Adelaide will go into this year’s AFL Draft planning to “stay true to the talent” and pick the best available players with its first three picks.
National Recruiting Manager Hamish Ogilvie told AFC Media the Crows’ early draft strategy prioritised taking the most talented player before list needs are considered with the Club’s later selections.
“It pretty much is (picking the best available),” Ogilvie said.
“We might try to balance it out with our last two picks.
“We’ve said it before - if you’ve got two midfielders who are more on the inside, you’re probably not going to take a third one.
“We’ll look to balance our draft off with the last two picks and maybe we’ll even look at pure needs with the last pick.”
SELECTION ORDER: Adelaide's current draft picks
With Adelaide undergoing a rejuvenation of its playing list, the Crows’ list management team are planning deep into the future.
When asked what the Club’s needs were, Ogilvie said long-term key position prospects would come under strong consideration as understudies for Taylor Walker (29) and Daniel Talia (28).
“For us, if there was a high level tall there that would be interesting,” Ogilvie said.
“Common sense says Tex and Daniel Talia are closer to 30 than they are 20, so in time you’d like to replace those.
Daniel Talia and Taylor Walker after a win over St Kilda earlier this year
“But we can’t go into the draft saying we need to replace Tex, we need to replace Daniel Talia, we’ve still got to stay true to the talent.
“You can never have enough good midfielders and if those good mids can play half forward or half back or wing as well, that’s a bonus.”
PICK NO.6: Who will the Crows take?
In the lead up to making their first selection on Wednesday evening, Adelaide’s draft order is “pretty settled” with the Club conducting their final checks and balances.
This includes last-minute interviews with potential draftees and some family visits involving the Club’s Player Development Manager, Emma Bahr.
“We like to try and get her in front of players so that the parents have a really good idea if the lad comes to Adelaide, what it looks like, what we’re going to do, how everyone’s going to be involved in the decision making, living arrangements, all those sorts of things,” Ogilvie explained.
“Without giving any guarantees, and you can’t, you like to give the family as much information (as possible).
“If you’re drafted by us, this is what it might look like and they’re the sort of conversations we’re having at the moment.”
The Crows currently hold picks 6, 22, 23, 37 and 45 in this year’s National Draft.
