In an era where players are expected to fulfil specific roles, negotiate opposition zones, execute different kick-outs and adhere to structures, game knowledge has become non-negotiable for Craig’s disciplined Crows.
Earlier this year, highly rated teenager Patrick Dangerfield, who had an interrupted pre-season with hamstring and whiplash injuries, was forced to sit out Adelaide’s opening three NAB Cup/Challenge games.
Dangerfield’s non-selection was not because of concerns over his fitness, but rather the game knowledge he’d been deprived of through time spent off the training track.
In years gone by, it was generally accepted that a young player’s time was best spent bulking up in the gym. But Craig said the priorities had changed; at least at West Lakes.
“There are only a certain number of hours a week you have for training and then you allocate those hours to certain areas,” Craig said.
“At the moment, I would err more on game knowledge and game style-type work for our younger players versus time in the gym. People can discuss and debate whether that’s the right mix, but I’ve got to make that call and that’s what we do.
“The amount of time they need to learn that knowledge and for it to become ingrained is important early in their careers.”
Promising first-round draft pick Phil Davis is six months into his football education at Adelaide.
The 18-year-old, who scored a Tertiary Entrance Rank in the vicinity of 99 last year, is no stranger to study. He likened some days at West Lakes to his days as a student at St Peters College.
“We have meetings where we watch a lot of videos and the coaches will draw diagrams up on the whiteboards. Then we go out and practise what we’ve just talked about,” Davis said.
“There is a lot of game knowledge you need to have, but it’s still about playing the game.”
It takes most teenage draftees at least three pre-season to develop an AFL body.
Adelaide is in the business of fast-tracking the development of its young players, but Craig said there were some things that simply took time.
“Look at Geelong, who is a pretty hardened footy side, for example. They have stronger and bigger bodies, but most of their best 22 players have been in the system for a while,” Craig said.
“It takes time, purely from a physical point of view, for the young guys to develop. The physical strength, we can get done reasonably quickly and that will happen.
“If you cast your mind back to what Chris Knights and Nathan van Berlo first looked like when they came here compared to now; you’ve got a couple of little Greek gods running around.”
