Interesting read from the afl.com
2003 Report Card: Adelaide
12:01:01 PM Fri 19 September, 2003
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
2003 record: 14-10 win/loss Position: Fifth
2002 record 16-9 win/loss Position: Fourth
What went right:
Adelaide made the finals for a third consecutive year and was one of only four teams to achieve this feat in 2003, along with the Brisbane Lions, Essendon and Port Adelaide. It was another fine season from the Crows, although they dropped one rung down the ladder to finish in fifth position. However, the Crows did have a purple patch from rounds 9-19 to win nine out of 11 games. But they also started the year on a great note by defeating Collingwood to win the Wizard Home Loans Cup in the pre-season competition. Skipper Mark Ricciuto had arguably his finest season at AFL level in 2003 and looms as a genuine Brownlow Medal prospect, while he is almost certain to win the club’s best and fairest award – the Malcolm Blight Medal. The silky skills of Andrew McLeod, the continued consistency of Tyson Edwards and the further emergence of Graham Johncock were other highlights among the club’s playing list, while Brett Burton had a terrific second half of the season after returning from injury. The ruck combination of Matthew Clarke and Rhett Biglands was also a major key for the Crows. The recruitment of former Kangaroos skipper Wayne Carey was the biggest story for the club entering the 2003 season and although his year was interrupted with injuries, he still provided some value to the club.
What went wrong:
After making a preliminary final last year, winning the Wizard Cup before the start of the home and away season and entering the 2003 season as one of the flag favourites, Adelaide could consider this season as a slight disappointment. The Crows recruited experienced AFL players such as Carey, Ronnie Burns, Jason Torney and James Begley, who were seen as key ‘top-up’ players who would launch the club into a grand final, but for a variety of reasons, the club slipped slightly in form this year. However, the Crows will be ruing the fact that they blew a potential top two finish when they lost three in a row from rounds 20-22, after they sat second on the ladder from rounds 18-20. The loss against the Kangaroos at home in round 21 was a crucial blow in the Crows slide down the ladder.
Who stepped up:
It’s somewhat surprising to think that Johncock didn’t receive a National AFL Rising Star nomination in his debut AFL season in 2002, but the exciting young forward/defender stepped up another level this year and had an outstanding 2003. Johncock, who played 22 games last season, missed just one game this year, but his impact and ability to have an influence on the outcome of a game was a pleasing result for the Crows’ future. He had several fine games, including a 30-disposal match against the Kangaroos in round six, while he booted six goals against St Kilda in round 17.
Missing in Action:
Former Carlton utility Ben Nelson had a disappointing second season with the Crows and was unable to crack it for one senior game in 2003. After playing 40 games with the Blues from 1997-01, Nelson played 12 games last year, but was unable to add to his 52 AFL games. But despite not playing a game in 2003, he did have a fine year with Sturt in the SANFL, finishing second in the Magarey Medal to Port Adelaide listed player Brett Ebert.
Rising Star:
Adelaide did not receive a National AFL Rising Star nomination in 2003, with only three Crows – Trent Hentschel (three games), Ben Rutten (two) and Jacob Schuback (one) – making their AFL debut in 2003. As mentioned above, Johncock was the obvious youngster to step up this season, but another emerging talent to watch is midfielder Brent Reilly, who is set to play a greater role in 2004, despite playing just playing six games this year. He was the Crows’ first selection (No.12 overall) at the 2001 National AFL draft.
Best win:
Adelaide’s final home and away win for the season came against West Coast in round 19 and it was arguably the club’s best victory of the year, considering it became the first club to defeat the Eagles at home this year. The Crows set up the win with a 29-point lead at half-time, before running out 24-point victors. Ricciuto was outstanding, while Johncock booted four goals and Burns and Carey chipped in with three goals each. The Crows remained in second position after the win.
Worst loss:
The round 21 loss to the Kangaroos was the crucial loss of the year, considering the Crows slipped from second position to fourth after the Roos’ 10-point victory. Adelaide’s loss was a major reason why the Crows failed to gain a top-two berth and a double chance in the finals. It was the second loss of the Crows’ three-game losing streak from rounds 20-22. This period was costly in the overall context of its season. On the flip side, the win was arguably the Kangaroos’ best for the season, when they were given virtually no hope of winning, as the game was staged at AAMI Stadium and their finals aspirations were over. The Crows let a vital opportunity slip by.
