Latest news with #Crows
ABC News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Adelaide signals its arrival as a genuine AFL heavyweight and is perfectly placed for a premiership charge
The Crows are perfectly placed for a September charge this AFL season. A crushing 61-point defeat over the rising Gold Coast Suns has helped Adelaide soar into premiership contention, now among the favourites to take out the flag alongside Brisbane and Victorian heavyweights Collingwood. With seven wins from their last eight games, (the only loss in that period coming against Hawthorn by three points), the Crows have signalled their arrival as a force to be reckoned with late in the season. Captain Jordan Dawson has led the charge again this season, but he wouldn't be drawn into the argument that his club was the new flag favourite, ahead of Adelaide's Showdown 58 clash against the Power this weekend. "I think we've got a great group and I'm really confident in the way we play our footy and the way we go about it," Dawson said. "I've got no doubt our best footy is definitely good enough but like we've seen this year, any team on any given day can beat you, so we're very wary of that." James Peatling, Isaac Cumming and Alex Neal-Bullen all joined the Crows ahead of 2025 and have all had their moments to shine in 2025. Neal-Bullen's role as a midfielder and forward has given other players, like Dawson and Izak Rankine, freedom to be more damaging up the field. The former Demon has also been damaging himself, kicking three goals and gathering a career-high 31 disposals against the Suns last weekend. Former Giants Peatling and Cumming have also locked up spots in Adelaide's best team, showing versatility with their ability to play multiple roles. Dawson this week said his side now had the depth and talent to challenge for a flag. "Obviously bringing those three recruits in has helped us a lot and internally there's been a lot of growth from individuals," Dawson said at a press conference this week. "We've always had a lot of belief but we've just really narrowed the focus, I suppose, this year and focused on the week to week." In years gone by, if Taylor Walker didn't fire then the Crows struggled up forward. Now in the later stages of his career, the veteran certainly hasn't been poor, but has handed the reins over to Adelaide's young brigade to lead the charge. Riley Thilthorpe has kicked 41 goals this season, including bags of six against the Bulldogs in Round 18 and five against the Suns and Richmond early in the year. Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele have both provided a spark and pinch-hit in the midfield — with both adding 25 goals to the team's goal tally. Because of this, the pressure has been taken off of Walker — who has led the forward line for the past decade. He's still managed 28 goals as a third option, while Darcy Fogarty has also benefited from Thilthorpe's form, with 34 goals as well. Ben Keays and Alex Neal-Bullen also provide pressure and energy inside 50, providing a headache for all opposition defenders. This has helped Adelaide become the third-ranked team in the competition for points per game, behind only Geelong and the Western Bulldogs. Mark Keane, Josh Worrell and Nick Murray are three players not often spoken about as superstars of the competition. With the likes of Carlton's Jacob Weitering, GWS defender Sam Taylor and Brisbane's Harris Andrews marshalling defensive 50s, Adelaide's key defenders are somewhat unheralded. Despite the lack of media attention, Worrell and Keane are currently the top two players for intercept marks this season, Worrell with 137 and Keane with 134. This form has catapulted Adelaide into the number one spot for total intercepts, with Worrell taking 11 marks against the Suns alone in Round 19. Adelaide also sits second behind only Collingwood for points conceded and, thanks to its damaging forward line, has the healthiest percentage of 139.6 from 18 games. It is worth mentioning Adelaide hasn't played in a final since being belted by the Tigers in the 2017 decider. And it's quite rare for a team to jump straight to a premiership in its first finals appearance in years. So, how much impact will that have on player mentality come September? Crows Coach Matthew Nicks backed his team to lift when the finals begin. He said they would treat their remaining games as a warm-up for September, starting with this week's Showdown. "If you look back on the history of the game, we know what's coming," he said. "It's often talked about in the post-game as finals-like footy, there's not many Showdowns that haven't been. "From our point of view, it's perfect. We want to play in the hardest possible games we can and test ourselves and it won't be any harder than this." Despite their form, the Crows have only won three games against current top eight teams this season, the Suns, Brisbane and the Giants. Nicks said despite the extra commentary his side was getting late in the season, they were not thinking about finals at