Lachlan Sholl is one of several youngsters set to help the Crows rise up the ladder in the years to come. Photo: GETTY IMAGES.
Having won its first wooden spoon last year since entering the competition in 1991, Adelaide is starting from scratch in many ways.
It almost beggared belief that a club that had been so consistently competitive for the duration of its existence could lose its first 13 games.
And when you consider that in just the past two off-seasons Eddie Betts, Brad Crouch, Rory Atkins, Richard Douglas, Sam Jacobs, Josh Jenkins, Hugh Greenwood, Kyle Hartigan, Bryce Gibbs, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Alex Keath and Andy Otten have all departed, it becomes crystal clear that a new era has begun at West Lakes.
It’s not just on field either where sweeping changes have occurred, either. In that same period, the club has got itself a new coach, a new chairman, a new head of football, a new-look coaching department, and will soon have a new CEO.
Eight of the aforementioned players featured in the Crows’ 2017 grand final side.
So with all that experience now lost, which youngsters have been charged with the responsibility of helping get this once-proud club back onto its two feet?
It certainly is going to take a collective effort with everyone carrying their weight, but the following three players in particular might just rise to the challenge and take their game to a new level in 2021.
DARCY FOGARTY
The footy world has waited with bated breath for this precocious young forward to realise his full potential.
And despite displaying a few glimpses of his capabilities since arriving at the Crows, the big lump of a lad has struggled to put it together on a consistent basis.
He has tree trunks for legs, a booming kick and, perhaps most tellingly of all in terms of what the club thinks of him, he was bestowed the hallowed No.32 guernsey made famous by arguably Adelaide’s greatest ever player Mark Ricciuto.
Former coach Don Pyke lost patience with him, as evidenced by the fact that he could only manage four games in 2019, but he was afforded more opportunities under new coach Matthew Nicks last year, playing 10 matches for a career total of 24.
Playing as a key forward in the bottom team is probably one of the roughest gigs in football, especially when you’re only 20 years old.
But he soldiered on and booted eight goals, which doesn’t sound a lot, but was a tally that actually saw him finish equal fourth in the Crows’ 2020 goalkicking.
Fogarty showed late in 2019 how dangerous he can be when he booted five majors against West Coast, followed by another haul of three against Collingwood the next week, and Adelaide is hoping he will produce more of that this season.
“Darcy has challenged himself throughout the off-season to be better prepared for the season ahead. He has put in the work and it is showing in his training performances,” Adelaide head of football Adam Kelly told Footyology.
ANDREW MCPHERSON
Early life as a footballer can be difficult for a draftee who is picked up by a grand finalist, and that’s exactly the fate that befell McPherson when the Crows snapped him up with pick No. 40 in 2017.
But after patiently biding his time in his first couple of years at West Lakes, which were marred by injury, the 21-year-old finally broke through for his debut last year and did not disappoint.
In a year which provided little to cheer about for the Adelaide faithful, the Woodville-West Torrens product showed them that the future might not be so bleak after all.
He quickly established himself as a reliable, rock solid member of the Crows’ backline and if it wasn’t for injuries, he would not have missed a game after making his debut against West Coast in round six.
Having earned the Mark Bickley Emerging Talent Award and the Brian Sando OAM Award for professionalism at the club’s best-and-fairest last year, it’s clear what esteem the club already holds the nine-gamer in, and hopes are high that he can become an established member of the Crows’ back six for years to come.
“Andy is a real pro. Since coming to the club via the 2017 draft, Andrew has faced some real challenges with his body but has been consistently dedicated to giving himself the best opportunity to succeed,” Kelly said.
“That professionalism enabled him to debut in 2020 and from his very first game he has shown he belongs at the level.”
LACHLAN SHOLL
Perhaps the most exciting young talent on the club’s list, the 20-year-old wingman made a splash in 2020 and strongly suggested he has ‘200-gamer’ written all over him.
He had to wait until round 10 to make his AFL debut last year, but the former No. 64 pick made up for lost time and quickly showed that he could end up being one of the biggest sliders from the 2018 draft.
In just eight matches, the son of former Carlton player Brett Sholl, and nephew of ex-North Melbourne sharpshooter Craig Sholl and Geelong hard nut Brad Sholl, already looked comfortable at the top level and, like McPherson, gave Crows fans some joy.
His brilliant form late in the season could not be denied, as he snagged the round 18 Rising Star nomination after gathering 19 touches against eventual premier Richmond. The week before, he guided his side to victory against Carlton with 24 disposals and two goals.
If Sholl’s form continues along that trend, the sky will be the limit for him in 2021 and he’s already started this year in great fashion having won the Crows’ 2km time trial last month.
“Lachie has taken the confidence he gained in the back half of the 2020 season into what has been a very strong pre-season,” Kelly said.
“He is a very diligent and hard-working player, the result of which is elite kicking on both sides of the body and an ability to cover the ground that supports the team defensively and becomes a weapon offensively.”
