AFL 2022: Adelaide star Tom Doedee banned from contact for 12 days after training mishap

A third Adelaide player has entered concussion protocols this pre-season, with a gun defender the latest to be banned from contact training for 12 days, at a minimum.

Tom Doedee has been forced out of contact training for at least 12 days. Picture: Getty Images

Adelaide leadership group member Tom Doedee suffered a concussion on Wednesday and can’t engage in contact training for at least 12 days.

Doedee suffered the concussion in the early stages of match simulations at West Lakes on Wednesday.

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He is the third Crow to enter the protocols this pre-season, joining Paul Seedsman and Shane McAdam.

Seedsman suffered a concussion prior to Christmas and is still feeling the effects of it.

He has returned to running at Crows training sessions but has to wear sunglasses while outside.

McAdam has been able to take part in training drills.

Tom Doedee has been forced out of contact training for at least 12 days. Picture: Getty Images

Doedee will now be subject to the AFL’s minimum 12 day concussion period.

Last month, when speaking about the issues Seedsman was having, Doedee said footy clubs needed to be conservative with concussions.

“It’s something as you’ve seen with me going through it, it is something you don’t want to rush,” he said.

“We know that head trauma is nothing to take lightly.”

The Crows were overruled by the AFL to play Doedee against West Coast after the Crows captain-in-waiting was on the wrong end in a huge clash with Essendon’s Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.

Doedee reported blurred vision and was substituted out of the game.

But he did not fail a concussion test and Adelaide had hoped it could name him for the following week.

However the AFL put the stop to those plans, overruling the Crows and placing Doedee into the league’s 12 day minimum protocols.

SA clubs get first look at AFL’s best draft prospects

Adelaide and Port Adelaide have been getting a close-up look at potential father-son and Next Generation Academy players, as well as some of the best South Australian prospects for this year’s draft.

The Crows and Power have had several youngsters train with their AFL groups in recent days.

Out at West Lakes the Crows have had Issac Keeler, Max Michalanney and Adam D’Aloia training with Matthew Nicks’ side.

Keeler is considered to be a fascinating prospect for a number of reasons.

A 197cm forward/ruckman in the mould of St Kilda’s Paddy Ryder, the North Adelaide prospect – originally from Port Augusta – is tied to Adelaide as a NGA Academy player because of his Indigenous background.

But the Crows aren’t certain to get access to Keeler in this year’s draft after the AFL made changes to which players could be selected as NGA players.

Noward talent Max Michalanney is getting an early look at what life at Crows will be like. Picture: Sarah Reed

After Jamarra Ugle-Hagan went to the Western Bulldogs at pick No. 1, matching a bid by the Crows, NGA prospects will be up for grabs inside the first 40 selections.

Roosters’ coaches don’t believe Keeler will be available after pick 40 of the draft, and he has been previously touted as having first round potential talent.

But there are multiple areas that he needs to improve.

The Crows will have access this year to Norwood talent Michalanney, who is the son of four-time Redlegs player Jim.

He is considered a potential first-round prospect.

D’Aloia, who is not tied to the Crows but is training at West Lakes as part of the AFL Academy, was the best on ground in the SANFL under-18 grand final last season in Woodville-West Torrens’ premiership.

The midfielder could also be a first-round pick, but this year’s draft is expected to be dominated by talls early on.

Crows Academies Manager Jarrod Meers said they were excited to have the three players at West Lakes.

Ex-Power Brett Montgomery will be excited to see his son Harper land at Alberton.

“Max, Adam and Isaac will train with the main AFL squad, have access to our coaches, game and nutrition education – all which will prepare them for possible drafting at the end of the year,” he told the club’s website.

Over at Alberton Harper Montgomery, the son of Port Adelaide midfield coach Brett was training with the Power on Monday.

His dad Brett played 126 games for the Power from 2000 to 2005 so Port can match any bid for the North Adelaide halfback.

