Free Agents 2021

Jul 27, 2004
55,055
47,001
Las Vegas
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Norwood




2021 FREE AGENTS
* Previously delisted
^ Previously qualified as a free agent

ADELAIDE
Matt Crouch
Ben Davis*
Bryce Gibbs*
Jake Kelly
Rory Laird
Tom Lynch
David Mackay*
Daniel Talia
Taylor Walker

BRISBANE
Connor Ballenden*
Grant Birchall*^
Jarryd Lyons*
Rhys Mathieson*
Daniel Rich
Mitch Robinson*
Archie Smith*
Dayne Zorko

CARLTON
Eddie Betts*^
Levi Casboult
Patrick Cripps
Ed Curnow
Matthew Kennedy*
Marc Murphy


COLLINGWOOD
Chris Mayne^
Scott Pendlebury
Josh Thomas*

ESSENDON
Patrick Ambrose
Dylan Clarke*
Martin Gleeson*
Cale Hooker
Zach Merrett
Will Snelling*
David Zaharakis

FREMANTLE
Bailey Banfield*
Brett Bewley*
Reece Conca^
Stephen Hill
Ethan Hughes*
David Mundy
Lachie Schultz*
Matt Taberner

GEELONG
Jed Bews
Oscar Brownless*
Cameron Guthrie
Lachlan Henderson*
Jake Kolodjashnij
Joel Selwood

GOLD COAST
Sam Day
Jarrod Harbrow*
Nick Holman*
Jack Hombsch*
Sean Lemmens
Jordan Murdoch*
Zac Smith*
Jacob Townsend*

GWS
Matt Buntine*
Phil Davis
Matt de Boer*
Lachlan Keeffe*
Josh Kelly
Daniel Lloyd*
Sam Reid*
Zach Sproule*
Jack Stein*

HAWTHORN
Luke Breust
Keegan Brooksby*
Shaun Burgoyne
Michael Hartley*
Ben McEvoy
Dylan Moore*
Tim

MELBOURNE
Mitch Brown*
Max Gawn
Neville Jetta
Nathan Jones
James Jordon*
Aaron Nietschke*
Christian Salem

NORTH MELBOURNE
Shaun Atley
Tom Campbell*
Trent Dumont
Taylor Garner
Kyron Hayden*
Luke McDonald
Connor Menadue*
Robbie Tarrant
Josh Walker*
Will Walker*
Jack Ziebell

PORT ADELAIDE
Tyson Goldsack
Robbie Gray
Hamish Hartlett
Steven Motlop^
Tom Rockliff^
Boyd Woodcock*

RICHMOND
David Astbury
Mabior Chol*
Shane Edwards
Dylan Grimes
Bachar Houli
Kamdyn McIntosh
Ben Miller*
Jack Riewoldt
Nick Vlastuin

ST KILDA
Jack Billings
Oscar Clavarino*
Luke Dunstan
James Frawley*^
Jarryn Geary
Darragh Joyce*
Shaun McKernan*
Tim Membrey*
Dylan Roberton*
Seb Ross

SYDNEY
Kaiden Brand*
Robbie Fox*
Sam Gray*
George Hewett
Josh Kennedy
Sam Naismith
Luke Parker
Sam Reid

WEST COAST
Brendon Ah Chee*
Shannon Hurn
Mark Hutchings*
Jamaine Jones*
Josh Kennedy
Dom Sheed
Daniel Venables*

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Marcus Bontempelli
Ben Cavarra*
Taylor Duryea^
Ryan Gardner*
Will Hayes*
Lin Jong
Tom Liberatore
Stefan Martin^
Roarke Smith*
Mitch Wallis
 
It certainly has the potential to be a bumper FA year, that said, we're not a realistic player to bring anyone of note in looking at where we are at in the rebuild.

Depending on how our kids go, it might open a very interesting problem with us potentially needing to decide whether we want to go hard at keeping Crouch, or Laird.
 
The only direction for free agents at this club should be out

Yup, we're a seller.

Though, if you want a somewhat crazy idea, I could see justification on trying to lure Joel Selwood across (especially if we opted to move one of Crouch/Laird on). Old head who has been in a consistent finals side and would suit our game plan that we're trying to build (as much as I don't expect him to play, just he'll probably be a good mentor to Berry, Pedlar and co). Especially if he is interested in coaching after football.
 
Nov 6, 2003
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🇦🇺 🇦🇺 🇦🇺 West Adelaide
It certainly has the potential to be a bumper FA year, that said, we're not a realistic player to bring anyone of note in looking at where we are at in the rebuild.

Depending on how our kids go, it might open a very interesting problem with us potentially needing to decide whether we want to go hard at keeping Crouch, or Laird.
Laird Yes ......Crouch No, he's not essential to our future
 
Laird Yes ......Crouch No, he's not essential to our future

Neither are outside of being that experienced hand for our midfield. Laird is 27 this year and Crouch is way too much of a one trick pony to be genuinely worth building around.

You probably keep both seeing it's really a year too early to look at moving on, but for me, the best case scenario from our kids sees us keep Laird and trade Matt.
 
