Ian Callinan has accepted a coaching role with Adelaide’s SANFL team next season.

Callinan, 30, will be an assistant development coach for the Club’s new State League team and also contribute as a player.

He will work closely with SANFL coach Heath Younie, as well as our other development coaches.

Callinan played 32 AFL games in three seasons with the Crows after being recruited as a mature age rookie at the end of 2010. 

Crows General Manager List Development and Strategy David Noble said he would be a “fantastic” resource for the Club and its players.

“Ian has been an important member of our AFL playing group for the past three years but this is an opportunity for him to take another step in his professional development,” Noble said.

“Ian has fantastic football knowledge that we believe he can now utilise as a coach. 

“The role will involve a lot of coaching and mentoring of our younger Crows and the ‘top-up’ players, plus he can still play at a very high level and assist the team on-field in what will be a very competitive environment.

“I’d also like to recognise the efforts of Central District, who helped Ian earn his AFL opportunity and have also been understanding and supportive of his desire to take on this new role with us.”

Callinan’s road to the AFL was an inspiring story of persistence. 

He regularly represented Tasmania in junior representative football and was named in the 2000 Under-18 All-Australian team as a forward pocket but was overlooked at the AFL drafts. 

Callinan starred for Tasmania Devils in the VFL for several seasons before in 2007 switching to SANFL club Central District, where he played in four consecutive premierships and won two club best-and-fairest awards (2007, 2010).

It was after Callinan was named best afield in the 2010 SANFL grand final that the Crows gave him an opportunity as a rookie and he made his long-awaited AFL debut the following season. He was elevated to the primary list at the end of the 2012 season.