Adelaide Crows news: All the latest from West Lakes ahead of round 1 of the 2023 season

A best-and-fairest winning midfielder suffered a broken leg at Adelaide training on Friday. See the details here.

Adelaide will start the season without summer standout Matthew Crouch after the ball magnet suffered a broken leg at training on Friday.

The Crows said Crouch would not need surgery to repair the minor fibula fracture but they have not set the 2017 All-Australian a return date.

“Matt will spend the weekend resting and we will review him again in 48 hours to assess the injury,” high performance boss Darren Burgess said.

“It’s unfortunate timing because he has had a strong pre-season to date, but thankfully the injury should not be too disruptive to his season.”

Matt Crouch is set to miss the early part of the season. (SANFL Image/David Mariuz)

SKIPPERS SAY: DAWSON THINKS DRAFTEE CAN DEBUT

Ed Bourke

New Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson says father-son pick Max Michalanney could perform in the senior side straight away if given the opportunity in Round 1.

The 19-year-old first round pick impressed in Adelaide’s final practice match on Saturday as he held dangerous West Coast forward Liam Ryan to 10 disposals, two marks and one goal in Perth.

The Crows face a defensive selection squeeze though, with Wayne Milera sure to be considered across halfback after missing the Eagles game for personal reasons, and Patrick Parnell contributing tidily with 11 disposals at 82 per cent.

Dawson was not sure if Michalanney would get the nod in Adelaide’s back six, but said the 190cm teen had done his chances of selection no harm.

New Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson is among 11 first-time AFL captains this year (absent: Jy Simpkin and Harris Andrews). Picture: Michael Klein

“He’s travelling really well. It looks like he’s doing his best to play Round 1. Obviously I don’t know what the team looks like between now and then, but the way he’s been able to train and then perform in the match sim and practice game has been really impressive,” Dawson said.

“He’s definitely ready for the opportunity, whether he gets it next week or not.”

It was “business as usual” at the Crows under their new captain following big pre-season wins over Fremantle and West Coast, Dawson said.

Speaking at the AFL Captains’ Day, he said he was trying to lead with “the same mentality” as former Crows captains Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker, while he also took inspiration from a number of former mentors at Sydney.

Dawson said former Sydney co-captains Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack were among his inspirations as leaders. Picture: AAP / Brendon Thorne

“For me, it’s just about continuing to be myself and trying to keep things as normal as possible,” Dawson said.

“I think you try to take bits and pieces from all captains you play under … in Sydney we had strong leaders in Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack, then Luke Parker and Dane Rampe.

“All those guys I try to take bits of their style, but then implement my own and add some pieces … I definitely want to be a combination of a few good leaders I’ve had.”

The tall left-footer said he would continue in a similar role to last season, playing regularly at halfback but spending stints on the ball and as a forward when needed.

“I do expect to play a bit all over the place, which I actually do enjoy doing,” he said.

“It’s definitely not something I’d want to do (permanently), but I want to help the team and if that means I’m playing wherever, I don’t mind at all.”

CROWS VETERAN SAYS THE TIME IS NOW FOR CLUB

– Matt Turner

Adelaide has graduated from hoping to beat sides to expecting to prevail each week.

“We’ve had the rebuild of the last few years and it’s our time to start winning games of footy now,” Crows veteran Brodie Smith said.

“If we’re getting the details right, getting our game plan right, we’re going into every game expecting to win – that’s the shift for us this year.

“Finals is definitely something we want to achieve.”

Finals are on the table for Brodie Smith and the Crows. Picture: Getty Images

The Crows’ confidence has come from another summer of training, internal improvement after three rebuilding campaigns and two impressive pre-season victories in Perth.

Smith said finals had not been mentioned much behind closed doors but the leadership group had been strong on having a “why not us” mindset when summer training resumed.

“We’ve looked at the season and the confidence we’ve built in our game plan now, why can’t we play finals footy?

“The main thing for us is a confidence level in what we’ve done in the pre-season.

“We had a focus on winning by design, not by chance and we felt like we did that.

“It really feels like we’ve got our game plan in sync and the team’s looking strong.”

