Adelaide a threat in 2017?

[WaynesWorld19]

Everyone on the Crows board knows about your irrational love for McKay. As another poster pointed out, he kicked 2.12 last year. How's that for facts? I go to every home game and some away games and I've watched him live many times and seen him do EXACTLY as I said. If you can't see that then either you're David McKay or you are in love with him. You're the ONLY poster who defends him and can't see what everyone else can see.

As another poster said, you come across as a 15 year old kid ......grow up

 

[Roovolution]

As another poster said, you come across as a 15 year old kid ......grow up

lol. I guess all those on the Crows board that say similar things about you must be wrong. You're a special little snowflake. You said debate the facts so i did and that's all you can come back with? Shows that you can't back up your own words.

 

[JPetro83]

I much prefer to discuss topics like this on the big footy forum.. if this was posted on a facebook page you get so many morons who laugh at the thought of the crows being a contender, or you get ppl that just bag the crows or bag crows fans.. its like this for all clubs.

I'm going to be honest with my prediction on the crows.. I've loved this club since day dot in the summer of 90/91 as a 7/8 year old and I know them like the back of my hand.. we are a mediocre footy club that hasn't done much in 19 years.. we've been close, making 4 prelims since 98 but yeah after year we have the same issue.. we just aren't a complete side to challenge for the flag.. in 05/06 we had the defence, mids and ruck but we had nodecent key forward.. we were so close but so far. now in 2016/17 we have the forward line, ruck and defence but we lack in the midfield. we are so predictable as a club.. I just know we will finish 5th-8th, win a final and lose the semi AGAIN! so I don't think we can be a serious threat. we will be the same old crows.

 

[JPetro83]

We wont be top 4 if you are 1-4 or 2-3 after round 5.....

 

[Rabman]

We have one more chance after this season. We need to go all out and get a martin type player in the middle. Its now or never, most of our gun players Betts, Walker, Talia, Jenkins, Sloane are giving elite level performances now, in 2 year they will be on the decline. if we were to win a premiership in the next year or 2 and it meant we had to rebuild similar to GWS in their first 2 seasons and Carlton at the moment and take some pain, no worries, i can live with that as long as we have a premiership in the cabinet, its part and parcel of sport. This club needs to take a risk, now or never.

 

[GrommoT]

We have one more chance after this season. We need to go all out and get a martin type player in the middle. Its now or never, most of our gun players Betts, Walker, Talia, Jenkins, Sloane are giving elite level performances now, in 2 year they will be on the decline. if we were to win a premiership in the next year or 2 and it meant we had to rebuild similar to GWS in their first 2 seasons and Carlton at the moment and take some pain, no worries, i can live with that as long as we have a premiership in the cabinet, its part and parcel of sport. This club needs to take a risk, now or never.

I'm a bit more optimistic than that. I think if we hang on to our draft picks this and the next few years, I think we will nearly double our number of seasoned A/A+ grade players (see my own quote below), and I think our current A/A+ players you listed will still be playing good football. Given our Club policy of not tanking and Adelaide being Adelaide, we build our list slowly and recent years we got significantly derailed by the draft sanctions and maybe previous coaches Craig/Sando were not quite up to scratch.

The question is will that be good enough to deal with GWS who I think will be an unprecedentedly strong list? Otherwise our list would have been a dynastic premiership capable team in the recent past I reckon.

If we do manage to bring in some Fyfe/Rockliff types at the cost of some first round drafts, it will improve our chances in the near future but will mean we wont be as strong in the few years after. Either way, I think we will have a reasonable chance at success.

The trouble is, I think our current window is kind of "jammed half opened".

The number of hardened top level players (let's call them HTLPs) we have now might include say Walker, JJ, Betts, Sloane, Jacobs, Mooch, Booch (if he gets on the park), Talia, Hartigan, Laird, Lever - that's about 11 - where we should still have Voldemort, Tiprat and may another 2-4 HTLPs from the four round 1/2 draft sanctions. So we should currently have about 16 HTLPs.

Now with our recent recruits and developing players, optimistically we could see Gov, CC, Milera, Atkins, Hampton, Knight, Doedee, Gooch, TheSig, Himmelberg (and maybe a few more) in a few years' time adding to the 11 HTLPs we currently have (most of whom should still be playing good footy) and we will have double the number of HTLPs in our Club.

I guess bringing in someone like Gibbs would increase our HTLPs by one for a few years but at the expense of someone who could be a HTLP for us for 10 years or more.

Yes, this is the oft quoted "we'll be great in a few years' time" mantra but I think it wont be long now.