Shopping List:
Adelaide will be desperate to secure some young talent coming through the system, after much of last season’s recruiting was geared towards snaring some experience in order to play off in a grand final. This philosophy certainly had some merit, considering the Crows made the preliminary final in 2003, but with a slight drop this year, the club will be keen to add another young key defender and forward in the National AFL Draft. It also won’t surprise if the Crows are heavily involved in the trading period, considering they will have plenty of experience on offer and in return, the club could net some higher draft picks.
What the coach says:
“Every year I hope to win a premiership. It doesn’t matter whether I’ve got Wayne Carey, Ronnie Burns, Tommy Porridge or whoever. Every year that I’ve coached – and that’s nine years now – I’ve want to win the premiership every single year. So whether the window’s open, shut, half-closed, half-open, who cares. It’s going to be an interesting situation when we sit down in the light of day and analyse what we think we need to do from here on in. Probably on reflection as far as how the year’s gone, we’re probably about where were are if you just say looked at it maybe over the last five or six weeks perhaps. Winning one game out of five … is not what you want to do.” – Gary Ayres after the Crows’ loss to the Brisbane Lions in the second semi final.
What we say:
There was no doubt that entering the 2003 season Adelaide was ready for a crack at the title. After luring Carey, winning the Wizard Cup and remaining the in top eight for the entire season, Adelaide was still seen as a flag threat this year. But for a variety of reasons, the club is now faced with the prospect of having one last crack at the title next year with an aging list – the oldest in the competition along with Port Adelaide at an average age of 23.9 years – but in all likelihood the Crows will look to rebuild for the future. Dual premiership captain and inaugural Crow Mark Bickley has announced his retirement from the game and will be a loss from the midfield brigade, while the likes of Nigel Smart and Carey are likely to the be playing their final season in 2004. A premiership opportunity may have just passed them by and the Crows will have to decide whether youth or shrewd recruiting in the trading period is the way to go. At this stage, they are likely to favour the youth option, which will make for a fascinating season in 2004.
Suggested membership motto for 2004:
The pride of South Australia to rule the nation.
2003 Report Card: Adelaide
12:01:01 PM Fri 19 September, 2003
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
2003 record: 14-10 win/loss Position: Fifth
2002 record 16-9 win/loss Position: Fourth
What went right:
Adelaide made the finals for a third consecutive year and was one of only four teams to achieve this feat in 2003, along with the Brisbane Lions, Essendon and Port Adelaide. It was another fine season from the Crows, although they dropped one rung down the ladder to finish in fifth position. However, the Crows did have a purple patch from rounds 9-19 to win nine out of 11 games. But they also started the year on a great note by defeating Collingwood to win the Wizard Home Loans Cup in the pre-season competition. Skipper Mark Ricciuto had arguably his finest season at AFL level in 2003 and looms as a genuine Brownlow Medal prospect, while he is almost certain to win the club’s best and fairest award – the Malcolm Blight Medal. The silky skills of Andrew McLeod, the continued consistency of Tyson Edwards and the further emergence of Graham Johncock were other highlights among the club’s playing list, while Brett Burton had a terrific second half of the season after returning from injury. The ruck combination of Matthew Clarke and Rhett Biglands was also a major key for the Crows. The recruitment of former Kangaroos skipper Wayne Carey was the biggest story for the club entering the 2003 season and although his year was interrupted with injuries, he still provided some value to the club.
What went wrong:
After making a preliminary final last year, winning the Wizard Cup before the start of the home and away season and entering the 2003 season as one of the flag favourites, Adelaide could consider this season as a slight disappointment. The Crows recruited experienced AFL players such as Carey, Ronnie Burns, Jason Torney and James Begley, who were seen as key ‘top-up’ players who would launch the club into a grand final, but for a variety of reasons, the club slipped slightly in form this year. However, the Crows will be ruing the fact that they blew a potential top two finish when they lost three in a row from rounds 20-22, after they sat second on the ladder from rounds 18-20. The loss against the Kangaroos at home in round 21 was a crucial blow in the Crows slide down the ladder.
