Gary Buckenara analyses Adelaide’s list after 2016 season

BRYCE Gibbs could help turn the Crows into a flag contender. But what should they offer Carlton? List expert Gary Buckenara puts Adelaide under the microscope.

Bryce Gibbs in action.

ADELAIDE surprised this year after what the club went through with the sad and tragic passing of Phil Walsh then the departure of their best player, Patrick Dangerfield.

Their performance is a credit to the players and coaches and the hard work they’ve put in, along with the club which has obviously provided a huge amount of support to all affected.

Don Pyke came in as coach and we probably didn’t have high expectations of the Crows in 2016, but they played finals and at different stages during the season many had them as a genuine premiership contender.

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STALEMATE: ARE BLUES WARMING TO GIBBS DEAL?

Adelaide plays an exciting brand of footy and they have a good balance to their list. They’ve got good in-and-under midfielders, a very strong forward line and a good mix in defence with talls and players who attack off half-back.

The development program at Adelaide is underrated; we don’t hear much about it despite the fact they have churned out plenty of good players. Charlie Cameron has skill and plenty of tricks and has become a brilliant offsider to Eddie Betts as a small forward who applies pressure and kicks goals — they’re so dangerous at the feet of Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins.

Gibbs ould be very damaging in the Adelaide team, delivering the ball inside 50 to that dangerous forward line.

Jenkins himself was originally a rookie at Essendon and was traded to the Crows for pick 31 and has become a consistent goalkicker.

Tom Lynch was nowhere when he was at St Kilda and departed for Adelaide with little fanfare but has turned into a vital cog in the Crows’ machine and came third in their best-and-fairest this year. He plays that high half-forward role really well and, most importantly, kicks plenty of goals as well.

Former Saint Tom Lynch has blossomed at the Crows. Picture: Tom Huntley

Mitch McGovern came in this year and slotted into the forward line, he looks like he’s already played 100-odd games.

Rory Laird was a rookie pick who sort of came out of nowhere to be a very damaging half-back alongside the highly-rated Brodie Smith, who was a first-round pick, and Jake Lever has slotted seamlessly into defence and looks like a 200-game player despite just completing his second season.

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE HAWKS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE TIGERS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE BLUES

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE PIES

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE CATS

Daniel Talia is one of the premier defenders in the competition and Kyle Hartigan has turned into a really good player as well.

I also really like how they’ve used Kyle Cheney, who the Crows recruited from Hawthorn. He’s a very good third tall and negating defender who uses the ball well and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He’s been an excellent pick-up.

I just think the midfield needs to be bolstered to really push the Crows up into premiership contention next season.

Scott Thompson is a workhorse who keeps playing consistently week in, week out, the Crouch boys — Brad and Matt — have really come on this year and Rory Sloane is a superstar. But they need another genuine A-grader.

David Mackay hasn’t really come on as they would have hoped and Richard Douglas has stagnated a bit since winning the best-and-fairest a few years back.

Enter Bryce Gibbs.

Bryce Gibbs would be a perfect fit for Adelaide.

The former No. 1 pick wants to head home to Adelaide for personal reasons and that suits the Crows just fine because he’s exactly the type of player they need. He’s a classy outside midfielder who kicks goals and has a penetrating kick. He would be very damaging in the Adelaide team, delivering the ball inside 50 to that dangerous forward line.

Gibbs is worth a first-round pick, with Adelaide’s currently No. 13. The Crows need to work out whether Gibbs is better for them now or whether they’re happy to give that up despite the talent on offer in the first round of this year’s draft.

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE GIANTS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE DOCKERS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE EAGLES

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE DEMONS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE SAINTS

For me he’s probably not worth a first-round pick and a player. If a player was involved, then I would only be happy to give up a second-rounder plus the player.

Other players I’d like to mention are Tom Doedee, who I like as a potential key position player, and Harry Dear, who is Paul Dear’s son who I looked at while I was at Hawthorn as a father-son but we passed because he’s been quite injury-prone. We were willing to take him as a rookie but Adelaide grabbed him in the national draft. I hope he gets a run at it because he’s a potential key forward who’s very athletic and has a good leap.

Wayne Milera is very talented and should be a good player and Troy Menzel has a lot of talent but battled injuries this year and didn’t get a chance at senior level at his new club.

If Cam Ellis-Yolmen decided he wants to leave for more senior opportunities I wouldn’t think he’d command much at the trade table. A third-round pick at best.

Harry Dear (right) has plenty of potential. Picture: Calum Robertson

WHAT THEY NEED

The list is well balanced but there is a critical need and that’s in the ruck department. Sam Jacobs does a brilliant job, but he needs help. Luke Lowden was brought in from Hawthorn but that didn’t work out, Reilly O’Brien is there but hasn’t had much of a look-in and needs to develop a bit more.

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE BOMBERS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE LIONS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE SUNS

LIST ANALYSIS: BUCKENARA ON THE POWER

The Crows need to look at bringing in an experienced back-up ruckman. Jack Hannath was delisted by Fremantle and he’s a South Australian boy so they might be well-served giving him a second opportunity. Zac Clarke would be perfect, but he wants to stay at the Dockers.

The Crows are well stocked for inside midfielders but need more outside players with speed and who use the ball well to help Rory Sloane. A tall utility type would also be useful who can play on the wing and help Tom Lynch, who plays that high half-forward role and pushes up to the wing very well.

Sam Jacobs needs help in the ruck.

WHO’S UNDER THE PUMP

Mitch Grigg and Ellis-Yolmen have been around a while and are both definitely under the pump — they just haven’t been able to lock down a spot in the best 22, Ellis-Yolmen in particular.

Andy Otten is another one under the pump. He looked so promising in his first season but has just been struck down by injury after injury, which is a real shame. But unfortunately that’s AFL footy and he needs to get his body right if he can.

Jake Kelly is another one who looked OK but didn’t get a look in this year.

WHO SHOULD GO

Matthew Jaensch and Nathan van Berlo have retired while Lowden and Keenan Ramsey have been delisted and Ricky Henderson is probably on the way out as a free agent. Otten and Grigg would be the other two at most risk of being let go.

CRYSTAL BALL

Adelaide should play finals again next year and if the Crows can add Gibbs plus get some luck with injuries, like they did this year, then they can push for a top-four spot. If they can get Gibbs then that elevates them into premiership calculations because it takes so much pressure off Sloane, but without him they probably won’t be in that conversation just yet.

There is still some development to come in their young players but at their best they’re definitely a dangerous team. The Crows might be a year or so off being a genuine flag chance — I just think their relatively easy draw combined with a dream run with injuries allowed them to have such a good season in 2016.