 

[FootyJunkie]

maybe if they got Modra at FF

 

[Bokonon_]

We have one more chance after this season. We need to go all out and get a martin type player in the middle. Its now or never, most of our gun players Betts, Walker, Talia, Jenkins, Sloane are giving elite level performances now, in 2 year they will be on the decline. if we were to win a premiership in the next year or 2 and it meant we had to rebuild similar to GWS in their first 2 seasons and Carlton at the moment and take some pain, no worries, i can live with that as long as we have a premiership in the cabinet, its part and parcel of sport. This club needs to take a risk, now or never.

Just one thing we've never had a rebuild, we've had a build.
Our situation and that of GC has been different snd it can't be copied by established clubs. Clearly we had advantages in putting our list together, and risks associated with no established club structure or culture.
I do get the logic of the Crows having to rebuild at some point, but they seem to be one of the clubs that just doesn't bottom out. I'm sure there clubs who envy that. We've certainly had times with an uncompetitive team that you would not have experienced.
I dont buy in to the midfield being too weak argument, partly because you beat ours last year and I dont think our midfield is weak. The Hawks won three in a row without their midfield being really rated.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

. Port have Gray, Wines and Boak. The crows have Sloane and uhh Matt Crouch? Scott Thompson?

Grey? Yes when he's not sulking and giving away free kicks. Wines?Probably your best player I like him. Boak? Massive disappointment recently. Not even close to the player he was.
As for our MF. Thompson will play very few AFL games this year unless we have lots of injuries.
Hampton and Atkins have had great pre-season games and look to step it up this year. It's not all doom and gloom I think.
They could surprise some teams this year I reckon. We'll have to wait and see I guess. Round 1 vs GWS will tell us a lot one way or the other.

 

[Testekill]

Adelaide badly need to go out and secure a midfield gun; they have a great forward line and defense but their mids aren't that flash. Chasing a Martin or a Fyfe as a FA is basically their top priority.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Adelaide badly need to go out and secure a midfield gun; they have a great forward line and defense but their mids aren't that flash. Chasing a Martin or a Fyfe as a FA is basically their top priority.

Think every team has those two on their wish list , but in reality, just a pipe dream ....Josh Jenkins was a Rookie Essendon didn't want ??

great players are generally developed by good clubs, via the draft and talent identification ....Josh Kennedy from Hawthorn to Sydney ....Priddis at West Coast, who trained with the Crows over two pre-seasons, and yet wasn't picked up in 3 consecutive drafts ?

The Crows developed Charlie Cameron (Rookie), Atkins (pick 81), & Kyle Hartigan, who also was rejected in 3 consecutive drafts, as examples

The magic mushroom Patrick Dangerfield trade is a Blue Moon event, yet each year we as supporters hold out hope for another Blue Moon event

 

[The Knowledge]

Adelaide badly need to go out and secure a midfield gun; they have a great forward line and defense but their mids aren't that flash. Chasing a Martin or a Fyfe as a FA is basically their top priority.

Too true, although we did have a good crack at Gibbs, even though I'd probably prefer the fact we got gallucci!
As for our midfield it's not up there with the greatest going around at the moment. However if brouch can stay on the pitch and mrouch continues to improve at his current rate we will be okay. I believe Milera will be a very good player and the gooch will be a gun.

Crouch x 2, Sloane, Milera, gallucci, (gun mid acquired)

It's at least a year off though imo

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Too true, although we did have a good crack at Gibbs, even though I'd probably prefer the fact we got gallucci!
As for our midfield it's not up there with the greatest going around at the moment. However if brouch can stay on the pitch and mrouch continues to improve at his current rate we will be okay. I believe Milera will be a very good player and the gooch will be a gun.

Crouch x 2, Sloane, Milera, gallucci, (gun mid acquired)

It's at least a year off though imo

Currently pre-season that's a reasonable view .....lets see though by mid-season whether there's a couple of dark horses emerge into our midfield, as McGovern did last year to our forward line

 

[The Knowledge]

Currently pre-season that's a reasonable view .....lets see though by mid-season whether there's a couple of dark horses emerge into our midfield, as McGovern did last year to our forward line

Well douggie goes back in there while thommo and brouch are out. Hampton has looked good. I like the rat but he's a bit of a cat.
Then I still think the gooch and milers need a few more pre seasons.

Hope I am wrong though, but I just can't see us competing, sorry

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Well douggie goes back in there while thommo and brouch are out. Hampton has looked good. I like the rat but he's a bit of a cat.
Then I still think the gooch and milers need a few more pre seasons.

