Crows line up to sign deals

PHIL Harper could not find a shadow outside his office at the Adelaide Football Club last year.

Taylor Walker

PHIL Harper could not find a shadow outside his office at the Adelaide Football Club last year.

Today, the Crows football operations chief has players lining up to sign contract extensions that are rolling off a production line.

Midfielders Patrick Dangerfield and Richard Douglas and defender Matthew Jaensch signed this week. Midfielder Rory Sloane is waiting to lodge his new contract with the AFL.

Key forward Taylor Walker - who resumes from suspension today against Fremantle at Subiaco Oval - is ready to join the queue that includes midfielder David Mackay and the club's highest-paid player, Kurt Tippett.

Douglas eagerly signed a three-year contract. He is not so sure he would have done so last year as Adelaide missed finals for the second consecutive season.

"We're winning," said Douglas, the 2010 Adelaide club champion.

"It is a lot happier environment," added Douglas as a tribute to the refit at West Lakes that includes a new senior coach, Brenton Sanderson.

"It can get tough when things are not going well, when you are losing games and the mood around the club is not great.

"Now we're up and about, we're playing well and enjoying each other's company.

"We have a clear direction on where we are heading. We're playing footy that can get us to finals - that is exciting and enticing to be around the place."

Adelaide arrived in Perth last night to find a rival in stark contrast - and preparing to ambush the Crows with the suffocating football that allowed Collingwood to end Adelaide's winning streak at AAMI Stadium.

First-year Dockers coach Ross Lyon is under heavy fire for his defensive gameplan that loads numbers around the stoppages and behind the ball.

Adelaide is preparing for Lyon to either inject strength in his midfield by returning captain Matthew Pavlich to the rotations - or to stretch the Crows defence with Pavlich, Jack Anthony and Zac Clarke forming a testing combination of three talls.

Sanderson has reacted by recalling tall defender Sam Shaw to partner Daniel Talia and experienced full back Ben Rutten.

But the key, particularly on the long Patersons Stadium, remains Adelaide's ability to deal with a cluster around the stoppages.

"There is no doubt Fremantle is a very good defensive team," said Douglas. "We think we have things that can break that down to get a winning score.

"We were really fumbly - and Collingwood were a lot cleaner when it counted most in the last quarter. We need to be cleaner around the ball and have more composure going forward.

"We have to break down their zones and their squeeze by working harder than they do."

Adelaide travelled to Perth yesterday with emergency Ricky Henderson who fell out of the match 22 to make way for Shaw in a refit of the Crows defence.