AFL news: Adelaide’s Malcolm Blight Medallist Jordan Dawson tips big things from Crows in 2024 | Club Champion awards

Adelaide didn’t make the finals in 2023, but the Malcolm Blight Medallist believes the Crows could have beaten the grand finalists. And he’s extremely bullish about their 2024 chances. See why.

Adelaide Crow’s newest Malcolm Blight medallist Jordan Dawson believes his side could have beaten either of the grand finalists if they made it to the big dance. Picture: Getty Images.

Adelaide’s senior leaders have sent a warning to the rest of the AFL, declaring the Crows are on the “cusp of something great”.

At Adelaide’s Club Champion night on Saturday captain, and newly minted Malcolm Blight Medallist, Jordan Dawson revealed that he sent a message to his fellow Crows players while watching the AFL grand final between Collingwood and Brisbane.

“I’ve never been more driven in my life,” he said.

“A few of the boys took the p**s out of me because I was up at Port Douglas watching the grand final and I sent a message in the WhatsApp about how we could have beaten the two teams that are in the granny and how we can be better than them and I know Tex (Taylor Walker) laughed at it, he sent a laughing emoji so that was good to see from the former captain so thanks Tex.

“But I think all the players here know how good we can be, with our away record we had a couple of games were we should have been better.”

Adelaide Crow’s newest Malcolm Blight medallist Jordan Dawson believes his side could have beaten either of the grand finalists if they made it to the big dance. Picture: Emma Brasier.

Away from the stage, the Crows captain reiterated his belief that his side can reach the level of the Magpies and Lions.

“We lost to the premiers by one and two points, obviously they are a fantastic team and what we want to do is to be able to win those games,” he told this masthead.

“But we can take a lot of encouragement out of that and a lot of belief that we beat one of the grand final teams (Brisbane) once and we were within a kick against them away and been within a kick twice against Collingwood.

“For me it was just sitting there and watching it and thinking that we can be as good as those teams, we have a lot of work to do over the summer but I have a lot of belief that we can do it.

“I’m confident.”

Despite Adelaide missing out on finals this year, the Crows skipper was not alone in his optimism.

Chairman John Olsen began his speech by saying “the Adelaide footy club is on the cusp of something great”.

Chairman John Olsen (left) echoed Dawson’s thoughts, saying the club is on the cusp of something great. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Senior coach Matthew Nicks said he was “actually pi**ed off that we weren’t playing finals” as he sat in the MCG watching games in September.

“I felt we could have impacted, but from that experience though I couldn’t be more motivated for next year,” he said.

“Those close losses should remind us that we are on the brink and that we have the talent and determination to stand at the top of the mountain.”

Dawson said he was so excited about the Crows’ prospects in 2024, that he just wanted to be back in training.

“We don’t want to sit back and hope we will get there, I have no doubt that we will grow as a group and work our arses off to get there,” he said.

“We are growing as a group, we are young, we are hungry, we want to be there around the top teams and from my point of view I have full confidence.

“We are coming, we are growing and we are going to train the house down over summer to be a force to be reckoned with.”

Originally published as AFL news: Adelaide’s Malcolm Blight Medallist Jordan Dawson tips big things from Crows in 2024 | Club Champion awards