Defender Andy Otten says he’s determined to maintain a stranglehold on a spot in the Crows team after earning a long-awaited recall against West Coast.
Otten established himself as a regular in the Adelaide side following a breakout season in 2009 in which he finished runner-up to Brisbane Lions midfielder Daniel Rich in the NAB Rising Star award.
The 23-year-old missed the entire 2010 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the pre-season, but fought his way back to play 15 games last year. He played four of the opening five games this season, but was squeezed out of the side in round six.
An eye injury to third-tall defender Sam Shaw paved the way for Otten, who had maintained strong form for South Adelaide in the SANFL, to return on Saturday and he made the most of his call-up, collecting 19 disposals and holding the Eagles’ leading goalkicker Jack Darling to two goals from only seven possessions.
“I’ve played on Jack a few times now and we’re creating a bit of a rivalry out there. It was just good to be back in the team,” Otten told afc.com.au after the game.
“It was unfortunate for ‘Shawy’ going out. I hope his eye is better soon, but you’ve got to take your chances when they come. I’ve been waiting patiently and was really eager to get back in. It’s hard when the team is in good form and keeps winning.
“You can’t make changes for the no reason and Shawy has been playing well. I’ve had to be really patient and clear with what the coaches want out of me. I just had to keep performing, knocking down the door and knew eventually I’d get a chance.
“I finally got that chance and now that I’m back in, I don’t want to go out again.”
The Crows conceded only 11 goals at AAMI Stadium on Saturday. Otten and co. were able to control their direct opponents in the depleted West Coast forward line, but much of the defensive work was done further up the field.
“We really wanted to tackle well today, to get at them and pressure the ball,” Otten said.
“Watching from down back a few times, we were amazed at how clean we were and how good our ball use inside out forward 50m was. It was a great job by the boys. We knew it would be a tough game after West Coast’s loss to Sydney last week.
“We wanted to get off to a fast start and we did that. Our first quarter today was probably one of our best we’ve played for the season and really set the tone for the rest of the game.”
The Crows will now prepare to take on Geelong at Simonds Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
“The Cats were really good on Friday night, and I think most of our boys would’ve watched the game,” Otten said.
“Their attack on the footy was great. They’re the reigning premiers. You can never write them off and they’re going to be a real test at their home ground next week.
“We’re pretty confident internally about what we can achieve. We know that if we play the way we want to, we’re going to be more than competitive against most teams and get out fair share of wins.”