Power NGA member Nathan Barkla has also been training at Alberton this pre-season.

Barkla, who plays for Woodville-West Torrens, is part of the Power’s NGA program through his mother’s Filipino heritage.

Both players are eligible for this year’s draft.

The Power also have had two of South Australia’s best prospects for 2023 training with them.

South Adelaide’s Jack Delean, a potential top 10 chance next year, and West Adelaide defender Will Patton have been at Alberton this pre-season as part of the AFL Academy program in which they are bottom agers.

Strongest and fittest: ROB has AFL’s top ruck title in sight

Reilly O’Brien has the big ambition of becoming the best ruckman in the AFL in 2022.

But first he says he needs to win back the No. 1 ruck spot at Adelaide after understudy Kieran Strachan performed strongly in the final two games of the season.

Ever since he displaced Sam Jacobs in the 2019 season, O’Brien has been the Crows’ No. 1 big man.

The 26-year-old said he had big plans for 2022.

“I have pretty high aspirations for myself. I want to be the best ruckman in the competition so I’ve been working really hard over the break,” he said.

“I think physically I’m in the best shape that I’ve been in terms of strength and getting niggles that I’ve fought with over the past couple of years out.

“So feeling physically the strongest and fittest I ever have so been able to focus on my ruck craft, my follow up around the contest and my marking around the ground.

“I feel like I’m set up for a real strong year.”

O’Brien said Melbourne skipper Max Gawn and West Coast superstar Nic Naitanui were the benchmark in the competition when it came to ruckmen.

But he said he had areas where he thought he could give them a shake.

Reilly O’Brien believes he can shake up the conversation of league’s best ruck. Picture: Getty Images

“I think its marking and my ability to get around the ground, they are my two areas that I really want to be the best at,” he said.

“They are probably the two areas where I think I can set myself apart.”

But before O’Brien can turn his attention to chasing down Gawn and Naitanui, he has to focus on regaining his Crows spot.

After hyperextending his knee O’Brien missed the final two games of the 2021 season with a low grade lateral ligament tear, giving Strachan a long awaited chance at AFL level as a No. 1 ruckman.

Strachan performed strongly in the games against Melbourne and North Melbourne and O’Brien said he needed to get his spot back.

“I sort of approached that going into the pre-season and off-season as it is my spot to get back,” he said.

“I’ve had a big four or five months, feeling the fittest I’ve ever felt and revitalised and ready to have a big year.

“I’m not expecting to be given a shot on prior work … but I feel like I’m training really well and looking forward to playing some good footy in the internal trials and against other teams.

“I’m not just looking to play, I’m looking to dominate and be the best ruckman in the competition.”

Reilly O’Brien was named Cros Club Champion in 2022. Picture Dean Martin

After winning the Crows Club Champion award in 2020, O’Brien had an inconsistent 2021 campaign.

He said he was motivated to improve significantly in 2022, especially with Strachan closing the gap.

“Yeah definitely I think he has really improved each year he has been here,” he said.

“He was really raw when he first got to the club but he showed that he was at the level in those last two games of the season with me out.

“So it has been a really good thing for me in terms of spurring me on and making me fight for my spot in the team and making me improve.

“Last year I felt that pressure more, especially when my form dropped away.

“He has been better every year so I guess that pressure has built up … it definitely helps me, it’s not like I’ve been complacent or anything but I think having that extra necessity and drive I think plays a subconscious role in driving you and pushing you to be at your best.”

Adelaide players were back on deck on Monday after a four-day break.

Matt Crouch was taking part in full training and O’Brien said he was excited about what the prolific midfielder could do in 2022 after no AFL games in 2021.

“A really frustrating year for Matty last year, he kept on nearly coming back and had some setbacks so he’s chomping at the bit to get back in there,” he said.

Originally published as AFL 2022: Adelaide star Tom Doedee banned from contact for 12 days after training mishap