Adelaide’s State League side will again be led by a South Australian with Barossa Valley product Jack Madgen named its new Captain.
Madgen will take over the reins from Matthew Wright who captained the team for five seasons before announcing his retirement last year.
The 30-year-old was signed as the Crows’ SANFL leadership player ahead of the 2023 season when he returned home to South Australia after five seasons with Collingwood.
Madgen played 49 AFL games for the Magpies after being drafted as a Category B Rookie in 2017, when he made the switch to football from basketball where he played with Cairns in the NBL and College in the US.
The key defender featured in all 19 of the Crows’ SANFL games in his first season and took on a role in the Club’s Academies space, mentoring the next generation of talent including Father Son prospects.
Madgen said he was excited by the opportunity to lead the side.
“I grew up as a kid in the Barossa supporting the Crows, so to captain any Crows side is a huge honour and I’m really looking forward to it,” Madgen said.
“It’s pretty hard to do it all on your own so I’m really looking forward to sharing this experience with my teammates and bringing them along for the ride where I can.
“Since arriving at the Club I’ve immersed myself with all the different teams, whether it be SANFL, AFL or AFLW and I think that is really going to help me as a Captain this season.”
Crows SANFL Coach Michael Godden said Madgen’s passion and experience made him an excellent choice for the role.
“Jack is incredibly passionate about team success and that was clear from the first day he joined us,” Godden said.
“It was great to have him come home and join our program last year and he has been an important member of our team.
“He’s a great leader, who is genuinely committed to making himself and those around him better.
“He has done a mountain of work for our programs over the past year, so this role is great recognition for his hard work and commitment.”
The Crows will participate in three SANFL trial games ahead of the season, with matches against West Adelaide on March 2, Sturt on March 16 and Woodville-West Torrens on March 22.
Adelaide’s 2024 SANFL campaign officially gets underway against South Adelaide at Flinders University Stadium on March 29.
