What is a pass mark for the Adelaide Crows in 2021?
Coming off their worst-ever season and first wooden spoon, Kane Cornes believes the club needs to win six to eight games.
When asked by SEN SA Breakfast co-host Andrew Hayes what the Crows need to do in 2021 to get a tick, the former Port Adelaide midfielder set the bar at eight wins.
“You have to improve. They can’t get any worse. It was their worst season ever, 3 wins from 17,” Cornes said.
“If there was an over-under I’d be disappointed if it was under eight (wins) for the Crows this year.
“It hasn’t been helped by this injury to Tom Doedee who’s played just 10 games in two years. He’s had a knee, a hammy, now has got a groin, so that’s a real concern for them and I doubt he’ll be playing Round 1. Talia’s also injured.”
Veteran Taylor Walker told local radio earlier in the week to expect a Round 1 debut for second round draft pick James Rowe.
Cornes believes the 21-year-old out of Woodville-West Torrens will be the only Adelaide rookie we see early in the year.
“The word out of Adelaide is he’s the only one ready to go,” he said.
“I’d have thought Thilthorpe wouldn’t be too far away.
“Crows fans, what the club is saying is don’t expect too many of the young players to have a big impact straight up, James Rowe will be one of those.”
Cornes admits Thilthorpe, the number two pick in the draft, has shown a lot of promise at training so far this summer.
“I can’t wait to watch Thilthorpe play," he said.
I think he’s going to excite a lot of people and what I’m excited about his aggression and his attack on the footy and his versatility to ruck, to go forward, but to also be clean at ground level and his ability to score as well, so I hope he gets a good run at it.
“Perhaps 10 or so games would be a good result for him this year.”
Cornes and Hayes debated what Adelaide’s forward line could look like in 2021 if Thilthorpe is ready to go early.
Hayes: “I’d be extremely surprised if he (Thilthorpe) doesn’t play Round 1.”
Cornes: “Pick me a forward line then, who misses? Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty, Elliott Himmelberg or Riley Thilthorpe? You can’t play four of them, you can’t.”
Hayes: “It’s really hard. Tex is playing, Fogarty is playing as well.”
Cornes: “So Himmelberg is out? Hayesy’s dropped Himmelberg, everyone.”
Hayes: “Kane’s jumped the gun everyone … it’s pretty hard to select a team, someone’s going to miss out.”
Adelaide takes on Geelong at the Adelaide Oval in Round 1.