How Crow Can You Go? An Adelaide Football Club Saga

[Robbo's my hero]

From my experience on here your average Crow supporter is fairly rational............ You may not make it out alive. Last time I went to Football Park I spent a lot of time advising them how the holding the ball rule really is meant to operate. They seemed to enjoy that.

I love a challenge. I’d take a few with me.

 

[Azzurro]

As much as the thought of handing over a top pick to the Cows really kills me, and even though I’ve done multiple things I never thought I would - notably, ladder predictor spamming and (harrowingly for those who know my history) considering backing Essendon against any opponent in the back quarter of this year (as the best chance to keep Adelaide out of finals contention and scoring us pick 10 or so...)

It’s irrelevant.

We have to remember that the pick swap is so much more than a draft outcome we win or lose.

It has, in the most effective of ways, made a few things a reality:

1. Pressured the whole football department to do what they are supposed to do - win games of football

2. Announced to the AFL that we are aiming for wins and not draft picks - so there would have been no way for the AFL to hide or weasel out of giving us a priority pick if we had a disaster of a season (basically where we were heading before Teague took over)

3. Not allowed the board a chance to veto a trade of a top pick (1 or 2) which means we have more trade currency this year. (Referring to an interview with SOS from a few years ago where he said pick 1 would never be traded as among other factors the board feel it holds too much currency and won’t ratify a trade to occur when pick 1 sits in the club’s hands)

So, in the end pick 2 or pick 5 this year will have turned into Stocker + pick 8-18 (which will likely = a mature player like Papley, Adams or the like as per current Bluemours)

But so much more than the above, it has resulted in us aiming to become relevant again - and for the whole of club to start feeling relevant again, by focusing on the footy and our results and not the end of year draft period.

So. Thank you to the board and SOS. I legitimately don’t give a s**t what happens from here out, because we are focussed on the right outcome. Winning some games of ******* footy.

P.S. still hope it’s pick 5 for pick 8 but

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

I've got absolutely nothing against Cows' supporters at all....apart from the radical nobheads like grotto(?) I think his name is, for the main, they're no different to us passionate Blues supporters. There's actually some really good posters over on their board.

Having said that, for peace of mind, we'd like to think the 'trade' benefited us more than them....even just for bragging rights....that will mostly be forgotten in a few years anyway.

This week we need to collude with GCS to give them a right royal shellacking....gives them more support for a priority pick, and pushes the Cow's pick further down.....and our posturing even higher for a gun during the trade/FA period.

For what it's worth, from what I've seen, Stocker has shown he'll be a key player for us going forward....I like the cut of his jib. Anything else will just be a bonus.

 

[LemmingMaster]

I've never had any real issues with Crows fans, don't mind a lot of them actually, but I do support any team that plays against them this season.

 

[Robertio]

I've got absolutely nothing against Cows' supporters at all....apart from the radical nobheads like grotto(?) I think his name is, for the main, they're no different to us passionate Blues supporters. There's actually some really good posters over on their board.

Having said that, for peace of mind, we'd like to think the 'trade' benefited us more than them....even just for bragging rights....that will mostly be forgotten in a few years anyway.

This week we need to collude with GCS to give them a right royal shellacking....gives them more support for a priority pick, and pushes the Cow's pick further down.....and our posturing even higher for a gun during the trade/FA period.

For what it's worth, from what I've seen, Stocker has shown he'll be a key player for us going forward....I like the cut of his jib. Anything else will just be a bonus.

There's a few more ahead of Grotto over there.

 

[VictorianCrow85]

I've got absolutely nothing against Cows' supporters at all....apart from the radical nobheads like grotto(?) I think his name is, for the main, they're no different to us passionate Blues supporters. There's actually some really good posters over on their board.

Having said that, for peace of mind, we'd like to think the 'trade' benefited us more than them....even just for bragging rights....that will mostly be forgotten in a few years anyway.

This week we need to collude with GCS to give them a right royal shellacking....gives them more support for a priority pick, and pushes the Cow's pick further down.....and our posturing even higher for a gun during the trade/FA period.

For what it's worth, from what I've seen, Stocker has shown he'll be a key player for us going forward....I like the cut of his jib. Anything else will just be a bonus.

To be honest I've been in 2 minds about Carlton all year.

