Development coach Jarrod Cotton says Adelaide’s young backline has stepped up this pre-season as Adelaide edges closer towards its first NAB Challenge match of the year.

Since assuming the reins as Senior Coach, Phil Walsh has been vocal in his desire to improve Adelaide’s defence.

The Crows ranked 11^th in the competition for points against last season, and leaked over 100 points per game against the top eight sides. The Club also ranked 12^th for inside 50ms conceded per match.

While declaring defence was the responsibility of the entire team, Cotton said Adelaide’s backs were determined to improve beginning with the Club’s opening pre-season clash with North Melbourne on March 1.

“They’ve all trained really well this summer,” Cotton told afc.com.au.

“Our more senior guys have led the way superbly, particularly now after the retirement of Ben Rutten. Guys like Jaensch, Henderson, Talia, Hartigan, Laird and Brown have ticked all the boxes so far.

“Then there’s that next wave of young defenders. Jake Kelly is training really well at the moment, Harrison Wigg is really starting to find his feet now and Jake Lever’s attitude and desire to get better is really impressive.”

Adelaide has 11 recognised defenders aged 23 or under on its roster, with five of those yet to make their AFL debut.

Ricky Henderson is the most senior backman at 26 years old behind injured veteran Brent Reilly. Swingman Andy Otten and fellow tall Sam Shaw also face extended stints on the sidelines.

“I think as a young defensive group, we’re heading in the right direction,” Cotton said.

“If we can produce the brand of team defence that Walshy wants us to play, then I think we will be competitive at both AFL and State League level.”

Cotton, a member of Port Adelaide’s inaugural AFL squad and a veteran of over 160 SANFL games with Central District, Norwood and South Adelaide, joined the Crows last year as a part-time midfield development coach for the Club’s State League side.

Possessing over a decade of coaching experience, Cotton immediately impressed with his football intellect and composed demeanour in the coaches box.

Now signed to the Club as a backline development coach, Cotton said he was settling into life as a full-time AFL coach.

“It’s been excellent and really exciting for me to join the Club full-time,” Cotton said.

“I’m working in a great professional environment with some of the best coaches in the competition, and I’m learning off them every day.

“I can’t wait to get stuck into the games.”

After juggling his commitments with the Crows last season alongside his regular occupation as a Sales Manager, Cotton said he had already noticed big improvements in his coaching. 

“Sometimes it was pretty hard last year,” he said.

“I was still working full-time and the boys obviously train here during the day, so it was always difficult getting to sessions and meeting everyone involved at the Club.

“As a coach, it’s important to strike up those relationships with players, coaches and officials. Game day was good, but now it’s fantastic to be part of that process every day and to have the opportunity to build those relationships.

“It’s already been a massive difference to last year.”

Having taken over as a caretaker coach of Norwood’s League team in 2009, Cotton has experience of what life is like in the top job of a football club.

But he said he hadn’t given much thought to taking on a senior coaching gig in the AFL.

“That’s probably looking a bit too far ahead,” he laughed.

“At the moment I’m just really loving my role in development.

“I think that it would be something that I’d eventually want to do, but at the moment I just want to grow in this role.

“Where that leads me, who knows?”