Josh Jenkins says the Crows struggled to change with the times

Josh Jenkins says Adelaide’s inability to adapt its game style in a changing AFL environment was ultimately what hurt them in 2019.

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Adelaide struggled shift with the times over the past two years, leading to its demise in 2019, Josh Jenkins says.

The Crows missed the eight for the second successive year since being beaten in the 2017 Grand Final by Richmond.

“The game itself changed a fair bit,’’ Jenkins said on SEN SA Breakfast.

“Richmond won that premiership and they’re still contending.

“The game evolved and the best teams evolve as well.

“We’ve struggled to really go after and nail down a specific game style and that’s probably what’s really cost us on field this year — we haven’t been certain of what we’re trying to achieve from week to week

“The core nucleus of quality players is still here, it’s having the ability to add to it in the specific areas we need to.”

Jenkins said despite constant rumblings externally there was still a strong culture within the club despite its losses.

“It’s been great and it’s the same group that built that (culture) and surfed that wave to a grand final,’’ Jenkins added.

Josh Jenkins kicks for goal for the Crows during the Round 19 between the Carlton Blues and the Adelaide Crows at the MCG. Picture: AAP Image/David Crosling

“With poor performance comes some self-preservation, guys have probably gone into their shell and all of us, myself included, have thought about what have I got to do to stay in the team and that doesn’t encourage or see great team performance when guys are playing for themselves.

“They’re not doing it selfishly, they’re doing that because the team’s not performing

“You go insular and you don’t play outside yourself.”

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Jenkins, who finished third in last year’s Best and Fairest, managed just 11 AFL games in 2019 and said his up-and-down season was a mix of bad form and bad timing.

But he’s confident he still has plenty to offer at AFL level whether that’s in Adelaide or somewhere else in 2020 despite being contracted.

“Where you play is mostly in your control,’’ Jenkins said.

“While I still believe my best football deserves to be played in the AFL arena, I think where I play, whether it’s Adelaide or elsewhere, is a little bit irrelevant. What I am worried about is making sure I’m playing somewhere near the top level that I’m capable of.”

Josh Jenkins kicks for goal for the Crows during the Round 19 AFL match against Carlton. Picture: AAP Image/David Crosling

And he said he would have a much clearer picture of his future this week when he heads to Melbourne, adding he would be open to moving interstate, including the Gold Coast Suns, if Adelaide says he’s not a part of their future plans.

“That’s a decision for the club to make,’’ Jenkins said

“I haven’t been told that as such, but I can understand why everyone outside the four walls thinks that.

“Until I hear otherwise, my job is to start the off season as an Adelaide Crow and see where that leads.

“I’m heading over to Melbourne, so I’ll catch up with Paul (Connors) and Mel (Oberhofer), they will have had conversations with our club and other clubs that I am simply not aware of until we meet face-to-face.

“I’d go anywhere to play footy because I still I think I can play at this level.”

Jenkins said he was doubtful he’d be asked to give feedback to the club of the Crows’ 2019 performance, despite being a member of the leadership group.

“There are some experts in the field who have been brought in to look at what’s going, perhaps a 30-year-old player is not fit provide an opinion, I honestly don’t know.”

Originally published as Josh Jenkins says the Crows struggled to change with the times