Where do we need to improve next year?

[GreyCrow]

Can someone read this and tell me what this muppet said

Repeats Nicks line - and people are wishing Nicks doesnt get extended - dream on he's got 2 more

 

[steve9798]

“Feedback”. This response wasn’t rehearsed.

Once in a 20 year opportunity and the club folded like a house of cards.

 

[jackster83]

Can someone read this and tell me what this muppet said

Repeats Nicks line - and people are wishing Nicks doesnt get extended - dream on he's got 2 more

It's not "learnings" if your coach has a goldfish memory and goes back to the failed 2024 gameplan for your finals campaign. Ditto the four man midfield rotation.

 

[Golumless]

Our inside game is the biggest achillies heel we have at the moment. It's all well and good saying we don't care about it, and are trying to get a turnover game working, however, you still need a level of skill at the coalface to prevent your team from getting smashed (those uncompetitive fade outs). We don't seem far away from that level, but the loss of Matt Crouch

5

Matt Crouch

Age

30

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

28.4

5star

K

12.0

4star

HB

16.4

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.8

5star

D

24.9

5star

K

9.7

4star

HB

15.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

CL

4.4

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

10.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

3.4

5star

CL

2.0

4star

proved to be a severe body blow. Those 10 minute periods against Hawks and Collingwood, they happened multiple times throughout the year. Only difference is we got away with it in the minor round, we didn't in finals. Ditto you can't get away with playing < 20 disposal inside mids who don't produce ridiculous defensive numbers.

Honestly, the two biggest magnets for me in this regard coming into 2026 are Soligo and Curtin. Soligo had a disappointing 2025 in my book where he seemed to regress after Matt Crouch

5

Matt Crouch

Age

30

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

28.4

5star

K

12.0

4star

HB

16.4

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.8

5star

D

24.9

5star

K

9.7

4star

HB

15.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

CL

4.4

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

10.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

3.4

5star

CL

2.0

4star

's injury and had plenty of games with a no-mans-land stat line. Needs a big preseason and probably some more muscle to really get that inside game humming. Curtin is the other one. That run on the wing for a month indicated this is the kid who takes us to the next step when he clicks. Can he get there with another preseason and a transition to inside midfield? The more unknown one is Draper, and what does a full preseason do for him (and if we are willing to stop this utterly stupid though of he's an inside midfielder or bust, as you develop midfielders on the flanks at AFL level, not playing midfield at SANFL level). There's enough there to think he'll be a good peice in a year or two, but he clearly needs time in the gym to build his body up. Not many can do well as an inside midfielder when they're 8-10 kg underweight.

The other areas to improve are finding more reliable ways to transition out of our defensive 50 and general composure. We did show some improvement in these areas during our two finals, however, those changes came way to late; you are what you are entering finals and tweaking then is just giving into your fears. Still, it's something to take into 2026 that we showed a bit of life in this area, as long as we don't lose the defensive game in the process. In regards to composure, that comes as they experience more big games and more big moments.

 

[jackster83]

Our inside game is the biggest achillies heel we have at the moment. It's all well and good saying we don't care about it, and are trying to get a turnover game working, however, you still need a level of skill at the coalface to prevent your team from getting smashed (those uncompetitive fade outs). We don't seem far away from that level, but the loss of Matt Crouch proved to be a severe body blow. Those 10 minute periods against Hawks and Collingwood, they happened multiple times throughout the year. Only difference is we got away with it in the minor round, we didn't in finals. Ditto you can't get away with playing < 20 disposal inside mids who don't produce ridiculous defensive numbers.

Honestly, the two biggest magnets for me in this regard coming into 2026 are Soligo and Curtin. Soligo had a disappointing 2025 in my book where he seemed to regress after Matt Crouch's injury and had plenty of games with a no-mans-land stat line. Needs a big preseason and probably some more muscle to really get that inside game humming. Curtin is the other one. That run on the wing for a month indicated this is the kid who takes us to the next step when he clicks. Can he get there with another preseason and a transition to inside midfield? The more unknown one is Draper, and what does a full preseason do for him (and if we are willing to stop this utterly stupid though of he's an inside midfielder or bust, as you develop midfielders on the flanks at AFL level, not playing midfield at SANFL level). There's enough there to think he'll be a good peice in a year or two, but he clearly needs time in the gym to build his body up. Not many can do well as an inside midfielder when they're 8-10 kg underweight.

The other areas to improve are finding more reliable ways to transition out of our defensive 50. We did show some improvement in these areas during our two finals, however, those changes came way to late; you are what you are entering finals and tweaking then is just giving into your fears. Still, it's something to take into 2026 that we showed a bit of life in this area, as long as we don't lose the defensive game in the process. In regards to composure, that comes as they experience more big games and more big moments.

Good post.

We also need to find another wing if Curtin moves into the midfield. Possibly Draper spends time in this role.

 

[Golumless]

Good post.

We also need to find another wing if Curtin moves into the midfield. Possibly Draper spends time in this role.