On one hand I've really enjoyed seeing the blues step up in many (even most) matches and I don't see any problem with sides taking close losses who have been at the lows Carlton had recently as its still an enormous improvement. Think of Brisbane last year, many 1-2 goal losses but as the year went on they showed they were going to be climbing the next year and look at them now! Not saying Carlton are going to be top 8 next year (but I wouldn't rule it out, the uplift can be sharp when its starts) as I think Brisbane had a slightly better balanced list even if Carlton possibly has a bit more top end talent.

Of course then there's the side that really does want to get a top tier draft pick, something we've never really had and also just so I don't need to hear every everyone trying to tell me how dumb Adelaide was to do the trade like I personally had a choice in it. I'm sure plenty of you guys probably feel a bit the same rather than necessarily hating everything to do with the Crows (club, supporters etc).

However it works out it has added an extra intrigue to the season!

 

[jooce8891]

i just want to stop hating on the crows, previous years they were probably in my top 3 teams outside of carlton

 

[bigdog43]

There is two clear standouts in this draft which for me means that if we finish 16th or higher I will take the trade as a win.

 

[Blue__Balls]

To be honest I've been in 2 minds about Carlton all year.

On one hand I've really enjoyed seeing the blues step up in many (even most) matches and I don't see any problem with sides taking close losses who have been at the lows Carlton had recently as its still an enormous improvement. Think of Brisbane last year, many 1-2 goal losses but as the year went on they showed they were going to be climbing the next year and look at them now! Not saying Carlton are going to be top 8 next year (but I wouldn't rule it out, the uplift can be sharp when its starts) as I think Brisbane had a slightly better balanced list even if Carlton possibly has a bit more top end talent.

Of course then there's the side that really does want to get a top tier draft pick, something we've never really had and also just so I don't need to hear every everyone trying to tell me how dumb Adelaide was to do the trade like I personally had a choice in it. I'm sure plenty of you guys probably feel a bit the same rather than necessarily hating everything to do with the Crows (club, supporters etc).

However it works out it has added an extra intrigue to the season!

Pick 4-5 for Pick 12-14 would be about the sweet spot right now I reckon. Both sides walk away with something they're happy with, and feel like they gave up less than what the other side was hoping to get.

Gonna be interesting t see what your mob do with the pick though - I don't really think Grundy is gettable, reckon it's just his manager playing the market to get a better deal from Collingwood, and I honestly this O'Brien is your ruck for the next 8-10 years anyway. Could see you guys making a bid on Green to force GWS' hand, then settling on one of Ash or Young to bring in some defensive run after bolstering the forward half the last couple of years.

For us - I think your pick will be going straight on the table for Papley if he's gettable. If not, Martin + change and turn the change into something else useful. Doubt very much we take it to the draft unless we miss all out trade targets (something I'm not too worried about with our uptick in form).

Hoping in years to come this one is looked at as a classic win/win where the needs of both clubs were different enough to make the trade mutually beneficial.

 

[F_therest]

As much as the thought of handing over a top pick to the Cows really kills me, and even though I’ve done multiple things I never thought I would - notably, ladder predictor spamming and (harrowingly for those who know my history) considering backing Essendon against any opponent in the back quarter of this year (as the best chance to keep Adelaide out of finals contention and scoring us pick 10 or so...)

It’s irrelevant.

We have to remember that the pick swap is so much more than a draft outcome we win or lose.

It has, in the most effective of ways, made a few things a reality:

1. Pressured the whole football department to do what they are supposed to do - win games of football

2. Announced to the AFL that we are aiming for wins and not draft picks - so there would have been no way for the AFL to hide or weasel out of giving us a priority pick if we had a disaster of a season (basically where we were heading before Teague took over)

3. Not allowed the board a chance to veto a trade of a top pick (1 or 2) which means we have more trade currency this year. (Referring to an interview with SOS from a few years ago where he said pick 1 would never be traded as among other factors the board feel it holds too much currency and won’t ratify a trade to occur when pick 1 sits in the club’s hands)

So, in the end pick 2 or pick 5 this year will have turned into Stocker + pick 8-18 (which will likely = a mature player like Papley, Adams or the like as per current Bluemours)

But so much more than the above, it has resulted in us aiming to become relevant again - and for the whole of club to start feeling relevant again, by focusing on the footy and our results and not the end of year draft period.

