Adelaide Crows circle Neil Balme for possible board and footy director role

After multiple attempts to lure one of footy’s most respected minds to the club, the Crows could be on the verge of getting their man with a board shake-up looming.

The Crows are circling list guru Neil Balme. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

Adelaide has spoken to Neil Balme about joining the Crows’ board this year.

After multiple attempts to lure the ex-Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond boss to West Lakes to fill an overarching football department role in recent years the Crows could finally land the highly respected Balme.

Adelaide has one spot on its board to fill after former federal sports minister Kate Ellis stepped down late last year while club legend Mark Ricciuto’s term is due to expire in February after the club introduced tenure limits for directors in 2023.

Neil Balme is one of the most respected voices in football. Picture: Michael Klein

Ricciuto is the club’s football director and is the only member of the Crows’ board with football experience right now.

Conversations between Balme and the Crows have been had about the possibility of him joining the board, but nothing has been resolved or finalised at this stage.

If he did join the board he would be a leading candidate to become the Crows’ football director.

Adelaide chased Balme in 2020 and 2021 when he was still at Richmond.

The Crows thought they had Balme coming to West Lakes at one stage but a health issue meant that the two-time premiership winning coach with Norwood in the 1980s stayed at the Tigers in a “godfather” role in their footy department.

Kate Ellis (R) stepped down from the board in 2024. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

He stepped away from the Tigers – who won three premierships while he was at Punt Road – in August.

In June at a Norwood event he told Channel 7 he needed “something to do” and the 72-year-old was willing to “help” the Crows and senior coach Matthew Nicks – who will go into this year under increasing pressure from fans.

“I would certainly be keen to do something, perhaps not full-time,” he said.

The Crows’ annual general meeting is in March where the make-up of the board for this year will be confirmed.

Health administrator Imelda Lynch will run for re-election as a member elected board member