Adelaide young guns Brad Crouch and Rory Atkins put round one spots at risk

BRAD Crouch faces an uphill battle to play in round one and Rory Atkins has put his spot in jeopardy after the young Adelaide midfielders were axed from the team to play Gold Coast.

Adelaide Crows footballers, new recruits Sam Siggins and Rory Atkins with Brad Crouch who we will see play this year in Crows colours.

• Rucci: Elite standards tested again by Crows

BRAD Crouch faces an uphill battle to play in round one and Rory Atkins has put his spot in jeopardy after the young Adelaide midfielders were sensationally axed from the team to play Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium Friday night.

Emerging star Crouch, previously regarded as the ideal replacement for departed superstar Patrick Dangerfield this season, and Atkins will play in the SANFL Saturday with the message to produce standout performances following their shock dumpings from the AFL team.

The pair were sent back to play in the SANFL against South Adelaide — on recommendation of the club’s leadership group — for “failing to meet the elite standards required in regards to their preparation’’.

It is understood the emerging pair — key parts of the Crows’ plans under first-year coach Don Pyke — were banned for breaking the alcohol policy set by the leadership group during their Clipsal 500 weekend off.

The Adelaide squad was given last Friday, Saturday and Sunday off and a contingent of players attended the motorsport meeting.

Pyke refused to divulge whether alcohol was behind Crouch and Atkins’ off-field indiscretions and subsequent dumpings, simply saying: “I’m not going to go into the details about exactly what it was’’.

He said the players had made “an error of judgment’’ but that the incidents were “not serious’’.

“All I’ll say is that our expectations of our players is that we are going to be elite with what we want and that was driven by the players,’’ he said.

“Our players have established a trademark and standards which govern their behaviour both on and off the field.

“In this instance Brad and Rory did not meet those standards when the playing group had a break from training over the weekend.

Brad Crouch and Rory Atkins.

“The leadership group, when they became aware of it, approached me with a recommendation which I fully supported.

“This gives both of those guys an opportunity to learn and understand that it’s not how we are going to operate as a football club.

“The recommendation was that they would play SANFL this weekend and that’s (punishment) enough.

“Both boys are really contrite, disappointed in themselves and understanding that they’ve let themselves and their teammates down. Now we move on.”

The decision to ban the pair came three days after details of their indiscretions surfaced and after they had been named in a 27-man squad to play the Suns in the Crows’ final NAB Challenge match.

It is understood a series of meetings took place between the club’s leadership group, Pyke, key officials, Crouch and Atkins’ management groups and the AFLPA before the penalty was announced Thursday morning before the team flew out for Queensland.

The leadership group, which includes captain Taylor Walker, ex-skipper Nathan van Berlo, Rory Sloane, Scott Thompson, Daniel Talia, Sam Jacobs and Richard Douglas, met with Pyke at 4.30pm on Wednesday to recommend the penalty.

Pyke said the dumped duo would still be considered for round one but were under pressure to perform strongly against the Panthers in what will be their final hit-outs before the AFL premiership season opener against North Melbourne on March 26.

Crouch, 22, has not played an AFL pre-season match this year as he continues to get his body right after he missed the entire 2015 campaign with foot injuries.

Atkins, 21, has performed strongly in Adelaide’s two NAB Challenge matches and seemed a lock for round one until the incident.

“They have an opportunity to redeem themselves by playing well this weekend to keep themselves in the (selection) mix,” Pyke said.

Originally published as Adelaide young guns Brad Crouch and Rory Atkins put round one spots at risk