So. Thank you to the board and SOS. I legitimately don’t give a s**t what happens from here out, because we are focussed on the right outcome. Winning some games of ******* footy.

P.S. still hope it’s pick 5 for pick 8 but

It's still an if, but if we landed say, Papley with Crows' 1st pick.

Pick 3-5 for Stocker & Papley is a good trade imo regardless...two players with mongrel that fill positions of need. Plus Papley is proven at AFL level and we were trading specifically for Stocker, not just a draft pick where you don't know who you'll end up with.

 

[Juddernaut08]

If that actually happens, this board will go into overdrive.

I think they'll go in heavy favourites but if we somehow have Charlie back by then we'd be a big chance.

Would make Young Reid look very foolish indeed.

 

[Juddernaut08]

To be honest I've been in 2 minds about Carlton all year.

On one hand I've really enjoyed seeing the blues step up in many (even most) matches and I don't see any problem with sides taking close losses who have been at the lows Carlton had recently as its still an enormous improvement. Think of Brisbane last year, many 1-2 goal losses but as the year went on they showed they were going to be climbing the next year and look at them now! Not saying Carlton are going to be top 8 next year (but I wouldn't rule it out, the uplift can be sharp when its starts) as I think Brisbane had a slightly better balanced list even if Carlton possibly has a bit more top end talent.

Of course then there's the side that really does want to get a top tier draft pick, something we've never really had and also just so I don't need to hear every everyone trying to tell me how dumb Adelaide was to do the trade like I personally had a choice in it. I'm sure plenty of you guys probably feel a bit the same rather than necessarily hating everything to do with the Crows (club, supporters etc).

However it works out it has added an extra intrigue to the season!

In reality, it's all a sunk cost.

Wherever we finish this year will not affect "US". If Crows get pick 2 and if Crows get pick 5, it is of no consequence to the Blues.

We should just worry about as many wins as possible for the sake of winning, team culture etc.

Similarly I think Crows shouldn't be too paranoid about it too. I'd just focus on your kids and rebuilding for the future. You have a bunch of young talent taken last year that is being wasted in favour of washed-up seniors like Douglas, Mackay and even Tex a nd Sauce at times. If you really think you're a chance to push for a flag then by all means, but by some measurements you're the oldest team in the league by a fair way and need to plan for the future. Who cares what pick we get from you? Doesn't affect you whatsoever.

All it does is make our recruiters look a bit better I suppose, but then again Young Reid's reputation can't get any worse.

 

[dlb99]

I suspect we will finish 16th (ahead of Gold Coast and St Kilda).

But, I also have a sneaky suspicion that Gold Coast will get a before round 1 priority pick, so Adelaide ends up with 4.
I don't much rate Adelaide in 2019, so I got them around 8th or 9th, so pick 11 to us.

4 --> Crows
11 + Stocker --> Blues

11 turns into a mature ready made player along with Coniglio via FA and we are finals bound in 2020.

 

[F_therest]

I suspect we will finish 16th (ahead of Gold Coast and St Kilda).

But, I also have a sneaky suspicion that Gold Coast will get a before round 1 priority pick, so Adelaide ends up with 4.
I don't much rate Adelaide in 2019, so I got them around 8th or 9th, so pick 11 to us.

4 --> Crows
11 + Stocker --> Blues

11 turns into a mature ready made player along with Coniglio via FA and we are finals bound in 2020.

Given the current ladder standings and Adelaide's future draw, they will definitely make finals barring a massive choke.

Given the way GWS are travelling, wouldn't be surprised if Adelaide finished 6th.

Essendon knocking them off this week and ourselves next week would go a long way to ensuring Adelaide miss finals. They'll be favourite going into both games though.

 

[jooce8891]

Given the current ladder standings and Adelaide's future draw, they will definitely make finals barring a massive choke.

Given the way GWS are travelling, wouldn't be surprised if Adelaide finished 6th.

Essendon knocking them off this week and ourselves next week would go a long way to ensuring Adelaide miss finals. They'll be favourite going into both games though.

still not wanting essendon to win even if its against adelaide, nup nope never...

 

[djholmes]

I've done a number of different combinations of ladder predictor and the highest I can get us finishing is 15th.

