Adelaide utility Dan Curtin says versatility will be his most important attribute as he enters his second season of AFL football. 

The Crows selected the 197cm West Australian with Pick No.8 in the 2023 National Draft, and began his career as a defender. 

But mid-way through last season, the 20-year-old made the shift to attack, and after showing promise in the role has trained as a forward throughout the pre-season. 

Speaking on this week’s episode of The Crows Show, Curtin explained how he had gone about developing all aspects of his game and revealed some of his biggest influences. 

“Playing lots of different positions is going to set me up really well in the long term and I think it has really helped me heading into this year,” Curtin said.  

“With my forward craft, guys like Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and Tex (Taylor Walker) have been really good, I’ve really lent on them to help my development. 

“Daws is another one that has been great for me with my midfield stuff, while with the wing stuff I’ve learned a lot from guys like Sholly (Lachie Sholl), Chayce (Jones) and Cheese (Isaac Cumming). 

“Last year I played a variety of different positions and never really had one set in stone, so coming in this year and being able to fully grasp what I’m going to be doing (in the forward line) this year has been really good.”

Curtin is fresh off his second AFL pre-season, in which he completed every single session. 

He said feeling more comfortable as an AFL footballer had helped him get the best out of himself over the summer. 

“Second time around I’ve found pre-season a lot easier, last year there were a lot of new things I had to adjust to, I’m having to meet 40 new people plus staff, it’s a big deal and a lot to handle,” Curtin said. 

“So this year has just felt a lot more comfortable, I completed 100 per cent of the pre-season, which was really pleasing and I’ve made myself fit and ready for Round One.” 

Catch the full Curtin story, plus a chat with wingman Isaac Cumming on this week’s episode of The Crows Show on Channel 7 Adelaide at 11.30am this Sunday.