There’s something special brewing in Adelaide.
That’s already been in plain sight in 2023, where the Crows have been one of the competition’s big risers, going from 14th last year to currently sit eighth on the ladder as a genuine finals contender.
And over the past week the club has shored up its long-term future with some big moves to lock away several key pieces.
Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
NEW FOX FOOTY PODCAST – Sicily appeal explained, Rd 14 winners & losers
Listen below or subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify
They’ve been headlined by the re-signing of young gun Josh Rachele, who, already contracted until 2025, extended his deal until 2029 in one of the biggest contracts in the AFL.
Rachele joins fellow 2021 draftee Jake Soligo, who agreed to the same extension, Chayce Jones, Max Michalanney (both 2026) Harry Schoenberg (2025) in extending their tenures with Adelaide over the last week.
It follows the re-signings of Darcy Fogarty, Nick Murray and Kieran Strachan (all until 2025) and Lachlan Gollant, Patrick Parnell, Elliott Himmelberg and Mitch Hinge (all until 2024) over the last 12 months as the club has been busy in securing the signatures of its budding talent.
For the Crows to have so much of their promising young core locked away is a major win and consolidates how well placed the Crows are – both for the now and the future.
Meanwhile the likes of Izak Rankine, Reilly O’Brien (2025), Jordan Dawson and Rory Laird (both 2026) are also tied to West Lakes long-term.
For six-time All-Australian Brad Johnson, it illustrates that the playing group is committed to the exciting new path under Matthew Nicks.
“It goes to show that Matty Nicks has a complete buy in from the players. They believe in where he’s taking the group, his style and the way he wants them to play individually and as a team,” Johnson told foxfooty.com.au.
“They see the bright future over the next four to six years and that’s why they’ve all signed long-term deals.
“In that period of time they’d be hoping to really challenge for a premiership.”
THE EXCITING NEW CULTURE
It wasn’t long ago that the dynamic at West Lakes was vastly different.
All clubs inevitably lose talent – especially with player movement so rife now – but the Crows have been one of the most raided teams in recent years.
Since the club’s 2017 Grand Final appearance, Jake Lever, Charlie Cameron and Brad Crouch are among the host of key names that departed the Crows, and in the case of the former two, have taken their games to All-Australian heights.
This was a club effectively stripped of all its star power as it had to go back to ground zero including claiming its first ever wooden spoon in the AFL in 2020.
But they’ve improved every year under Nicks, who first took over in that low-point 2020 season taking them from three wins, to seven, to eight, and now set to eclipse double figures.
“If you’ve got belief in the club – and the club has done a great job to turn things around over the last four or five years – you can see that as a player and the path you’re on,” Johnson said.
“The coach is a big part of that because he’s the one setting the style and vision for where you need to go as a playing group.”
In that time the culture has clearly shifted to the stage where Adelaide is a destination club again, having landed top-line stars Dawson and Rankine over the last two off-seasons.
Dawson has since become captain, while in Rankine and Rachele, there’s an exciting new energy on field – an energy that extends to the raucous fans – and one the club hasn’t had since Eddie Betts’ glory days.
It’s a fun club to be at again and it’s turned Adelaide Oval back into a fortress as one of the hardest grounds for opposition clubs to play at.
The re-signing of the Victorian Rachele in particular is symbolic of how far they’ve come, with the former Pick 6 saying he’s keen to remain a one-club player and spend his entire career in Adelaide. So often it’s the other way round.
And having locked away so many of their own stars, the Crows can continue to be aggressive on the recruiting front with the security of what they already have and full confidence in their program.
CONTRACT PRIORITIES MOVING FORWARD
There is another important piece of business for the Crows in terms of player retention, with arguably no signature more important to secure than gun defender and restricted free agent Tom Doedee.
Doedee missed out on the Crows captaincy in something of a surprising call in favour of Dawson, and there’d no doubt be a host of suitors lining up for the 26-year old former Geelong Falcon.
His situation has however become a little more complicated after he suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this month, potentially impacting both what the Crows and rival clubs are prepared to offer.
Taylor Walker is also out of contract, and his good form – sitting fourth in the Coleman leaderboard with 38 goals after a career-best 10 major-haul against West Coast – will have earned the 33-year old another year, possible two, as he former skipper remains a vital part of the club’s forward line.
Doedee and Walker are the only real pressing contract priorities of those currently on the list.
In terms of targets, Essendon free agent and native South Australian Mason Redman is at the top of the list.
The Herald Sun reported last month the Crows believe Redman is “seriously considering” their offer to return to SA, stating he could earn as much as $750,000-$800,000 a season on his next deal.
Redman has elevated his game as one of the premier best half backs in the league in recent years, and he’d provide invaluable experience to the Crows defence.
North Melbourne legend David King last month went so far to say that if Adelaide can land Redman, it’ll be a genuine flag contender in 2024.
Meanwhile Johnson implored the club to very much stay active in seeking ways to improve its list.
“I think overall they could add some top-liners that would be keen to help the club get to that next point,” the Bulldogs great said.
“That becomes looking at what draft picks they have to try and manufacture some trades.
“I think they’ve got a really good opportunity in the next couple of years because of all the young guns they do have.
“They can add flexibility to their thinking of what the actual fit they need is outside of the real core group they’ve developed.”
… SO HOW LONG UNTIL THEY’RE LEGIT FLAG CONTENDERS?
The Crows are currently 7-6 and on track to have their first positive record since 2018.
It has them well positioned for a finals berth ahead of perhaps their biggest test of 2023 against Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday, having taking the Magpies all the way in a one-point loss last time these teams met at Adelaide Oval in Round 7.
Ultimately though, whether or not Adelaide finishes inside the top eight by season’s end shouldn’t determine the success of this season.
It’s important to temper exceptions for what they can achieve right now, with the Crows going into the season with the second-youngest and second-least experienced list in the competition, according to Draft Guru.
That features the likes of Rachele, Soligo, Riley Thilthorpe (all 20), Michalanney (19), Sam Berry, Luke Pedlar, Parnell, Gollant (all 21) and Schoenberg, Murray and McHenry (all 22) still in the early stages of their careers.
‘Too many spot fires’ down at Geelong | 04:30
While it’s a scary prospect for opposition clubs given how well Adelaide is currently tracking, it suggests the club is still likely another few years away from being a genuine flag threat, according to Johnson.
“They’ve come from what they produced last year to being a more cohesive environment. They’ve still a got a few layers to uncover within the group they’ve got and add on with what they may trade and recruit in,” he said.
“They could play finals this year and next year and then it’s a growth from that point to how quickly they can become a serious threat to the top-end teams.”
More maturation – both from individuals and as a team – consistency, and the ability to replicate their form away from home will be key moving forward.
In saying that, there’s something special about having youthful exuberance and the buzz it can provide a team.
Not many thought the Crows could genuinely make finals this year, so there’s a real feeling of ‘why not’ with this group as it continues to gel.