all. "It's not even something that's crossed our mind," Nicks said. "I think the position we're in is off the back of us not looking at any of that … the reality is it's there and it's noise." Port Adelaide Coach Ken Hinkley, however, was keen to put some pressure on, claiming the Crows should finish on top of the ladder. "Without pumping them up too much … they're the form team of the competition," Hinkley said at this week's Showdown press conference. "They've had an unbelievable run, I think eight or 10 of the last 12 or something. Adelaide play Port Adelaide in Showdown 58 this Saturday night, with clashes against Hawthorn and Collingwood to come in the run to finals. A top four spot should be more than achievable, with Adelaide's remaining matches coming against lowly West Coast and North Melbourne.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
From Showdown I to the Demolition Derby to the Swans-GWS elimination final, the best interstate rivalry games
This weekend, the AFL has scheduled an unofficial Rivalry Round, with no big Melbourne rivalry games but all four of the key interstate clashes on the one weekend. The Showdown. The Western Derby. The Q-Clash. And the Sydney Derby. What makes these games so good? For the Showdown and the Western Derby, the advantage is that they occur in two-team towns in AFL-dominant cities. This means that for the week of the game, it is pretty much THE sporting talking point, so by game-time, the city is at fever pitch. It helps if there is a particular home base of fans — such as Port Adelaide and Fremantle — geographically located in a part of the city. And if there is a socio-economic split, such as the famous Fibros vs Silvertails for Manly vs Wests in rugby league, then all the better. If there's one rule for a good rivalry game, it's this: it doesn't matter where they are on the ladder, whether they're top four or cellar-dwellers, both teams will lift for the games against their cross-town rivals. Clearly, with some of these teams, the on-field fierceness and hostility occasionally spills over, and it's not always limited to game day — just mention the name of the Ramsgate Hotel to people in Adelaide, for example. Big, memorable moments in the games help, too, and if they get the crowd outraged or stunned, then that's just great. The Q-Clash and the Sydney Derby are recent arrivals, so have not had as much time to establish themselves, but there have still been some cracking instalments. So here, with no particular order — because depending on which group of fans you asked, you would get a different answer — are the top seven interstate rivalry games in the AFL era. Two years after the beginning of the Western Derby, South Australia had its own rivalry game after the entry of Port Adelaide into the AFL. The Crows were the first SA team to enter the league in 1991, but only after Port Adelaide tried to negotiate their way into the AFL to start the same season. The moves caused division in South Australian football, setting up a real emotional charge when the Power finally came in. The first Showdown came at Football Park in round four, 1997. The whole city could talk about little else, and more than 47,000 people packed the ground for the inaugural clash. The Crows, coached by Malcolm Blight, were the favourites, having won one of their three games, while Port Adelaide was yet to get off the mark. The tension was there right from the off, with Crows defender Rod Jameson — now an ABC commentator — and Port key forward Scott Cummings squaring up to each other before the bounce and exchanging punches. To say the first quarter was tight was an understatement, as the Power kicked 1.6 to Adelaide's 1.1. Port Adelaide found their kicking boots after quarter time, kicking nine goals to four in the second and third quarters to get out to a 33-point lead. But it wasn't over. The Crows stormed home with six goals to two in the final term, as Crows superstar Tony Modra finished the match with seven goals, but it wasn't to be enough. The final margin was 11 points, and the teal, blue, black and silver half of Adelaide erupted. The Western Derby has had some fairly ferocious encounters in its 30-year history, including the infamous incident in 2018 where the Eagles' Andrew Gaff broke Andrew Brayshaw's jaw with a punch. But for pure mayhem, Western Derby 12 in 2000 took some matching. It had a bit of everything, and in retrospect, it wasn't too big of a surprise. The previous game in the series earlier that year had seen the Eagles belt the Dockers by a close to 20-goal margin. An interview with Freo forward Clive Waterhouse raised the temperature substantially in the days before the return match, when he said, "it wouldn't surprise me if blood was spilled at Subiaco Oval". It was on before the bounce, with Michael Gardiner throwing real jabs at Dockers rookie Mathew Pavlich, and that set the scene for a combustible encounter. Dale Kickett was involved in a couple of fights, taking swings at Eagles players Phillip Read and Andrew Embley, while