A hamstring strain limited the classy midfielder/forward to only two more appearances for the season, but he showed enough to earn another rookie contract.
The Crows have only one player, defender Michael Doughty, on the veteran’s list in 2012 meaning they can nominate a rookie to play as early as round one.
Dowdell joins Adelaide as a rookie after the AFL signed off on the Club’s application to list the 23-year-old under the ‘alternative talent’ rule.
The rule allows clubs to recruit one player, who has played in a recognised elite sporting competition and hasn’t been registered with any football club in the previous three years, to be added to the list without going through the draft system.
Alternative talent players are listed as additional rookies and paid outside the salary cap, with the exception of match payments.
Dowdell will join the team for the first time when pre-season training starts on Monday, November 7.
The Crows have pick Nos. 27, 41, 46 and 64 in the national draft to be held in western Sydney on November 24, but have flagged the possibility of holding onto one selection to use in December’s pre-season draft.
The Club can confirm the following changes in accordance with list lodgement one:
Rookie upgrades
Aidan Riley
Matt Wright
Retained rookies
Ian Callinan
Sam Martyn
Veteran’s list
Michael Doughty
Traded IN
Luke Brown (Norwood/GWS previously listed/nominated scheme)
Brad Crouch (North Ballarat)/GWS 17-year-old scheme)
Josh Jenkins (Essendon rookie list)
Lewis Johnston (Sydney Swans)
Tom Lynch (St Kilda)
Alternative Talent
Ben Dowdell (Santa Clara)
Traded OUT
Tony Armstrong (Sydney Swans)
Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)
Ivan Maric (Richmond)
Retired
Brad Moran
Scott Stevens
GWS uncontracted player scheme
Phil Davis
Delisted
Myke Cook
James Craig
Tim Milera (rookie)
Lachlan Roach (rookie)
Chris Schmidt (rookie)
James Sellar
Jake von Bertouch (rookie)
Will Young