Realistically, 7 wins is also my bold prediction for the remaining games, I think the loss to the Demons cost us the potential to move up a spot on the ladder. If we knocked off the Demons, I had us a sneaky chance to get passed the Hawks.

Next week we hopefully beat the Suns, Melbourne lose to the Eagles and we move up another spot on the ladder.

If GCS gets a PP.

Pick 1 - GCS
Pick 2 - GCS
Pick 3 - Melbourne
Pick 4 - Saints
Pick 5 - Adelaide

I wonder if the Crows are still happy with the trade?

Pick 5 for Pick 11? and Pick 19. I would much rather Pick 5. From what I see from Stocker so far, he hasn't even justified Pick 19. Look how well Xavier Durusma has done at Pick 18.

I think we should have drafted Ian Hill instead of Stocker. He will be a decent small forward.

 

[Dadda Dave]

Pick 5 for Pick 11? and Pick 19. I would much rather Pick 5. From what I see from Stocker so far, he hasn't even justified Pick 19. Look how well Xavier Durusma has done at Pick 18.

I think we should have drafted Ian Hill instead of Stocker. He will be a decent small forward.

Bit hard to judge Stocker at this stage ..how many games ..5 or 6 ..

 

[Juddernaut08]

still not wanting essendon to win even if its against adelaide, nup nope never...

100%

 

[Sharks On A Plane]

Pick 5 for Pick 11? and Pick 19. I would much rather Pick 5. From what I see from Stocker so far, he hasn't even justified Pick 19. Look how well Xavier Durusma has done at Pick 18.

I think we should have drafted Ian Hill instead of Stocker. He will be a decent small forward.

Please stop.

 

[thylacine60]

There is two clear standouts in this draft which for me means that if we finish 16th or higher I will take the trade as a win.

more please?

 

[thylacine60]

Please stop.

can I get you to write my posts when all I can come up with is less than polite?

 

[BigFrizz36]

Pick 5 for Pick 11? and Pick 19. I would much rather Pick 5. From what I see from Stocker so far, he hasn't even justified Pick 19. Look how well Xavier Durusma has done at Pick 18.

I think we should have drafted Ian Hill instead of Stocker. He will be a decent small forward.

Ah the old stocker is no good because the pick before him is argument. Trust me Stocker will be a very good footballer. We were looking for another midfielder here by the way not a small forward.

You just can't beat a good hindsight recruiter. They never get any wrong.

 

[Juddernaut08]

Pick 5 for Pick 11? and Pick 19. I would much rather Pick 5. From what I see from Stocker so far, he hasn't even justified Pick 19. Look how well Xavier Durusma has done at Pick 18.

I think we should have drafted Ian Hill instead of Stocker. He will be a decent small forward.

Yeah most people would want pick 5 in isolation, but it's never that simple.

Firstly, Pick 19 was one year earlier. Time value of draft picks/money. Teams would much rather Pick X in 2018 vs Pick X in 2019.

 

[Metalcrusher]

To be honest I've been in 2 minds about Carlton all year.

On one hand I've really enjoyed seeing the blues step up in many (even most) matches and I don't see any problem with sides taking close losses who have been at the lows Carlton had recently as its still an enormous improvement. Think of Brisbane last year, many 1-2 goal losses but as the year went on they showed they were going to be climbing the next year and look at them now! Not saying Carlton are going to be top 8 next year (but I wouldn't rule it out, the uplift can be sharp when its starts) as I think Brisbane had a slightly better balanced list even if Carlton possibly has a bit more top end talent.

Of course then there's the side that really does want to get a top tier draft pick, something we've never really had and also just so I don't need to hear every everyone trying to tell me how dumb Adelaide was to do the trade like I personally had a choice in it. I'm sure plenty of you guys probably feel a bit the same rather than necessarily hating everything to do with the Crows (club, supporters etc).

However it works out it has added an extra intrigue to the season!

Yeah but shuddup though.

 

[thylacine60]

Ah the old stocker is no good because the pick before him is argument. Trust me Stocker will be a very good footballer. We were looking for another midfielder here by the way not a small forward.

You just can't beat a good hindsight recruiter. They never get any wrong.

in his defense at least he has sold stocker short before he has officially failed.........