a benches-clearing brawl at half-time led to seven players being fined by the AFL. Not even the umpires were safe, as Steven Hanley backed into a charging Phil Matera, prompting a huge collision, with Matera himself taken off on a stretcher. West Coast had roared out to a 32-point lead at the main break, with the margin maxing out at 42 points before the Dockers mounted a comeback. With Waterhouse (seven goals) leading the charge, they booted six goals in the final term to hit the front. The Eagles had a chance to win it, but a rushed behind left the Dockers ahead by a solitary point when the siren sounded. The fallout saw Kickett banned for nine weeks, Gardiner banned for two, and the Dockers' Brad Dodd suspended for two weeks for hitting West Coast's Phillip Read, who also was out for a fortnight for striking back. The game was a classic and was quickly branded the "Demolition Derby". The first edition of the Brisbane-Gold Coast rivalry was a cracker, and potentially reached heights that subsequent games have struggled to match. Like Port Adelaide in the original Showdown, the Suns went into the first encounter at the Gabba in round seven, 2011, as big underdogs, especially coming off an embarrassing 139-point thumping by the Bombers the previous week. There was some old-school chat to the media in the lead-up to the game, with Lions champion Simon Black getting stuck into former teammates Michael Rischitelli and Jared Brennan, calling them "mercenaries" for going to the Suns. Gold Coast came out with a point to prove and led by 27 at half-time, and still held a three-goal margin at three-quarter-time. Skipper Gary Ablett junior had a quiet night, but Brennan and Rischitelli responded against their old sides, with 30 disposals and a goal, and 29 touches and 10 tackles respectively. The Lions charged home and levelled the scores with a great pick-up and snap from Todd Banfield with five minutes left. But a controversial free-kick and advantage to the Suns led to a Brandon Matera goal, and Gold Coast hung on to win by eight. The energy levels were right up, with Liam Patrick taking a screamer for the AFL newcomers and Nathan Krakoeur booting five for the Suns, while Ash McGrath kicked six for the Lions. It was the perfect start to the rivalry. Rivalry games mean a lot, and sometimes they come down to small margins. In 2011, the Dockers and the Eagles came together at Subiaco Oval for a typically fierce encounter. There was nothing in it all day, with the lead switching hands and neither side able to make the decisive break. Freo led by three points at quarter time, the Eagles led by a point at the half, then West Coast booted 3.7 to 3.1 to lead by seven with a quarter left. It was still in the balance inside the final minute with the Eagles ahead by two points. Repeat stoppages ran the clock down as the crowd roared and the Dockers got desperate. Finally, Tendai Mzungu was awarded a mark, 80m from goal on the wing. There were 10 seconds left when Mzungu kicked to a contest, the ball was spoiled, but Hayden Ballantyne was given a controversial free. The siren went as Ballantyne lined up from the left forward pocket. His drop punt looked pure as it went towards goal. A pack formed on the line, but the ball looked like it was through, and Ballantyne wheeled away, celebrating with his fist in the air. But the umpires disagreed; the ball had hit the padding on the post, and a distraught Ballantyne lay on the ground as the Eagles celebrated wildly. For 23 seasons, the Adelaide Crows called Football Park home, while Port Adelaide did the same for 17 years. In August 2013, the Crows and Power played their last Showdown at the ground, before games switched to the revamped Adelaide Oval the following season. If anyone had worried whether the two sides could put on a fitting show for the final Showdown at West Lakes, they needn't have been concerned. Showdown 35 was a ripper of a game. It wasn't just the big names who made an impression that day. Along with Patrick Dangerfield and Robbie Gray (four and three goals respectively), there were the likes of Lewis Johnston, who booted four for the Crows, and Angus Monfries, who kicked two for the Power. The Crows led early, but Port Adelaide grabbed the momentum in the second quarter, setting up a 21-point lead at the half. Then it was Adelaide's turn to make a charge, kicking seven goals to two in the third term to lead by 12. The game tightened again in the last, but with 90 seconds left, Port Adelaide still needed two scores to win. The ball fell to former Essendon player Monfries on the edge of 50, and his left-foot shot was going wide for a point. But suddenly it spun savagely back at an incredible angle to somehow go through for a goal, as the umpire hastily back-pedalled to signal a major. The final frantic stages saw the Power attacking, and Monfries chipped high across 50 for Chad Wingard to mark in front. The 19-year-old kicked down the middle for his fifth goal of the day, and Port Adelaide had stolen it at the end. A