory Laird.
“It’s pretty competitive at the minute to try to get in there,” Berry said.
CATCHING THE EYE
Shane McAdam and James Rowe look fitter, while Schoenberg seems poised to take another big step in his development if this summer is anything to go by.
After playing all 22 games last season and increasing his centre-square time late in the campaign, the 21-year-old has shone during match simulation, mixing it with the club’s top midfielders.
In one of Tuesday’s best passages, he burst through the middle of the ground, gave a handball, got the footy back then balanced himself before slotting a goal on the run from about 45m.
“Harry’s had a really good off-season and pre-season,” Berry said.
“He’s moving really well.
“I think he’s doing the things he was doing last year but on a more consistent basis.
“I’m really excited to watch Harry this year.”
Schoenberg averaged 80.1 Champion Data rankings points and 22 disposals from rounds 16 to 23 last season when he spent more time through the midfield.
At $390,200, he could be a SuperCoach smoky.
Forward McAdam stayed in SA during the break rather than headed home to the remote WA town of Halls Creek.
Goalsneak Rowe has been lively as he tries to lock in a Round-1 spot during his second AFL pre-season.
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