AFL 2021: All the latest Adelaide Crows news ahead of Round 22 clash with Melbourne
Adelaide has made a difficult call on one of the best defenders in the club’s history after a string of setbacks.
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First Tom Lynch, now Daniel Talia.
A week after announcing it will part ways with veteran forward Lynch at season’s end, Adelaide has continued its list rejuvenation by confirming it will not offer 29-year-old key defender Talia a new contract for 2022.
Talia, the Crows’ best and fairest in 2014 and a dual All-Australian, has been sidelined all season because of an off-season knee operation and surgery on a foot injury.
The 2009 No.13 draft pick has featured in 200 games with Adelaide and been one of the best defenders in club history.
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Talia said he was disappointed because he felt he had more years left at the top level but understood the club’s decision in the context of its rebuild.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates past and present, coaches, staff and all of the amazing supporters,” Talia said.
“Thank you to my wife Megan, my two beautiful children Ivy and Max, and my close family and friends for their unwavering support.
“I am going to take some time to consider what comes next for my young family and I will always be grateful for the opportunity I have had to play for the Crows.”
Crows coach Matthew Nicks said the club had open, long-running discussions with Talia and his management about the Victorian’s future.
Nicks said Talia’s attention to detail and commitment to training had made him a standout backman.
“Having previously coached against Daniel and now seen him at close range, there is no doubt he has been one of the best key defenders in the competition over the last decade,” Nicks said.
“He has made a significant contribution to our club and he will always be a respected member of the Crows family.
“We wish him, his wife Megan and children Ivy and Max, the very best for the future.”
Talia, a product of the Calder Cannons, also won the AFL’s Rising Star Award in 2012 and was a member of Adelaide’s leadership group.
Adelaide not offering Lynch, 30, and Talia new deals leaves midfielder Matt Crouch, 26, as the high-profiled Crow without a contract for next season.
Ruck’s season in danger, has star played last Crows game?
Matt Crouch may have played his last game for Adelaide with the Crows ruling the prolific midfielder out for the remainder of the season — meaning he won’t taste any AFL action in 2021.
And reigning club champion Reilly O’Brien’s season is in danger of ending early, with the ruckman to miss this weekend’s game against Melbourne — giving Kieran Strachan the chance for a second taste of AFL action.
Crouch has struggled this year with groin soreness and other issues, a result of surgery on his hip in the off-season.
This has meant Crouch has not played in any AFL game this year, and the Crows have made the call that he won’t be able to play in their last two games.
“It is going to be tough for Matt to get back for the last couple of games,” Crows forward coach James Rahilly said on Tuesday.
“So he is done for the year now.
“He will still work on his rehab but he won’t get back for games.”
He did play in the SANFL last month against North Adelaide, but pulled up sore and was in contention to play in the state league Showdown last weekend but did not feature.
Crows head of football Adam Kelly said the intention was for Crouch to play in the SANFL Showdown on Saturday, but he again pulled up sore.
“As has been the case with Matt in his return from groin surgery there has been recurrences of groin soreness as we have increased his training loads,” Kelly said.
“That was the case post-training on Thursday last week and we pulled him out of the SANFL game, the decision has now been made to focus on Matt’s long term and for that reason we have ruled him out of playing for the remainder of the year, and our focus will go on his off-season and making sure he’s ready to go in season 2022.”
The 2017 Malcolm Blight medallist and All-Australian is out of contract at the end of the year, and there is now a real possibility that he has played his 125th and last game for the Crows.
Crouch is still 26, and is eligible to be a free agent at the end of this season.
His brother Brad left the Crows last year to join St Kilda after Adelaide would not offer him the five-year deal he sought.
O’Brien’s season also could be over, after it was discovered the Crows ruckman had a low grade ligament tear in his knee.
O’Brien hyperextended his knee in the first quarter of Saturday night’s Showdown and played out the game.
But scans have revealed the injury, and Kelly said while he didn’t need surgery there was a possibility O’Brien would miss Round 22 and 23.
“His rehabilitation has progressed well and he’s made significant inroads throughout the year, but given the time of the season we are at unfortunately he won’t be able to play which is frustrating for him to go through a season without being able to take to the field, and it’s been disappointing for us as well,” Kelly said.
Young midfield duo Jackson Hately and Luke Pedlar’s seasons are also over.
Hately has had groin soreness, which has had to be managed during the year.
Pedlar injured his ankle in the SANFL Showdown.
Kelly said it was a significant lateral ankle sprain.
Season over? Caution taken after Crow’s latest concussion
It is possible young Adelaide defender Will Hamill has played his last game in 2021 after being knocked out in the Showdown with the Crows to take a cautious approach given his history of concussions.
Hamill was concussed in a brutal collision with teammate Nick Murray just 23 seconds into the final term on Saturday night.
Port Adelaide forward-ruckman Peter Ladhams gave Murray a shove and the Crows backman cannoned into Hamill, not far from the goalsquare.
Murray got up and played on, but Hamill stayed down.
Play stopped for seven minutes as Crows trainers checked on Hamill, put him in a neck brace, then took him off the field on a medical vehicle.
Hamill was on his feet and able to interact with Crows players and official post game in a positive sign.
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He will now be subject to the AFL’s 12-day concussion protocols, meaning he will miss the Crows’ match with Melbourne this weekend.
But because of the 20-year-old’s history with concussion, he also had some head knocks as a junior, the Crows are expected to be conservative with Hamill in his recovery.
This could mean ruling him out of the Rond 23 match with North Melbourne as well, meaning his season would be over.
Leadership group member Brodie Smith is also going to miss the match with the Demons, after he also suffered a concussion against the Power.
After spinning out of a Connor Rozee tackle, Smith went headfirst into Lycett’s legs, leaving the Adelaide star bloodied and dazed.
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