remarkable finale for the concrete jungle at Football Park. The Crows had turned around Port Adelaide's lead in Showdowns, and by late 2018, they had won five of the last six editions. So the Power came out at Adelaide Oval wanting to improve the ledger. And it was a high-scoring first quarter with five goals apiece, with three goals to Port's Kane Farrell and two to Adelaide's Josh Jenkins. Port Adelaide got on top in the second quarter, with two goals each to Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard to give the Power a nine-point edge at the break. It was tight all the way, with no one being able to break the game open, and there was just a point between them at three-quarter-time. The final term was back and forth, with Wingard getting two early goals, but the Crows hanging in there as the quarter went on. They hit the front through Matt Crouch, before the Power answered again to lead for most of the time-on. Eddie Betts brought Adelaide within four points, then Ollie Wines's checkside missed everything to keep the Crows in it. It came down to a forward entry for Adelaide with the ball bouncing near the square. It fell to Jenkins, who picked it up, stepped, and snapped inside the left goalpost. It was close, but the umpire signalled a goal — and the Crows would win by three points. After the game, Jenkins was asked about the goal, and admitted: 'My grandma raised me to tell no fibs. I think that it hit the post … but I'm pretty happy they [the umpires] didn't think so." Some people criticise the Sydney Derby, saying it lacks the edge of the Showdown or Western Derby, but some of the best encounters between the two sides have come in finals. Four years ago, as the league tried to deal with COVID, the Swans-Giants elimination final was held at York Park in Launceston, with no home ground advantage for the sixth-placed Swans. It started in typical fashion, with an arm-wrestle of a game that saw scores level at quarter-time. But then the Giants blew the game open with a six-goal second term, as Toby Greene had three to half-time with GWS leading by 23. On a grey old day in northern Tasmania, the Giants extended the lead to 29 before Sydney started to bridge the gap. A major to Tom Papley and two to Isaac Heeney gave the Swans hope, but Jesse Hogan kicked a late one to make it 18 points at the last change. The final quarter was all the Swans, as Sydney threw everything at their rivals. GWS's only score came from a behind at the five-minute mark. From there, Heeney booted two quick goals to bring the lead back to seven, with plenty of time left. But as they mounted attack after attack, the Swans kept missing. When Buddy Franklin's set shot from 50 swung left, it was a two-point game with under three minutes left. Justin McInerney's dribble kick from 20 out wobbled goalward, but the Giants rushed it over to make it one point. Try as they might, the Swans couldn't get their chance, and fittingly, the ball was in Greene's hands as the siren went, triggering huge celebrations for GWS.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Showdowns: Hinkley loves them but won't miss them
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley cherishes Showdowns, but won't miss them. Hinkley will coach against arch rival Adelaide for the 25th and final time on Saturday night. "As much as everyone says that they're good for the state, they're not so good for the coaches or the players," he told reporters on Wednesday. "There's a bit of heat on. "... When you lose in this town in a Showdown - a little bit different. You drive in dark at night, you don't go out in daylight when you lose." The Crows edge Port 29-28 overall and Hinkley, who will hand over to assistant Josh Carr at season's end, has won 11 and lost 13. Hinkley acknowledged his injury-ravaged Power would be rank underdogs against the Crows, sitting third and heading to the finals for the first time since 2017. "Without pumping them up too much, that's not something Port tend to do, they're the form team of the competition," Hinkley said. And he had nothing but admiration for Matthew Nicks, a former assistant at Port now in his sixth season as Crows coach. "He has done nothing but support me in his time with us, he went on and created his own career with some courage," Hinkley said, flanked by Nicks at a joint media conference at Adelaide Oval. "I have just admired the way that he's had to be as resilient as he has been. "Matthew should be so proud of what he has done, to be as strong and as gutsy as he has been, I reckon, over the last few years. "It will hurt me to say: I'm glad to see him doing well." Nicks said it would be strange when Hinkley isn't involved in a Showdown next year. "It will be ... it's an unsual feeling sitting here knowing that your opposition coach won't be there next year," Nicks said. "I learnt so much from him in the period of time I worked underneath him and it will be sad to see him go." The Crows are seeking five consecutive wins for the first time under Nicks, who dismissed growing attention on his team as a premiership contender. "It's not even something that has crossed our mind," he said. "The reality is, it's there and it's noise. "But we're just locked in, we're looking at Ken and his group, trying to work through how do we continue the form we're in. "It's not easy to keep momentum and have that belief that we have at this point in time. We know how quickly that can change." Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley cherishes Showdowns, but won't miss them. Hinkley will coach against arch rival Adelaide for the 25th and final time on Saturday night. "As much as everyone says that they're good for the state, they're not so good for the coaches or the players," he told reporters on Wednesday. "There's a bit of heat on. "... When you lose in this town in a Showdown - a little bit different. You drive in dark at night, you don't go out in daylight when you lose." The Crows edge Port 29-28 overall and Hinkley, who will hand over to assistant Josh Carr at season's end, has won 11 and lost 13. Hinkley acknowledged his injury-ravaged Power would be rank underdogs against the Crows, sitting third and heading to the finals for the first time since 2017. "Without pumping them up too much, that's not something Port tend to do, they're the form team of the competition," Hinkley said. And he had nothing but admiration for Matthew Nicks, a former assistant at Port now in his sixth season as Crows coach. "He has done nothing but support me in his time with us, he went on and created his own career with some courage," Hinkley said, flanked by Nicks at a joint media conference at Adelaide Oval. "I have just admired the way that he's had to be as resilient as he has been. "Matthew should be so proud of what he has done, to be as strong and as gutsy as he has been, I reckon, over the last few years. "It will hurt me to say: I'm glad to see him doing well." Nicks said it would be strange when Hinkley isn't involved in a Showdown next year. "It will be ... it's an unsual feeling sitting here knowing that your opposition coach won't be there next year," Nicks said. "I learnt so much from him in the period of time I worked underneath him and it will be sad to see him go." The Crows are seeking five consecutive wins for the first time under Nicks, who dismissed growing attention on his team as a premiership contender. "It's not even something that has crossed our mind," he said. "The reality is, it's there and it's noise. "But we're just locked in, we're looking at Ken and his group, trying to work through how do we continue the form we're in. "It's not easy to keep momentum and have that belief that we have at this point in time. We know how quickly that can change." Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley cherishes Showdowns, but won't miss them. Hinkley will coach against arch rival Adelaide for the 25th and final time on Saturday night. "As much as everyone says that they're good for the state, they're not so good for the coaches or the players," he told reporters on Wednesday. "There's a bit of heat on. "... When you lose in this town in a Showdown - a little bit different. You drive in dark at night, you don't go out in daylight when you lose." The Crows edge Port 29-28 overall and Hinkley, who will hand over to assistant Josh Carr at season's end, has won 11 and lost 13. Hinkley acknowledged his injury-ravaged Power would be rank underdogs against the Crows, sitting third and heading to the finals for the first time since 2017. "Without pumping them up too much, that's not something Port tend to do, they're the form team of the competition," Hinkley said. And he had nothing but admiration for Matthew Nicks, a former assistant at Port now in his sixth season as Crows coach. "He has done nothing but support me in his time with us, he went on and created his own career with some courage," Hinkley said, flanked by Nicks at a joint media conference at Adelaide Oval. "I have just admired the way that he's had to be as resilient as he has been. "Matthew should be so proud of what he has done, to be as strong and as gutsy as he has been, I reckon, over the last few years. "It will hurt me to say: I'm glad to see him doing well." Nicks said it would be strange when Hinkley isn't involved in a Showdown next year. "It will be ... it's an unsual feeling sitting here knowing that your opposition coach won't be there next year," Nicks said. "I learnt so much from him in the period of time I worked underneath him and it will be sad to see him go." The Crows are seeking five consecutive wins for the first time under Nicks, who dismissed growing attention on his team as a premiership contender. "It's not even something that has crossed our mind," he said. "The reality is, it's there and it's noise. "But we're just locked in, we're looking at Ken and his group, trying to work through how do we continue the form we're in. "It's not easy to keep momentum and have that belief that we have at this point in time. We know how quickly that can change."
