Eight reasons to get excited about Adelaide in 2020
With a new coach and after a considerable list turnover, the Adelaide Crows are set to finally bury the ghosts of their infamous training camp in 2020. Here’s why Crows fans can be excited.
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The upheaval at Adelaide since losing the 2017 Grand Final has been well documented.
Relationships between players and the club were fractured after the disastrous Gold Coast training camp, with the fallout leading to coach Don Pyke’s exit and Taylor Walker stepping down as captain.
But the appointment of Matthew Nicks as senior coach is the first step to healing the discontent at the club.
Still, there are eight reasons why Adelaide fans can get excited about the 2020 season.
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1. NEW COACH
Something had to give at the Crows last season after they slumped from fourth spot on the ladder after Round 13 to miss finals and finish 11th. Coach Don Pyke ultimately accepted responsibility and stepped aside as part of a raft of football department changes, with a left-field replacement made in Matthew Nicks. The former Sydney forward had a real-world job as a stockbroker post-football and coached his own amateur teams in Sydney and Adelaide before joining Port Adelaide as a development coach in 2011. He spent eight years at the Power and before joining Greater Western Sydney as senior assistant last season.
Former Port Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi describes Nicks as the “perfect modern day coach”, someone with real enthusiasm who loves people has a holistic approach. That seems to be exactly what the Crows need after two years of struggles where confidence within the group could not have been lower.
2. FRESH BEGINNINGS
It’s not just a new coach, but Adelaide also has a new-look playing list for 2020. From the 2017 Grand Final side that lost to Richmond, only 14 players remain on the Crows’ list. That means the baggage from the infamous Gold Coast-based training camp in February 2018 is ever dwindling, which in turn might make it easier for Nicks to set a new culture. Nicks spoke after his appointment that he wanted to create an environment where “we put ourselves second and teammates first”. He added that while culture takes a “number of years” to build he was “confident that we’re already well and truly on track”. If that is the case, expect results to show on field.
3. FANTASTIC FISCHER
On the topic of culture, the Crows were very keen to snap up Fischer McAsey at pick 6 in the national draft to help in that area. The Sandringham Dragons defender highly impressed a number of clubs with his character, but his football abilities are also sky-high. McAsey is described as an Aaron Naughton clone, who stands the same height as the Western Bulldogs swingman at 195cm and similarly has strong marking ability in the air. He was the top-ranked key defender at the under-18 national championships and was named Vic Metro’s MVP.
4. OTHER DRAFTEES
The Crows also picked up a handy player at No.24 in the national draft, in homegrown talent Harry Schoenberg. The Woodville-West Torrens was not on the radar of many clubs 12 months ago but shot into the second round of the draft after a standout under-18 national championships campaign. Named South Australia’s MVP from the carnival after averaging 27 disposals and six clearances, he was rated by state coach Tony Bamford as a taller version of Essendon’s Dylan Shiel given his burst away from stoppage. Adelaide snapped up a third top-30 pick in Josh Worrell at No. 28, a Sandringham teammate of McAsey who is a 195cm swingman with terrific athletic abilities.
5. DOEDEE RETURN
Defender Tom Doedee was all the rage two years ago. The former junior basketballer, who was a first-round draft pick, made his AFL debut in Round 1 2018 and went on to play 20 senior games to finish second behind Collingwood’s Jaidyn Stephenson in the NAB AFL Rising Star voting. Doedee also finished sixth in the Crows’ best-and-fairest that season after averaging 18.1 disposals, 3.1 rebound 50s and 7.5 intercept possessions. But he was sorely missed in 2019 after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in the opening game last season. The good news is the 22-year-old is on track to return in Round 1, having made some big strides forward on the track in recent months.
6. EASIER DRAW
Champion Data ranks Adelaide’s 2020 fixture as the fourth-easiest of any club. The good news is the Crows only face one double-up match against a top-six team from last season. The bad news is that team is reigning premier Richmond. However, Adelaide has won five of its past seven games against the Tigers, softening the blow there. The rest of the double-up fixtures are a mixed bag, coming against Essendon, Port Adelaide, St Kilda and Melbourne. Those four teams could all be big improvers next season, but on balance the Crows could have a better fixture than many.
7. JUMPING JONES
Adelaide’s first selection in the 2018 national draft at pick nine overall, Chayce Jones played eight games last season. But it was his last of those – against Western Bulldogs in Round 23 – that would have most excited Crows fans and gave a glimpse of what he is capable of going forward. Jones logged 18 disposals, seven marks, eight score involvements and kicked two goals in that match on what was an otherwise woeful day for his team. After winning the club’s 2km time trial in November as he pushes for more midfield time next season, the 19-year-old looks set for a bumper 2020.
8. RENEWED VETERANS?
A new coach might well bring some new positions for a pair of veterans who struggled to string together consistent football last season. Midfielder Bryce Gibbs played just 12 games after being dropped on four occasions, while key forward Taylor Walker played all 22 games but with struggled to impact at stages. Nicks has flagged possible positional changes for both, with Gibbs being touted as an option across half-back and Walker a chance to spend more time on a wing. Both class players, if the duo can get back to their best it would make a big difference for Adelaide.
CHAMPION DATA SAYS
The Crows had a cleanout in the off-season with Ellis-Yolmen, Greenwood, Betts, Jacobs, Jenkins, Keath all departing. It gives an opportunity for their youth to develop in the senior side, being the sixth-least experienced side coming into 2020 – with just one player under the age of 23 with a positive relative rating.
HOW THE CROWS ARE TRACKING
2015: 7th — W13, L8 (semi-final)
2016: 5th — W16, L6, (semi-final)
2017: 1st — W15, D1, L6, (Grand Final)
2018: 12th — W12, L10
2019: 11th — W10, L12
TAB ODDS
Premiership: $41
Top 8: $5
Top 4: $17