Possible, and I think it's a nice fit for Draper in 2026. After all, wing is as smooth as a transition as there is and Sid has shown a knack for creating space when he's got the ball.

Otherwise, Dowling/Nankervis etc could do a job. I don't think it's a particularly important position to fill, seeing wing does have a filler vibe to it if you're not going the development/place to fit in an extra star prospect route.

 

[Pilchard_Adams]

Our midfield is not good enough.

We need to go after Pettracca or Meeret etc. Roll the dice. This is what we need to improve.
Even Zac Bailey improves our midfield greatly.

Behold, Adelaide's 2025 prize trade, Meeret!

 

[GreyCrow]

Possible, and I think it's a nice fit for Draper in 2026. After all, wing is as smooth as a transition as there is and Sid has shown a knack for creating space when he's got the ball.

Otherwise, Dowling/Nankervis etc could do a job. I don't think it's a particularly important position to fill, seeing wing does have a filler vibe to it if you're not going the development/place to fit in an extra star prospect route.

Filler role?

Why not use it as an attacking weapon

Both Gablett sr and Richo both roamed the wings as tall marking connectors. Why not utilise a quicker transition game from defense to Curtin and on forward?

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Our inside game is the biggest achillies heel we have at the moment. d a It's all well and good saying we don't care about it, and are trying to get a turnover game working, however, you still neelevel of skill at the coalface to prevent your team from getting smashed (those uncompetitive fade outs). We don't seem far away from that level, but the loss of Matt Crouch proved to be a severe body blow.

I'm not sure what you're referencing here .....our contested footy was great this year .....our clearance work was a deficiency, sure

The trend in the game has certainly been the turnover game, and transition .....turnover game, where we improved is based on pressure on the ball & ball carrier .....hardly think Crouch would have been helpful there ...even Tom Mitchell struggled for games, and they're very similar types

Our transition game faltered in the last 6 games ....we lost the run-off HB ....Hinge's form was a real concern in that regard

Next year, it appears last touch between the arc's will be introduced, which will reduce throw-ins

Next year, we need to see Nankervis take the step-up to AFL ....Draper to benefit from a full PS, he maybe did 30% of last year's PS

Retain Butts .....Zac Taylor to be midfield fit ......and I'd like Hugh Bond to have a breakout year (3rd season of AFL)

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Good post.

We also need to find another wing if Curtin moves into the midfield. Possibly Draper spends time in this role.

Edwards & Nankervis too.

 

[Golumless]

Filler role?

Why not use it as an attacking weapon

Both Gablett sr and Richo both roamed the wings as tall marking connectors. Why not utilise a quicker transition game from defense to Curtin and on forward?

For that, you need an elite talent you can spare.

Wing just isn't important enough of a role to have an elite talent in if you have deficiencies in either your inside midfield or half back flank - unless those players aren't ready to transition. After all, you can do the quicker transition game and have Curtin be more effective at it playing him as an inside midfielder.

I'm not sure what you're referencing here .....our contested footy was great this year .....our clearance work was a deficiency, sure

The trend in the game has certainly been the turnover game, and transition .....turnover game, where we improved is based on pressure on the ball & ball carrier .....hardly think Crouch would have been helpful there ...even Tom Mitchell struggled for games, and they're very similar types

Our transition game faltered in the last 6 games ....we lost the run-off HB ....Hinge's form was a real concern in that regard

Next year, it appears last touch between the arc's will be introduced, which will reduce throw-ins

Next year, we need to see Nankervis take the step-up to AFL ....Draper to benefit from a full PS, he maybe did 30% of last year's PS

Retain Butts .....Zac Taylor to be midfield fit ......and I'd like Hugh Bond to have a breakout year (3rd season of AFL)

Clearance work is a key part of contested work.

Whilst the game has transitioned away from contested work, it still hasn't changed the fact you need to be competitive there at all times (and this will never change). No team can continuously survive periods of 10+ minutes where they barely win a clearance, like we did multiple times this season (and ultimately, this is what undid us against Collingwood, our luck finally ran out). To do so, you need guys who you can bank on will win 6+ clearances a game. A fit Matt Crouch changes the entire complexity of our run, just because we're not dealing in bit-part inside midfielders like Berry to try to fill this void. It means Soligo is more effectively used (and his form fell off once Matt went out of our lineup), alongside Dawson (goes without saying, seeing Dawson is one of the least productive clearance mids in the league) and Rankine (who got sucked into being our primary stoppage winner without Crouch). Massive flow on effect in what is a weakness and doesn't harm any of our strengths because Berry was effectively useless all year.

Tom Mitchell isn't a good example because he injured his achillies last year. Lets not forget he was a key part of Collingwood 2023 run just because it prevents Naicos from getting sucked into a similar situation to what we faced with Rankine.

We were struggling with run before then as well. A lot of it did time with Curtin beginning to falter as the season got large on him, but equally, we were patching this side up by being uber-efficient in our forward 50.

Actually, another key problem we have is we're too reliant on too many. We need more star performers and our midfielders to start regularly putting up mid 20 disposal games.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

So when we going to get news about Roo's departure?