Nov 6, 2003
120,632
165,718
Melbourne
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Other Teams
🇦🇺 🇦🇺 🇦🇺 West Adelaide
Neither are outside of being that experienced hand for our midfield. Laird is 27 this year and Crouch is too narrow of a player to really build around in this era.

You probably keep both seeing it's really a year too early to look at moving on, but for me, the best case scenario from our kids sees us keep Laird and trade Matt.
I'm seeing an increasing open game, faster thru the midefield .....point kickouts this year could consistently hit the centre circle .....you'll increasingly need a speedy midfield, and speed has been a focus of our drafting

It's going to be increasingly harder for a Matt Crouch if ball-ups reduce
 

Thetrader15

Cancelled
10k Posts
Oct 16, 2015
24,279
30,558
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Adelaide
Personally I would pass on FAs this year, but make a play next year when we see where our needs are.

As far as trading them out, well it all depends on what compo we get... :oops:
 

Thetrader15

Cancelled
10k Posts
Oct 16, 2015
24,279
30,558
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Adelaide
Has Ben Davis officially been delisted?
 
I'm seeing an increasing open game, faster thru the midefield .....point kickouts this year could consistently hit the centre circle .....you'll increasingly need a speedy midfield, and speed has been a focus of our drafting

It's going to be increasingly harder for a Matt Crouch if ball-ups reduce

I don't think it's too unexpected to see a more open game, after all, the best way to break a zonal defence is to run at it. Though point kick-outs increasingly hitting the centre circle is probably not going to happen. After all, the torp works best as a surprise tactic.

Matt Crouch will survive any changes to a more open game because he's a gun accumulator. That said, we probably want more well-rounded footballers (which players like Schoenberg, Berry, and Pedlar project to be) in our midfield then a Priddis/Scott Thompson clone. The game has been slowly moving away from the smaller inside accumulators with limited game-breaking ability.
 
Mar 28, 2011
32,273
30,581
Pluto
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Adelaide
Other Teams
Reds, Lakers, Gold City, Knights
Yeah IMO we should be moving on one of Laird or Matt. Both will be similar types of players for our midfield going forward, need to start investing in Hately/Pedlar/Schoenberg etc

Keep one around for club leadership, though. Matt seems to be the more leadership-focused one?
 
Nov 6, 2003
120,632
165,718
Melbourne
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
🇦🇺 🇦🇺 🇦🇺 West Adelaide
I don't think it's too unexpected to see a more open game, after all, the best way to break a zonal defence is to run at it. Though point kick-outs increasingly hitting the centre circle is probably not going to happen. After all, the torp works best as a surprise tactic.

Matt Crouch will survive any changes to a more open game because he's a gun accumulator. That said, we probably want more well-rounded footballers (which players like Schoenberg, Berry, and Pedlar project to be) in our midfield then a Priddis/Scott Thompson clone. The game has been slowly moving away from the smaller inside accumulators with limited game-breaking ability.
With the 15 mtr allowance for the point kicker in .... he’ll run another 10 mtrs and hitting the centre circle will happen

Or a mark in the centre square, and play on
... either way the DEF is going to be under a lot of pressure this year
 
May 4, 2016
3,334
4,139
Melbourne
AFL Club
Adelaide
Yeah IMO we should be moving on one of Laird or Matt. Both will be similar types of players for our midfield going forward, need to start investing in Hately/Pedlar/Schoenberg etc

Keep one around for club leadership, though. Matt seems to be the more leadership-focused one?
Age wise, makes sense to move on Laird (25 vs 27). Laird also has the VIC gf.

But would suck to lose either one. Really love Laird. He's looked amazing since moving to the midfield (IMO better than his 2018 AA/BnF year).
 
Oct 16, 2011
15,266
37,585
AFL Club
Adelaide
I like Davis but it is systematic of what is wrong with this club that we hold onto a player until he is coming into FA and give him 2 games. I'd understand if he was unluckily injured and we still thought if he got his body right but we need to learn to cut our losses a little quicker than that.
 
Oct 14, 2005
52,179
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Canberra
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Norwood, Adelaide Crows
I like Davis but it is systematic of what is wrong with this club that we hold onto a player until he is coming into FA and give him 2 games. I'd understand if he was unluckily injured and we still thought if he got his body right but we need to learn to cut our losses a little quicker than that.
Davis hasn't been around long enough to earn FA. The reason he's a FA is because we had to delist him last year, as part of the process of transferring him from the senior list to the rookie list.
 
Oct 16, 2011
15,266
37,585
AFL Club
Adelaide
Davis hasn't been around long enough to earn FA. The reason he's a FA is because we had to delist him last year, as part of the process of transferring him from the senior list to the rookie list.

Ah OK makes sense ( Just saying, would not be beyond the realms of our club to keep someone that long and not play them).
 
Oct 14, 2005
52,179
36,117
Canberra
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Norwood, Adelaide Crows
Ah OK makes sense ( Just saying, would not be beyond the realms of our club to keep someone that long and not play them).
We've had plenty of examples of player who hung around that long, while playing minimal numbers of games - CEY springs quickly to mind. Mitch Grigg wouldn't have been too far off earning FA by the time they finally sent him back to the SANFL where he belongs.
 
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