Who stepped up:
It’s somewhat surprising to think that Johncock didn’t receive a National AFL Rising Star nomination in his debut AFL season in 2002, but the exciting young forward/defender stepped up another level this year and had an outstanding 2003. Johncock, who played 22 games last season, missed just one game this year, but his impact and ability to have an influence on the outcome of a game was a pleasing result for the Crows’ future. He had several fine games, including a 30-disposal match against the Kangaroos in round six, while he booted six goals against St Kilda in round 17.
Missing in Action:
Former Carlton utility Ben Nelson had a disappointing second season with the Crows and was unable to crack it for one senior game in 2003. After playing 40 games with the Blues from 1997-01, Nelson played 12 games last year, but was unable to add to his 52 AFL games. But despite not playing a game in 2003, he did have a fine year with Sturt in the SANFL, finishing second in the Magarey Medal to Port Adelaide listed player Brett Ebert.
Rising Star:
Adelaide did not receive a National AFL Rising Star nomination in 2003, with only three Crows – Trent Hentschel (three games), Ben Rutten (two) and Jacob Schuback (one) – making their AFL debut in 2003. As mentioned above, Johncock was the obvious youngster to step up this season, but another emerging talent to watch is midfielder Brent Reilly, who is set to play a greater role in 2004, despite playing just playing six games this year. He was the Crows’ first selection (No.12 overall) at the 2001 National AFL draft.
Best win:
Adelaide’s final home and away win for the season came against West Coast in round 19 and it was arguably the club’s best victory of the year, considering it became the first club to defeat the Eagles at home this year. The Crows set up the win with a 29-point lead at half-time, before running out 24-point victors. Ricciuto was outstanding, while Johncock booted four goals and Burns and Carey chipped in with three goals each. The Crows remained in second position after the win.
Worst loss:
The round 21 loss to the Kangaroos was the crucial loss of the year, considering the Crows slipped from second position to fourth after the Roos’ 10-point victory. Adelaide’s loss was a major reason why the Crows failed to gain a top-two berth and a double chance in the finals. It was the second loss of the Crows’ three-game losing streak from rounds 20-22. This period was costly in the overall context of its season. On the flip side, the win was arguably the Kangaroos’ best for the season, when they were given virtually no hope of winning, as the game was staged at AAMI Stadium and their finals aspirations were over. The Crows let a vital opportunity slip by.
Shopping List:
Adelaide will be desperate to secure some young talent coming through the system, after much of last season’s recruiting was geared towards snaring some experience in order to play off in a grand final. This philosophy certainly had some merit, considering the Crows made the preliminary final in 2003, but with a slight drop this year, the club will be keen to add another young key defender and forward in the National AFL Draft. It also won’t surprise if the Crows are heavily involved in the trading period, considering they will have plenty of experience on offer and in return, the club could net some higher draft picks.
What the coach says:
“Every year I hope to win a premiership. It doesn’t matter whether I’ve got Wayne Carey, Ronnie Burns, Tommy Porridge or whoever. Every year that I’ve coached – and that’s nine years now – I’ve want to win the premiership every single year. So whether the window’s open, shut, half-closed, half-open, who cares. It’s going to be an interesting situation when we sit down in the light of day and analyse what we think we need to do from here on in. Probably on reflection as far as how the year’s gone, we’re probably about where were are if you just say looked at it maybe over the last five or six weeks perhaps. Winning one game out of five … is not what you want to do.” – Gary Ayres after the Crows’ loss to the Brisbane Lions in the second semi final.
What we say:
There was no doubt that entering the 2003 season Adelaide was ready for a crack at the title. After luring Carey, winning the Wizard Cup and remaining the in top eight for the entire season, Adelaide was still seen as a flag threat this year. But for a variety of reasons, the club is now faced with the prospect of having one last crack at the title next year with an aging list – the oldest in the competition along with Port Adelaide at an average age of 23.9 years – but in all likelihood the Crows will look to rebuild for the future. Dual premiership captain and inaugural Crow Mark Bickley has announced his retirement from the game and will be a loss from the midfield brigade, while the likes of Nigel Smart and Carey are likely to the be playing their final season in 2004. A premiership opportunity may have just passed them by and the Crows will have to decide whether youth or shrewd recruiting in the trading period is the way to go. At this stage, they are likely to favour the youth option, which will make for a fascinating season in 2004.
Suggested membership motto for 2004:
The pride of South Australia to rule the nation.
