Four Crows players and two coaches have been selected in the Calder Cannons’ best team of the last 20 years.
On Saturday night, the Cannons celebrated their 20th anniversary in the TAC Cup (Under-18) competition by naming their best-ever 22 and inducting 10 people into the club’s Hall of Fame.
The 22 stars chosen include a Brownlow medallist, two Norm Smith medallists, an NAB Rising Star winner, nine premiership players and numerous best and fairest winners. All have played at least 50 games in the AFL.
Adelaide best and fairest winners Daniel Talia and Richard Douglas, and 200-game players Eddie Betts and Brent Reilly were chosen in the star-studded team, along with assistant coach and former Geelong premiership player Darren Milburn and development coach and Sydney Swans Norm Smith Medallist and premiership hero Ryan O’Keefe.
Milburn and O’Keefe were also inducted to the Club’s inaugural Hall of Fame. Talia, Douglas, Reilly and O’Keefe all ventured to Melbourne to attend the function at Etihad Stadium. Talia, who played only 10 games in an injury-interrupted two years at the Cannons, spoke about wanting to get on the park every week as a teenager, but being told to “think about the bigger picture”.
The Crows added two more Cannons, Jake Lever and rookie Reilly O’Brien, to their playing list in the recent drafts. Untried midfielder Rory Atkins is also a Calder product.
Calder Cannons team of the first 20 years
Backs: Mark Johnson, Tom Lonergan, Daniel Talia
Half backs: Andrew Welsh, Jackson Trengove, Darren Milburn
Centres: James Kelly, Jude Bolton, Ryan Crowley
Half-forwards: Paul Chapman, Ryan O’Keefe, Jason Johnson
Forwards: Eddie Betts, Jake Carlisle, Richard Douglas
Rucks: Ivan Maric, Dane Swan, Tom Liberatore
Interchange: Zac Dawson, Dion Prestia, Brent Reilly, David Rodan
Cannons’ first Hall of Fame inductees: Ross Monaghan, Phil Dunk, Robert Hyde, Darren Milburn, James Kelly, Jude Bolton, Ryan O’Keefe, Jason Johnson, Dane Swan and Paul Chapman