Hope I am wrong though, but I just can't see us competing, sorry

In 2015 all the experts pre-season pick the Bulldogs to finish bottom two ......they played finals

Point is pre-season tells us very little in reality and history

 

[The Knowledge]

In 2015 all the experts pre-season pick the Bulldogs to finish bottom two ......they played finals

Point is pre-season tells us very little in reality and history

Anything is possible!

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Too true, although we did have a good crack at Gibbs, even though I'd probably prefer the fact we got gallucci!
As for our midfield it's not up there with the greatest going around at the moment. However if brouch can stay on the pitch and mrouch continues to improve at his current rate we will be okay. I believe Milera will be a very good player and the gooch will be a gun.

Crouch x 2, Sloane, Milera, gallucci, (gun mid acquired)

It's at least a year off though imo

Sloane
B Crouch
M Crouch
Douglas
Hampton
Atkins
Knight
Cameron
Milera
Cameos from Smith & Laird from HBF

The key issue is B Crouch getting consistently on the park.

Compared to last year we have lost Thommo on his last legs & handy Lyons, but injected much more pace.

Less experienced compared to the top teams, but far more upside than last year.

 

[SterlingArcher]

The Crows midfield is definitely talented, but it is also young, inexperienced and lacks depth compared to other contending sides. I think they can make the GF this year because forward/defence can make up for it and if Brad Crouch gets on the field then the Crows front-line midfield is capable, but I think a flag may elude them if the midfield doesn't come on in leaps and bounds.
The midfield may peak just as the forwards and defence slip from being tip-top. That'd be the main worry. Of course though, between Crouch x2, Atkins, Knight, Cameron, Milera, Laird there's plenty of future talent there.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Sloane
B Crouch
M Crouch
Douglas
Hampton
Atkins
Knight
Cameron
Milera
Cameos from Smith & Laird from HBF

The key issue is B Crouch getting consistently on the park.

Compared to last year we have lost Thommo on his last legs & handy Lyons, but injected much more pace.

Less experienced compared to the top teams, but far more upside than last year.

Matt Crouch takes Thommos spot (like for like but clearly way less experienced) and Hampton takes Lyons spot. Also injecting Milera.

We will definitely have a lot more zip around the ground so whilst we will still get muscled by the likes of Sydney around the ball, atleast we will have extra pace around the ground which should help on bigger grounds.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Matt Crouch takes Thommos spot (like for like but clearly way less experienced) and Hampton takes Lyons spot. Also injecting Milera.

We will definitely have a lot more zip around the ground so whilst we will still get muscled by the likes of Sydney around the ball, atleast we will have extra pace around the ground which should help on bigger grounds.

Given we've only lost Lyons, and replaced him with Hampton, and added Atkins, Milera, Cameron, ect ......i can't see where the midfield is worse than last season, in fact time will tell whether this years midfield mix & importantly speed is better as a unit

 

[Benny78]

Haven't addressed the issues in their engine room, will make finals but won't go too far.

So why wouldn't they hire a tradesman? A multi million dollar franchise you'd think they'd be doing all they can for their players working environment.

 

[skittlebrew]

Apart from the obvious midfield problem I don't think Crows are great at playing away. I think they would really need to make top 2 and win all games in the lead up so that they only play the final at the MCG. Playing consecutive games on the road would hurt their chances.
I think they will finish 5-10. Wouldn't be overly surprised if they missed finals tbh.

 

[skittlebrew]

So why wouldn't they hire a tradesman? A multi million dollar franchise you'd think they'd be doing all they can for their players working environment.

Who is the solution? Tell me the player we can REALISTICALLY get?

 

[dogs105]

Who is the solution? Tell me the player we can REALISTICALLY get?

I think he just meant for the engine room repairs

 

[sobrave]

Think every team has those two on their wish list , but in reality, just a pipe dream ....Josh Jenkins was a Rookie Essendon didn't want ??

great players are generally developed by good clubs, via the draft and talent identification ....Josh Kennedy from Hawthorn to Sydney ....Priddis at West Coast, who trained with the Crows over two pre-seasons, and yet wasn't picked up in 3 consecutive drafts ?

The Crows developed Charlie Cameron (Rookie), Atkins (pick 81), & Kyle Hartigan, who also was rejected in 3 consecutive drafts, as examples

The magic mushroom Patrick Dangerfield trade is a Blue Moon event, yet each year we as supporters hold out hope for another Blue Moon event

At least you got dean gore