What can the Adelaide Crows do to improve their playing list?
That was the question on the lips of both Kane Cornes and David King in the wake of the club’s disappointing home loss to lowly Richmond on Thursday night.
Without the injured Izak Rankine, the Crows appeared devoid of speed and quality through the middle and forward of centre as they stuttered against the Tigers at the Adelaide Oval.
It has been a disastrous campaign thus far for the club who re-signed Matthew Nicks for two years early on in the season and who many forecast to play finals in 2024.
But they now sit 14th on the ladder with just four wins which has their season well and truly on the ropes and Cornes has concerns for the quality of their list.
“How alarming is it if you’re looking at the playing list in year five of a rebuild and you’re going, ‘Who is the next midfield All-Australian, other than Izak Rankine, that we’ve got in this group?’,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“Who is the next forward after Taylor Walker? I’m telling you it’s not Chris Burgess. Riley Thilthorpe you would hope, but he’s played enough footy now and probably hasn’t grabbed the opportunity that he’s been given.
“It’s probably not Darcy Fogarty although he plays his role and he’s a good third option for them.
“Down back, who is your next gun, running half-back who is going to be a weapon? Who are the two wingers that you’re going to build this club around?”
Cornes also referenced Adelaide’s reported pursuit of players such as Harrison Petty and Elliot Yeo, insisting that duo in particular will not fix anything for the embattled Crows.
“I hear the desperation around the players that they’re chucking big money at in the trade period, but Harrison Petty is not going to solve it for you,” he added.
“Elliot Yeo is going to be handy for a year, but he’s not going to be the next premiership midfielder for you.
“$3 million for Elliot Yeo, that’s probably inflated, but that’s the report. Two first-round picks for Harrison Petty?
“They have to go to the draft. They can’t be trading their picks away.”
King agrees, imploring the club to find some talent via the draft rather than spend money and picks on players who he also believes will not solve their problems.
“That would be the worst decision they could make for this list, is to spend money and two first-round picks, or even a first-round pick this year,” King said of the Crows.
“They need to go to the draft and get a game-changing, centre-forward mid. There’s a lack of them on their list right now.
“Rankine’s going to need help, and I don’t even know if it’s Josh Rachele. I don’t see enough there to say he’s going to be an absolute top-liner, and the carry on at the start of last year with the ‘Rankine and Rachele show’.
“I’m sick of hearing about what he’s saying, I want to see what he does.
“Let’s just say you’re 100 per cent correct on everything you’ve said – what are the moves that need to be made?”
Cornes concluded: “They need to find a ruckman, absolutely need to draft that dangerous midfielder, I’d love to see a dangerous half-back, I think their wings are an issue.
“Carnage everywhere.”
The Crows will now lick their wounds before preparing for next Saturday night’s home clash with the top-of-the-table Sydney Swans.