Adelaide’s performances against Fremantle and West Coast in Perth have also boosted supporters’ optimism ahead of the new season.

But Smith said the team, which had not made the top eight since 2017 and finished 14th last year, was not getting ahead of itself.

“I’ve had a few texts from mates about September tickets but that’s certainly not where we’re at,” he said.

“But we’re definitely confident going into the season that we can shake it up.

“It’s no doubt it’s been a tough few years performance-wise for the club so it is nice now that we know that we’ve been putting this game together and people are starting to see it.

“(Finals is) something we’re striving for but we’ve got to focus on the process and the boring answer of round 1, round 2, round 3.

“If we can take this sort of form into round 1 and into the season, then hopefully we can surprise a few and be right in it.”

There’s plenty of optimism at West Lakes. Picture: Getty Images

The club opens its campaign against GWS in Sydney on March 19.

GWS has won the past two clashes against the Crows – both in Adelaide – by 59 and 67 points.

“We were really poor last year,” Smith said.

“It was probably the one game that really did sting us and we were really disappointed with ourselves.”

Smith said first-year defender Max Michalanney was right in the mix to debut against the Giants after playing well against West Coast.

The Norwood product line up with the A side in match simulation at training on Wednesday.

“He’s been super impressive,” Smith said.

“He knows the game plan back to front and has got leadership qualities already.

“He can play tall or small ... and his offensive game is really strong as well.”

TRAINING NOTES

* Key defender Jordon Butts is being managed due to a sore shoulder but is tracking well.

* Ruckman Kieran Strachan was involved in match simulation, albeit with no contact, after missing the Crows’ reserves game last Friday with an elbow issue. Defender Andrew McPherson (knee) was the other player to train with no contact.

Kieran Strachan is back involved in match-sim. Picture: Getty Images

* Half-back Wayne Milera (personal reasons) was absent.

* Midfielder Billy Dowling was in a moonboot because of a foot injury that was set to sideline him for three to five weeks, while fellow draftee Hugh Bond (back niggle) trained away from the main group.

* The B side’s half-backs tried to emulate Giants duo Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash by playing very attacking during the match simulation.

SLOANE REACTS TO ONBALL EXCLUSION AMID INJURY RETURN

Simeon Thomas-Wilson

Former Adelaide captain Rory Sloane says he was confident he would be able to hit the ground running in his return to footy following his season-ending knee injury.

Sloane suffered a ruptured ACL in Round 5 against Richmond last year, which ended his 2022 campaign.

Less than 12 months since the injury Sloane has made his return to footy, playing in the Crows internal trial and in matches against Fremantle and West Coast during Adelaide’s pre-season trip to Perth.

He impressed in the trial game against the Dockers, and then backed it up with 18 disposals against the Eagles as the Crows recorded a pair of wins that has them seemingly in good shape for their round 1 clash against GWS.

Rory Sloane is ready for the season opener. Picture: Getty Images

The 32-year-old told News Corp that good planning by Crows head physio Tim Parham and strength coach Josh Manuel was behind this strong return.

“Yeah I felt good, it is great to be back,” he said.

“I watched enough footy last year so it was great to be able to help out on the field and help out our group.

“You do the work, that’s why you do all the rehab and the pre-season.

“Tim Parham and Josh Manuel, our physio and strength coach, they have put a mountain of work in helping me get my body right.

“That was the plan to make sure I came back as seamlessly as possible. “Those two in particular have done an incredible job for me.”

Sloane handed over the captaincy to Jordan Dawson in the off-season. Picture: Emma Brasier

While he has been used all over the ground by the Crows during pre-season, Sloane made his return to competitive action on a wing for Matthew Nicks’ side.

With Sam Berry now entrenched as an on-baller with Rory Laird, and Harry Schoenberg, Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine getting more time in the middle, Sloane was only at one centre bounce for the Crows against the Eagles.

He said he would play whatever role required for the Crows.

“I’m just enjoying being out there and being in a position where I can help this group continue to get better and that’s what we feel like we are doing,” he said.

“It is nice after watching a lot of footy being able to influence it on the ground.”

Originally published as Adelaide Crows news: All the latest from West Lakes ahead of round 1 of the 2023 season