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Not very often i agree with anything written by Mr Rucci but this is one article in this mornings Advertiser where i am in full agreement with him.
Young stars gone missing
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
QUIZ question: Who is the last
Adelaide player to earn a Ris-
ing Star nomination for the
AFL rookie of the year? And
when? No, it was not Graham
Johncock who did deserve such an
honour in his debut season in 2002
Think back to the last century for the
answer. Round 12,2000. lan Perrie - then
21 and with less than 25 AFL games to
his name.
Almost four years have passed since
a young Crow has drawn the attention
of a select panel of accomplished former
league footballers. And if is not a case
of being out of sight of the Melbourne-
based judges that is hurting the young
Crows' chances.
Not so when Port Adelaide has had
Chad Comes, Josh Can", Brent Guerra
(now at St Kilda) and Shaun Burgoyne
earn Rising Star nominations in the
same time. ^
Not so when the four other non-
Victorian clubs have had Rising Star
W^IB^ll - sfacit&isbane, seven at
West Australian dubs West Coast and
Fremantle, and four at Sydney.
And at a time when Adelaide says it
is in evolution and does not have an
ageing squad - even though Wayne
Carey, Nigel Smart, Ronnie Bums and
Matthew CTarke are destined to retire
at the end of the year and many of its
stars are reaching 30 - the lack of young
talent capturing the attention of the
nation is a major worry.
The questions linger. Is recruiting
manager James Fantasia identifying the
nght talent - or being allowed to, re-
membering he spoke against using Ad-
elaide's highest-ever draft pick - No. 7
in 2000- for Lawrence Angwin? His
recruiting resources have been
strengthened this year by Adelaide sign-
ing up former Hawthorn recruiting man-
ager John Tumbull.
If Fantasia is finding the right players,
are they being properly developed at
West Lakes?
When Adelaide signed Carey last year
by giving up its first-round draft picks
- gained for trading Kane Johnsori to
Richmond - the Crows argued it had
first-round draft picks in the rookies it
elevated: Nathan Bock, Martin Mattner
and Ben Rutten.
None of these three has developed as
quickly as Adelaide wanted. Bock was
held up by injury this season, Mattner
is a disappointment and Rutten has
stalled after an exciting three-goal start
against Fremantle last year.
Adelaide's best hope of ending its
four-year drought of Rising Star nomi-
nations is sharp-leading forward Luke
Jericho. But the issue of Adelaide's
squad being stagnant and lacking prom-
ise for the future is emphasised by its
lack of Rising Star nominations.
This brings to question Adelaide's
recruiting, trades and, ultimately, the
development of young players at ——
West Lakes,
RISING STAR nominations since
Adelaide's last honour with Ion Perrie:
Adelaide (0), Brisbane (6), Carlton (5),
Collingwood (6), Essendon (5),
Fremantle (7), Geelong (7), Hawthorn
(7), Kangaroos (4), Melbourne (5), Port
Adelaide (3), Richmond (4), Sydney
(4), St Kilda (9), West Coast (7) and
Western Bulldogs (6).
Young stars gone missing
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
QUIZ question: Who is the last
Adelaide player to earn a Ris-
ing Star nomination for the
AFL rookie of the year? And
when? No, it was not Graham
Johncock who did deserve such an
honour in his debut season in 2002
Think back to the last century for the
answer. Round 12,2000. lan Perrie - then
21 and with less than 25 AFL games to
his name.
Almost four years have passed since
a young Crow has drawn the attention
of a select panel of accomplished former
league footballers. And if is not a case
of being out of sight of the Melbourne-
based judges that is hurting the young
Crows' chances.
Not so when Port Adelaide has had
Chad Comes, Josh Can", Brent Guerra
(now at St Kilda) and Shaun Burgoyne
earn Rising Star nominations in the
same time. ^
Not so when the four other non-
Victorian clubs have had Rising Star
W^IB^ll - sfacit&isbane, seven at
West Australian dubs West Coast and
Fremantle, and four at Sydney.
And at a time when Adelaide says it
is in evolution and does not have an
ageing squad - even though Wayne
Carey, Nigel Smart, Ronnie Bums and
Matthew CTarke are destined to retire
at the end of the year and many of its
stars are reaching 30 - the lack of young
talent capturing the attention of the
nation is a major worry.
The questions linger. Is recruiting
manager James Fantasia identifying the
nght talent - or being allowed to, re-
membering he spoke against using Ad-
elaide's highest-ever draft pick - No. 7
in 2000- for Lawrence Angwin? His
recruiting resources have been
strengthened this year by Adelaide sign-
ing up former Hawthorn recruiting man-
ager John Tumbull.
If Fantasia is finding the right players,
are they being properly developed at
West Lakes?
When Adelaide signed Carey last year
by giving up its first-round draft picks
- gained for trading Kane Johnsori to
Richmond - the Crows argued it had
first-round draft picks in the rookies it
elevated: Nathan Bock, Martin Mattner
and Ben Rutten.
None of these three has developed as
quickly as Adelaide wanted. Bock was
held up by injury this season, Mattner
is a disappointment and Rutten has
stalled after an exciting three-goal start
against Fremantle last year.
Adelaide's best hope of ending its
four-year drought of Rising Star nomi-
nations is sharp-leading forward Luke
Jericho. But the issue of Adelaide's
squad being stagnant and lacking prom-
ise for the future is emphasised by its
lack of Rising Star nominations.
This brings to question Adelaide's
recruiting, trades and, ultimately, the
development of young players at ——
West Lakes,
RISING STAR nominations since
Adelaide's last honour with Ion Perrie:
Adelaide (0), Brisbane (6), Carlton (5),
Collingwood (6), Essendon (5),
Fremantle (7), Geelong (7), Hawthorn
(7), Kangaroos (4), Melbourne (5), Port
Adelaide (3), Richmond (4), Sydney
(4), St Kilda (9), West Coast (7) and
Western Bulldogs (6).
