Adelaide Crows need to target an experienced recruit to bounce back quickly in 2021
Luke Hodge nearly became a Crow in 2018, now Adelaide needs to re-visit this recruiting strategy for its 2021 campaign. These four players should be at the top of the list.
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Every AFL club has a ‘what if?’ moment.
What if Shaun Burgoyne – as Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams wished – became captain at Alberton in 2009?
What if someone had asked more questions at Essendon before coach James Hird handed his playing group to an external agent for a contentious supplements program in 2012?
And what would the Adelaide Football Club be today if Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge had finished his illustrious AFL career at West Lakes rather than Brisbane?
It almost happened – and more than once the Crows were denied the on and off-field direction Hodge could have offered and still benefits the Lions today.
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The first moment was in 2017, a year of painful crossroads for Adelaide as it searched for answers to its grand final loss to Richmond.
Hodge was approached by Crows football director Mark Ricciuto, offering him the chance to make an encore at Adelaide after taking his bow at Hawthorn.
“It was a low-key chat,” Hodge told SEN’s Whateley.
“It was 2017 after we played over there and I’d announced my retirement and I was actually doing a function at one of his (Ricciuto’s) pubs.
“He grabbed me a beer and said, ‘do you want to come over here and play a year?’ They were obviously up the top of the ladder and going pretty well.
“He said they needed to help with a few of the younger guys not playing every week, just teaching them a thing here or there.”
“I said, ‘We’ve got a baby due in December and our kids are really enjoying it up here (Brisbane)’.
“That was about as far as we got. It was a couple of phone calls.”
It was a shrewd and innovative approach from Ricciuto. Had Hodge taken up the offer, it might have alleviated some of the carnage that has unfolded at West Lakes after that grand final loss.
Hodge’s experience and leadership would have significantly averted much of Adelaide’s well documented struggles that manifested with sub-par on-field performances, struggles with player retention, cracks in off-field discipline and the fallout from the ill-fated Gold Coast pre-season camp in 2018.
Hodge’s move to Brisbane – to play the 2018 and 2019 seasons – put the three-time premiership hero at a club that had won only five games in 2017. The Lions were seen as a basket case across the national competition.
However, in the space of just two seasons, with Hodge playing 41 of a possible 46 games, they became a force finishing the home-and-away season in second place last season.
Hodge retired at the end of last year’s failed finals campaign, but remains part of the Lions football staff.
Brisbane is just two wins from its first AFL premiership since 2003. Hodge’s influence in the dramatic turnaround has been rightly lauded.
The cap on football department spending has been reduced by $3.4 million next year – and players such as Hodge, who can combine a playing and coaching role, will be highly sought after while their wage can be absorbed by the player salary cap.
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Adelaide needs to fill this role and these are the candidates to consider:
KADE SIMPSON
While Simpson does not have significant finals success on his resume, he has been one of the most admired and respected players in the AFL across his 18-year career. The remarkably durable Simpson has only missed three games in the past five seasons and last month reluctantly retired at Carlton after 342 games. He would be an asset to Adelaide in a combined player and coaching role.
PHIL DAVIS
Davis sensationally walked out on the Crows before the end of the 2011 campaign to join expansion franchise Greater Western Sydney on big money. Despite this, he is still well liked at Adelaide and would be an outstanding mentor to the Crows developing key position players and new captain Rory Sloane. The former Giants captain is contracted for next season, but a longer-term offer from the Crows would certainly be tempting.
DAVID MUNDY
Despite Mundy’s outstanding form for Fremantle this season the unrestricted free agent is out of contract. Mundy’s versatility to play across half-forward and in the midfield should be appealing to Adelaide. His leadership and experience would be invaluable for the young squad.
HARRY TAYLOR
The out-of-contract defender will line up for his 30th final when Geelong take on Brisbane in Saturday night’s preliminary final. His finals experience and wisdom gathered in the highly successful Geelong program would be invaluable to the Crows. Taylor is still capable of playing 10-12 games next year while performing a coaching role.
Adelaide can learn from Brisbane’s massive success with Hodge by targeting an experienced player to bolster the playing and coaching ranks. The Crows don’t need to be left wondering ‘what if’, if you don’t ask.
WINNERS
OPENING UP
This week Port Adelaide duo Sam Powell-Pepper and Zak Butters shared their very personal and private stories with The Advertiser. The challenges both men have had to overcome away from the football field is nothing but inspiring.
PARHAM COUP
Adelaide are set to add former Port Adelaide physio Tim Parham to replace the outgoing Steve Saunders in the club’s medical department. The Power were keen to welcome back Parham after he returned from a stint with EPL side Arsenal but were unable to accommodate him due to the reduced cap on football department spending. He is world class and will have an immediate positive impact for the Crows.
CROW FANTASIA
Adelaide met with Essendon forward Orazio Fantasia last week and everything points to the Crows signing him in the trade period. If his body remains sound, he could be the best recruit this off-season.
PETRACCA CHAT
Melbourne star Christian Petracca revealed this week that a chat with Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury was the catalyst for his career best 2020 season. Rival players are often happy to help pass on their knowledge and it’s a tactic that should be used more often.
SA GREAT
Port Adelaide legend Russell Ebert was awarded the Australian of the Year SA Local Hero award on Monday night. Ebert is arguably the best footballer South Australia has every produced and his community work has educated and improved the lives of so many.
LOSERS
SILENT CROUCH
Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch was asked during the week whether his September drug bust was the first time he’d taken an illicit substance. It was vital Crouch gave a yes or no answer yet he offered no comment which raises more questions than answers.
TIGER WARNING
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick issued a warning to any Port Adelaide player that stands in front of forward Tom Lynch on Friday night. Lynch has been charged by the match review panel five times this season for repeated cheap shots, none of which will scare any Power player.
GIANT EXODUS
GWS Giants have a fight on its hands to retain star out-of-contract forward Jeremy Cameron with Geelong bullish they may be able to poach him. His exit would be another massive blow for the Giants.
CROWD FARCE
There are no coronavirus cases outside of hotel quarantine in South Australia yet the government has put a 27,000 cap on Friday night’s Adelaide Oval crowd. The overcautious rules have locked out thousands of Port Adelaide fans who missed out on tickets.
DELIBERATE MADNESS
There is talk the AFL will crack down on defenders spoiling the ball over the boundary line by paying a deliberate out-of-bounds free kick. What a ridiculous idea, life as a defender is already hard enough.
Originally published as Adelaide Crows need to target an experienced recruit to bounce back quickly in 2021