Adelaide has finalised a deal for premiership player James Podsiadly.
The Crows will send pick No.64 to Geelong in exchange for Podsiadly, who hadn’t been officially delisted by the Cats. Adelaide didn’t plan to use this fourth-round selection as a ‘live’ pick in next month’s AFL National Draft.
Podsiadly, 32, agreed to join the Crows during the first week of the trade period.
The mobile key forward has only been in the AFL system for four years, having been plucked from Geelong’s VFL team, where he held a dual role as a player and fitness coach, in the 2010 Rookie Draft.
The durable goalkicker played 23 of a possible 25 games this season. He’s played a career total of 83 games, averaging 42 goals a season. Podsiadly was a crucial part of Geelong’s premiership success in 2011, slotting 52 goals for the year.
A fierce competitor and aerialist, Podsiadly is ranked 2nd in the AFL in contested marks (behind Collingwood star Travis Cloke) in the last four years (2010-13). He’s also ranked seventh in the competition in forward 50m tackles in the same period.
The experienced goalkicker will provide excellent support for Adelaide’s developing forwards, including young, key talls Taylor Walker, 23, and Josh Jenkins, 24, who are both on the comeback trail from serious leg injuries.
