State League coach Heath Younie said Patrick Wilson’s second place finish in the Magarey Medal on Monday night was a reflection of the midfielder’s incredibly consistent season.
The midfielder was runner-up to Glenelg’s Luke Partington, and the two will face off against each other in this Sunday’s preliminary final.
Younie said while Partington was a “well-deserved” winner, the count acknowledged Wilson’s work rate and experience.
“I think it is great recognition for Pat, he’s had an outstanding season,” Younie said.
“It’s a small feather in the cap for the year he has had.
“But, he understands what we’ve got ahead of us this season and he’s really keen to perform.
“He’s been on this stage before and won a premiership, so we’ll lean on him for his experience this weekend.”
Wilson was one of Adelaide’s best players during their dominant semi-final performance on Sunday, where they defeated Norwood by 62 points.
Younie said the result was set up by the team’s intent in the first quarter and is hoping for a similar start against Glenelg.
“We came and sent a really strong message in the first 10 minutes,” he said.
“Scoreboard pressure in finals puts the opposition on the back foot early and then they are reactive to what we are going to do.
“We’re looking for the same appetite for the contest this week.”
James Mathews and Jordon Boyle celebrate a goal in the semi-final
It wasn’t just the AFL-listed players that stood up on Sunday, with development-listed player James Mathews kicking four goals.
“It’s no surprise the way he (Mathews) came out and played, we’ve seen him do that in the pre-season,” Younie said.
“For him, it’s about understanding and believing he can play at this level and he’s done an enormous amount of work, as all of them have.
“On the weekend, not only James, but Pierce Seymour, Matthew Merrett, Jordon Boyle got rewarded for all the work they’ve done.
“I was really proud of the efforts across the board, particularly some of our younger kids – for those guys to come out and perform the way they did holds us in good stead as a football club.”
Adelaide’s preliminary final against Glenelg will get underway at 3.15pm at Adelaide Oval.
Tickets to the game can be purchased here, with Crows Essential Members and Under-18s getting in for free.
