Adelaide Crows must target Port Adelaide ruckman Peter Ladhams, says Kane Cornes
Adelaide Crows have the perfect recruit for 2021 and beyond, but they must lure him out of Alberton first and get a deal done for his potential move to West Lakes, writes Kane Cornes.
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Port Adelaide’s Peter Ladhams is the man that can solve Adelaide’s ruck issues.
The Crows need to make an aggressive move and table a four-year, $2 million offer to secure his signature in this trade period.
Adelaide mistakenly entered this season with only one ruckman, Reilly O’Brien, on its list. The club believed Elliot Himmleberg and new recruit Billy Frampton could provide adequate back-up ruck support for O’Brien.
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That decision has backfired badly, Frampton was dropped again for Monday night’s loss to St Kilda, while Himmleberg has only played one game in 2020.
Ladhams can be the player to solve the conundrum and his name has already been discussed among Adelaide’s list management committee.
He should be the No.1 big-man target to add depth to the depleted ruck division at West Lakes. Ladhams is only 22 and fits perfectly inside the demographic of Adelaide’s rebuilding playing group.
The biggest barrier blocking Adelaide from securing Ladhams this off-season is his contract status at Port Adelaide, which sees him committed to the club until the end of 2022.
However, history says if a player declares he wants out of his current club the existing contract means little and is easy to escape from.
The security of a guaranteed contract and the lure of being the No.1 big man at Adelaide would be tempting.
Ladhams has the tools to be a much sounder long-term option for Adelaide than the hardworking O’Brien.
He provides more grunt and impact around the ground and in his six games in the AFL has been deployed as an extra midfielder who can win his own ball, follow up at ground level and tackle aggressively.
Ladhams returned to the Power team for the first time in more than 12 months in the win against Carlton on Sunday.
He impressed with 21 disposals and 16 hit-outs which resulted in Port Adelaide scoring three goals directly from stoppages. He received four coaches’ votes for the performance.
Despite his good form, his immediate playing future remains clouded.
Port Adelaide are unwilling to play two ruckmen in the same side and West Coast premiership ruckman Scott Lycett is Ken Hinkley’s preferred option over Ladhams.
Lycett crossed to the Power from the Eagles on a lucrative four-year contract in 2018 and still has two seasons remaining on that deal.
If Ladhams stays loyal to the Power, he will be competing with Lycett for at least two more seasons.
Also complicating Ladhams’ dilemma at the Power is the ever-improving Sam Hayes, who is emerging as a genuine No.1 ruck prospect.
Hayes is a favourite of Hinkley’s and if he can improve his aerobic capacity he is firming as a genuine number-one ruck option.
The 21-year-old is an imposing 203cm tall and is a dual all-Australian at state under-18 level. He was recruited to the Power with pick 47 in the 2017 national draft but wrecked his knee at training in 2018, which sidelined him for 12 months.
Hayes has returned strongly to training and is waiting eagerly for his first senior opportunity.
Adelaide baulked by not selecting gun Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English in the 2016 draft.
Instead, the club opted for out-of-favour small forward Jordan Gallucci.
After also failing to lure Collingwood big man Brodie Grundy home last year, the recruitment of Ladhams would help to ease the pain.
The Crows will welcome an influx of elite talent via this year’s draft that has the potential to fast-track their significant list overhaul.
The draft needs to be supported by an aggressive trading strategy and stealing Ladhams from its cross-town rival would be a major coup.
Originally published as Adelaide Crows must target Port Adelaide ruckman Peter Ladhams, says Kane Cornes