Inside Adelaide's pre-season
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First in, best dressed
James Rowe was the first player to emerge from the rooms to set foot on what remains of AAMI Stadium 10 minutes before Monday’s team meeting. First he, then second-year player Josh Worrell, then Taylor Walker who was helping to carry fitness equipment, and as the rest of their teammates rolled in so too did the rain clouds and a thick blanket of smoke from the Adelaide Hills bushfire that had drifted across the city. Rowe, 21, had waited three years for his opportunity after being overlooked in various national and rookie drafts before Adelaide selected him in December. Often among the first to arrive and last to leave, he is grinding his way through his first AFL pre-season with a smile on his face to match the natural smarts he’s got around goal. “Rowey!”, a teammate yelled as he casually put one through on his left foot from the boundary during Monday’s training session which started with an 8.30am meeting on the oval.
Business as usual
Senior Coach Matthew Nicks opened the meeting by asking Walker to update the group on the trip to Lucindale that he and three teammates made on the Friday night. Walker, Lachlan Sholl, Jackson Hately and Kieran Strachan did the seven-hour round trip to Darcy Fogarty’s home town to support the community that had also been affected by bushfire earlier in the month and spent time with the local kids who might have otherwise only seen them on TV. But by Monday morning, it was back to business as usual where the day started before 7am when players had individual meetings with Head of Performance Matt Hass, breakfast for those who wanted it and warm-ups on the shed floor.
Pre-season 15
Reigning Club champion Reilly O’Brien was handballing with newcomer Nick Murray who only started training with the squad in January, Sam Berry was kicking with Fischer McAsey before Riley Thilthorpe joined in, Matt Crouch was leaping and hopping on each foot and David Mackay was on the foam roller as he navigates his way through pre-season number 15. At 32, Mackay is now the oldest player on Adelaide’s list, two years older than Walker and Tom Lynch. “Every year is so different to the last, the club is constantly evolving and so does the playing list and coaches,” Mackay said.
Gravitating
“I feel like I have seen a lot of change but at the same time what you’re going after doesn’t. “When I arrived at the end of 2006 it was Ricciuto, Goodwin, Edwards, McLeod who were coming towards the end of their careers but were still performing at a really high level so to walk into that environment I couldn’t have asked for a better grounding in what was required. “Now we have an informal set up with how we do things like mentoring because guys will gravitate towards certain people. “So certain experienced guys work with younger guys, particularly those in similar positions, and I tend to work with guys like Sholl, Hamill, McHenry, McPherson, your young, developing defenders and wingers, to try to help them as much as possible but to be honest they drive their own careers and the way they’ve invested in their own careers is brilliant.”
Roaring Sloane
Once out on the oval the players got started in the middle and Daniel Talia joined them on the boundary. Having been restricted to the gym, pool, bike and treadmill as he recovered from post-season knee surgery last year, Talia was happy just to be back running on the grass again, while the other welcome sight was Wayne Milera who missed much of last year with a foot injury and Tom Doedee who battled hamstring issues but are both now moving freely and training strongly. “Lovely Junior,” Will Hamill said after Milera laced him out with a pass on the run. “Love it, Tals,” captain Rory Sloane yelled as Talia was striding out along the boundary. Sloane’s voice was a constant decibel above the rest when he had something to say, to either encourage teammates or challenge them during what was a competitive session.
The fire that drives
“My first year solo (captain) in a year like that when you finish bottom (in 2020), although we finished strongly there are so many good learnings and that’s got to be the fire that drives this group,” Sloane said in a radio interview last week. “For all of our leaders it’s to drive that, we have a list of 42 players and it comes down to a lot more than just one or two people in your leadership group. “The type of footy we played at the end of last year we’ve been training all summer, and that’s been our baseline going forward. “The condition the guys came back in – and you can judge it by two of our most senior guys in Tex and Lynchy – those two came back in incredible condition and so did the rest of the group, and the drive I am seeing throughout this whole group makes me the most excited.”
"It’s a dream come true"
As the players made their way to the boundary for a drink on Monday, Sloane looked across and spotted a familiar face watching on. Former teammate and now retired 208-game ruckman Sam Jacobs made his first appearance at training since returning to the Crows as the Club Engagement Executive. Sloane greeted him with a hug and others offered as many smiles as friendly sledges for the big man known simply as ‘Sauce’ who took time to speak with home grown draftee Riley Thilthorpe who is putting together his first AFL pre-season. “I’m loving it, it’s a dream come true,” Thilthorpe said. “I’ve found training to be really interesting and they’re big days. “As soon as I get home I’m asleep for a little nap then get up for dinner and I’m back to sleep. “I’m lucky to be still living at home, I try to help out a bit but mum has been really good cooking me dinner so that’s been great.”
Team first
With just four weeks until the start of official pre-season matches, Monday’s session was not lacking any intensity or team spirit. Having just taken down Matt Crouch in a tackle, Sloane was the first to grab a fistful of the back of his singlet and pull him back up, and when Shane McAdam put in repeat efforts to match the classy goal he kicked from the pocket he was surrounded by teammates offering encouragement. It fits with a quote the players see every day that a team can only improve if the will to help a teammate through their own fatigue is greater than the want to fight through their own.
Taking control
Nicks’ assistant coaches each took turns addressing the group throughout the session, starting with new Head of Development Marco Bello, midfield coach Nathan van Berlo, forwards coach James Rahilly and Senior Assistant and defensive coach Scott Burns. “We have our match sim at training obviously and work on areas we need to get better at, but away from the training track the amount of time the boys are spending with the football in their hands has been as much as I’ve ever seen at a football club,” Burns said in a radio interview last week. “And it gets to the point – which is great as a coach – that you have to be around them all the time because they just want to do things. I’m absolutely rapt that these players are taking control of their own careers.”
"Nothing but impressed"
Among the new faces at West Lakes this year is Mitch Hinge who has returned to his home state after spending the past four years at Brisbane. “With any big change in life you are always going to have some doubts but the players and staff have made the transition so seamless for me, I’ve been nothing but impressed by how the group has held themselves and how willing they are to train and get better,” Hinge said. “It’s super exciting for someone like me to come to a club and that’s what’s made it so easy for me, I’m surrounded by great people and a willingness to improve. “There is a lot of feedback on the track and a lot of mature conversations going on which I think will hold us in good stead. “This is my fifth year in the system and I’ve been able to build on my fitness and strength and been lucky enough not to miss a session so that’s all I can ask for so far.”
One step closer
Later in the session, Hass got the job of strapping padding to his back and allowing Walker, Lachie Murphy and Tariek Newchurch to jump all over him and practice their aerial marking. Dan Jackson and Matthew Wright joined in some extra running with another group when they all came together to finish off. “Great session, lads,” Sloane barked as they exited the field, having put another day of pre-season in the bank and moved another step closer to the real thing.
