Adelaide's Christmas List
Adelaide's Christmas List:
Someone to kick goals, and everyone healthy for September.
The Crows have been contenders ever since they changed coaches but a Grand Final has eluded them. Coach Craig needs a few more goals, and a bit of luck with injuries, and 2007 could be Adelaide's year.
Maybe the first wish on their list has already been taken care of. They signed Scott Welsh to a new contract and drafted big forwards Sellar, Tippett and Gill. Ricciuto, Burton and Bode are also going to kick plenty of goals next season, and although they will miss Hentschel up forward they still have Perrie and McGregor.
But they could use someone who will kick over 50 goals in 2007. If Ricciuto is healthy and plays every game as their full forward then he should be the answer. That is also the second part of their Christmas wish, the health of their stars.
When Ricciuto, Burton and McLeod missed games towards the end of season 2006 it was always going to hurt the Crows chances for the AFL Premiership. A team can lose one star and still win, and the Crows did that in 1997 when Ricciuto missed the Grand Final, but it gets a bit tough when several stars are out.
The Crows didn't just lose players at the most important time of the season in 2006, they lost the players they needed to kick winning scores. They have already lost Hentschel for 2007 so they really need to have Ricciuto and Burton make it through the regular season unscathed.
Adelaide will also hope their ruckmen make it to September as well. Hudson and Maric will need to carry the load next season with Biglands out and Clarke gone. Hudson will want to be like Rehn when it comes to winning for Adelaide, but he won't want to be like Rehn when it comes to multiple knee injuries.
The Crows will have to wait nine months to see if they did get what they needed, and if all their stars are firing then the Crows could be celebrating their third AFL Premiership.
Over the next 16 days of Christmas there will be a story about what would be at the top of all the AFL teams' Christmas lists.
Someone to kick goals, and everyone healthy for September.
The Crows have been contenders ever since they changed coaches but a Grand Final has eluded them. Coach Craig needs a few more goals, and a bit of luck with injuries, and 2007 could be Adelaide's year.
Maybe the first wish on their list has already been taken care of. They signed Scott Welsh to a new contract and drafted big forwards Sellar, Tippett and Gill. Ricciuto, Burton and Bode are also going to kick plenty of goals next season, and although they will miss Hentschel up forward they still have Perrie and McGregor.
But they could use someone who will kick over 50 goals in 2007. If Ricciuto is healthy and plays every game as their full forward then he should be the answer. That is also the second part of their Christmas wish, the health of their stars.
When Ricciuto, Burton and McLeod missed games towards the end of season 2006 it was always going to hurt the Crows chances for the AFL Premiership. A team can lose one star and still win, and the Crows did that in 1997 when Ricciuto missed the Grand Final, but it gets a bit tough when several stars are out.
The Crows didn't just lose players at the most important time of the season in 2006, they lost the players they needed to kick winning scores. They have already lost Hentschel for 2007 so they really need to have Ricciuto and Burton make it through the regular season unscathed.
Adelaide will also hope their ruckmen make it to September as well. Hudson and Maric will need to carry the load next season with Biglands out and Clarke gone. Hudson will want to be like Rehn when it comes to winning for Adelaide, but he won't want to be like Rehn when it comes to multiple knee injuries.
The Crows will have to wait nine months to see if they did get what they needed, and if all their stars are firing then the Crows could be celebrating their third AFL Premiership.
Over the next 16 days of Christmas there will be a story about what would be at the top of all the AFL teams' Christmas lists.