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
He's unique: Crows coach sings praise of youngster
Adelaide's boom second-year winger Dan Curtin has traits of captain Jordan Dawson, his impressed coach says. And Crows coach Matthew Nicks says Curtin has only scratched the surface with his eye-catching patch of form. The 20-year-old West Australian has overtaken Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft as favourite for the AFL's Rising Star award. After seven games last season, Curtin has played all 18 games and recorded 20 or more disposals in three of his past four outings. The form surge comes after signing a contract extension a month ago to remain in Adelaide until the end of 2029. Prompted about any Curtin's similarities with Crows skipper Dawson, Nicks replied: "There are. "They are similar characters," the coach told reporters on Wednesday. "They have both got incredible belief in themselves; they prioritise team, 100 per cent. "Dan is well and truly above his age from a maturity point of view of what he focuses on what he prioritises and that is similar to Daws. "That's why Daws is our captain - it was a standout that he just had a leadership to him that we knew would help our group develop. "And Dan's already in a great space when it comes to how he works with his teammates and what he prioritises." Most impressive to Nicks was Curtin's prominence in crucial contests in Adelaide's rise to third on the ladder. "The standout, for mine, has been key moments, he has stood up in really big moments," Nicks said. "That's unique for such a young player to be able to do that. "He's still got so much more that he's working through and a lot more in his game that he's going to improve on. "But you need a big moment and you need a player to win a contest? He's shown that multiple times over the last couple of months." Adelaide's boom second-year winger Dan Curtin has traits of captain Jordan Dawson, his impressed coach says. And Crows coach Matthew Nicks says Curtin has only scratched the surface with his eye-catching patch of form. The 20-year-old West Australian has overtaken Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft as favourite for the AFL's Rising Star award. After seven games last season, Curtin has played all 18 games and recorded 20 or more disposals in three of his past four outings. The form surge comes after signing a contract extension a month ago to remain in Adelaide until the end of 2029. Prompted about any Curtin's similarities with Crows skipper Dawson, Nicks replied: "There are. "They are similar characters," the coach told reporters on Wednesday. "They have both got incredible belief in themselves; they prioritise team, 100 per cent. "Dan is well and truly above his age from a maturity point of view of what he focuses on what he prioritises and that is similar to Daws. "That's why Daws is our captain - it was a standout that he just had a leadership to him that we knew would help our group develop. "And Dan's already in a great space when it comes to how he works with his teammates and what he prioritises." Most impressive to Nicks was Curtin's prominence in crucial contests in Adelaide's rise to third on the ladder. "The standout, for mine, has been key moments, he has stood up in really big moments," Nicks said. "That's unique for such a young player to be able to do that. "He's still got so much more that he's working through and a lot more in his game that he's going to improve on. "But you need a big moment and you need a player to win a contest? He's shown that multiple times over the last couple of months." Adelaide's boom second-year winger Dan Curtin has traits of captain Jordan Dawson, his impressed coach says. And Crows coach Matthew Nicks says Curtin has only scratched the surface with his eye-catching patch of form. The 20-year-old West Australian has overtaken Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft as favourite for the AFL's Rising Star award. After seven games last season, Curtin has played all 18 games and recorded 20 or more disposals in three of his past four outings. The form surge comes after signing a contract extension a month ago to remain in Adelaide until the end of 2029. Prompted about any Curtin's similarities with Crows skipper Dawson, Nicks replied: "There are. "They are similar characters," the coach told reporters on Wednesday. "They have both got incredible belief in themselves; they prioritise team, 100 per cent. "Dan is well and truly above his age from a maturity point of view of what he focuses on what he prioritises and that is similar to Daws. "That's why Daws is our captain - it was a standout that he just had a leadership to him that we knew would help our group develop. "And Dan's already in a great space when it comes to how he works with his teammates and what he prioritises." Most impressive to Nicks was Curtin's prominence in crucial contests in Adelaide's rise to third on the ladder. "The standout, for mine, has been key moments, he has stood up in really big moments," Nicks said. "That's unique for such a young player to be able to do that. "He's still got so much more that he's working through and a lot more in his game that he's going to improve on. "But you need a big moment and you need a player to win a contest? He's shown that multiple times over the last couple of months."
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
He's unique: Crows coach sings praise of youngster
Adelaide's boom second-year winger Dan Curtin has traits of captain Jordan Dawson, his impressed coach says. And Crows coach Matthew Nicks says Curtin has only scratched the surface with his eye-catching patch of form. The 20-year-old West Australian has overtaken Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft as favourite for the AFL's Rising Star award. After seven games last season, Curtin has played all 18 games and recorded 20 or more disposals in three of his past four outings. The form surge comes after signing a contract extension a month ago to remain in Adelaide until the end of 2029. Prompted about any Curtin's similarities with Crows skipper Dawson, Nicks replied: "There are. "They are similar characters," the coach told reporters on Wednesday. "They have both got incredible belief in themselves; they prioritise team, 100 per cent. "Dan is well and truly above his age from a maturity point of view of what he focuses on what he prioritises and that is similar to Daws. "That's why Daws is our captain - it was a standout that he just had a leadership to him that we knew would help our group develop. "And Dan's already in a great space when it comes to how he works with his teammates and what he prioritises." Most impressive to Nicks was Curtin's prominence in crucial contests in Adelaide's rise to third on the ladder. "The standout, for mine, has been key moments, he has stood up in really big moments," Nicks said. "That's unique for such a young player to be able to do that. "He's still got so much more that he's working through and a lot more in his game that he's going to improve on. "But you need a big moment and you need a player to win a contest? He's shown that multiple times over the last couple of months."
