AFL 2023: All the Adelaide Crows news ahead of Round 6 clash with Hawthorn
Jordan Dawson’s outrageous recent form has caused speculation as to whether the Hawks will try and tag him this weekend. Crows coach Matthew Nicks says that’s a dangerous game to play.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has warned rival clubs to try and tag captain Jordan Dawson at your own peril following his defender-turn-midfielder’s brilliant early season performances.
The form of Dawson in recent weeks has many saying increased attention is coming for the Crows skipper but Nicks says the 26 year-old has already been getting attention in games – saying it is not as simple as stopping a player by deploying a tag.
“Jordy gets a fair bit of attention as it is. He is playing some outstanding footy. He leads by example and plays an important role for us,” he said.
“But it is not that he hasn’t had any attention, unless if there is an obvious tag we sometimes think players are running free.
“That’s not the case, Carlton didn’t allow Jordy to run around free (in Round 5).
“It is similar with Nick Daicos and how he is playing. There are different methods to beat an individual. Sometimes tagging is not the best method.
“It is hard, we have watched a fair bit of Daicos and he is a fantastic player with the ball in hand.
“I can understand why some teams aren’t tagging him, so in the same way I understand why teams don’t tag Jordan Dawson or Rory Laird.
“That is the challenge for us to keep getting our players improving and an equal contribution across the board so it is harder for one player to be locked down.”
The Crows face Hawthorn on Sunday – a side that has tagged Dawson in the past with youngster Finn Maginness given the job on him last year where he restricted him to just 15 disposals.
While Conor Nash was sent to put the clamps on GWS gun Tom Green after his fast start in the Hawks clash last weekend.
Since being moved into the midfield full time in the Showdown, Dawson has been one of the best on-ballers in the competition.
In Rounds 4 and 5 he has registered a combined 59 disposals, nine marks, 15 tackles, 15 inside 50s and 12 clearances.
This has coincided with three Crows wins in a row.
But with a trip to Launceston to take on Hawthorn, Dawson might find an obstacle or two in his way as he seeks to continue this ripping form.
At 191cm Dawson looms as the big bodied midfielder the Crows have been crying out for over the past couple of years.
Melbourne legend Garry Lyon has described Dawson as a “Marcus Bontempelli” for the Crows.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Nicks said.
“He is playing fantastic footy and he is getting what he deserved because I saw how much he worked through the pre-season.”
Adelaide is likely to go with an unchanged 22 to take on the Hawks as the Crows look to continue their strong form.
This means Sam Berry and Shane McAdam will likely be in the SANFL this weekend.
“The challenge for those guys is to embrace that and understand that their turn will come,” he said.
“The season throws up so many things like injuries.”
CROWS COULD HAVE ANOTHER RISING STAR WAITING IN THE WINGS
Adelaide fans are loving the impact Max Michalanney is having in Crows colours as he continues his fine start to his AFL career.
And could the Crows have another Michalanney, who is also athletic, good at locking down his opponent and intercepting in the near future?
Michalanney himself is hoping so with younger brother Jack catching his eye, as well a fair few others, after a move also to defence for former club Norwood.
The young Crows defender has been rewarded for an impressive start to his AFL career after being picked by Adelaide as a father-son prosect in last year’s draft with the Rising Star nomination for Round 5.
“I was very happy to get the nomination. There are a lot of boys playing well around the competition Mattaes Phillipou (of St Kilda) had a nice game as well,” Michalanney said.
“But I’m pretty happy it has gone to me.”
Michalanney, 19, has had a whirlwind few months.
He played in the SANFL finals series for Norwood but was dropped for the Redlegs’ grand final win.
The son of Redlegs royalty, four-time premiership winner and 211-game champion Jim, then made history as the first ever Crows father-son to be selected at a National Draft.
He then seriously impressed in pre-season and earnt a spot in the Crows’ Round 1 team to take on GWS.
Michalanney has looked at home ever since his debut for the club he grew up supporting.
“I wasn’t really too sure coming into it but the one thing I knew I could control was my effort, so I was trying the best I could in every training and every game and hoping that would hold me in good stead,” he said.
“Obviously a lot has been going on, the finals series down at Norwood last year was pretty special.
“All of a sudden I was called up to play in that final so that was pretty special and to win the semi final and the prelim and then watching my mates win the grand final was amazing and then I got to get drafted by the Crows and pull on the guernsey.
“I can’t complain at all.”
Congratulations to father-son Crow Max Michalanney on earning the round five AFL Rising Star nomination 👠pic.twitter.com/HOFnL7XxWv
— AFL (@AFL) April 17, 2023
Standing at 190cm, Michalanney might eventually become a key intercept defender.
But, right now, he is impressing with the jobs he is doing on some of the games’ most dangerous smaller forwards.
So far he has restricted Shai Bolton to five disposals and a goal in 49 minutes, Junior Rioli to five disposals and no goals in 78 minutes, Michael Walters to five disposals and no goals in 67 minutes and on Thursday Jesse Motlop to four disposals and one goal in 59 minutes.
He said he had good practice at training standing Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele.
“I think I’ve had a really good go at training, at training in the pre-season standing Rachele and Rankine they are two of the best small forwards in the competition at the moment,” he said.
“So that has given me a lot of good practice and that has just held me in good stead when I’m taking on other stars of the competition such as Walters and Bolton.”
But his most memorable moment in a Crows guernsey so far was an amazing act of courage and then toughness when he was on the end of a monster tackle from Port Adelaide’s Todd Marshall in the Showdown, but returned to play his part in a famous win.
“The ball bounced up and left me pretty exposed and I waiting for a hit to come,” he said.
“It knocked out all the wind from my lungs and I was pretty winded but after a minute I was able to catch my breath back and I was able to go on after that.
“That is what they expect from us and I’m sure all the boys would do it so if you expect it from them you better do it yourself.”
It is this attitude that has Crows coaches in love with Michalanney.
Could they have another one in the not too distant future?
Younger brother Jack has also made the move to defence and so far for Norwood’s Under 18s he is averaging 16 disposals, three marks, three tackles and two rebound 50s.
Jack is also now part of Adelaide's Academy.
“He is tracking well, he is a bottom ager in the under 18s this year,” Max said.
“He has put a couple of good games together and yeah hopefully he is playing in a Crows guernsey in the not too distant future.
“He actually made the move back this year. He is a similar build to me he is athletic as well. “He is doing really well at locking down his player, providing run off half-back and intercepting as well.
“He is doing really well at the moment.”
More Coverage
13 years, 58 games: Who are footy’s great survivors?
Tom Campbell joined his fourth AFL club this week. TIM MICHELL looks at the AFL’s journeymen that have survived longer than a decade despite struggling to get first-team minutes.
Nicks’ future, Wright, new HQ: Crows chair grilled on big issues
Desperate to improve on their 15th-placed finish in 2024, Adelaide is making a flurry of off-season changes. Crows chair John Olsen reveals what it all means in a Q&A with MATT TURNER.