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Crows in the market for midfield talent: Ricciuto

Adelaide powerbroker Mark Ricciuto has signalled the club is hunting for more midfielders after being knocked out of the AFL finals.

Sep 19, 2016, updated Sep 19, 2016
Scott Thompson contemplates his football future with Rory Sloane after the loss to the Swans. Photo: Dean Lewins / AAP

Scott Thompson contemplates his football future with Rory Sloane after the loss to the Swans. Photo: Dean Lewins / AAP

Ricciuto, a board member and chairman of the Crows’ list management committee, says Adelaide’s playing list is “pretty good” but needs improving.

“If they can find another mid through the draft or trade or whatever, then that can only be a good thing,” Ricciuto told Triple M radio today.

“We have got a pretty good list now but it needs to get better to win flags.”

With veteran midfielder Scott Thompson uncertain to be offered a contract for next season, Ricciuto said “other blokes need to stand up”.

“Brad Crouch needs to have a good off-season, Matt Crouch needs to continue (developing),” he said.

“Young Harrison Wigg is coming along quite nicely, young (Wayne) Milera is going to improve next year, Riley Knight will improve next year.”

Ricciuto called for a cool-headed review into Adelaide’s finals campaign after being eliminated by Sydney in a semi-final – the second consecutive year the Crows have fallen at that stage.

“Emotion takes over for a couple of days,” he said.

“But you have just got to have a good review and work out where you need to improve and how you can improve and then go and do it.

“After you get knocked out, things start getting bandied around a bit more – a lot of clubs don’t talk about your players while you are playing out of respect, but there is always movement at clubs.

“Some players will move for opportunities, some will move because you want them to move, and then some will just get better from getting a little bit older. It’s always an interesting off-season.”

Adelaide captain Taylor Walker says he hopes the Crows offers stalwart Thompson a new contract, with Adelaide hierarchy to likely decide this week whether to table a fresh deal to the 33-year-old, who may not be granted his wish of continuing at the Crows.

But Walker hopes the 306-game veteran is retained by the club.

“Himself, his management and the club will decide that … but I have loved playing with Thommo,” Walker told reporters in Adelaide yesterday.

“Not only his on-field stuff but his off-field stuff, he teaches me a lot as a leader, as a person, his ability to teach all the young midfielders.

“So he has got a lot to give to the footy club. I would love to see him go around again.”

The heavy defeat to the Swans was the second consecutive season the Crows have been semi-final losers but Walker believed his club’s premiership window remained open.

“One-hundred per cent. I have got a lot of confidence and belief in the group we have got,” he said.

The Crows skipper admitted he was “angry” at again falling at the same stage of the season but was pleased at the club’s improvement over the course of the year.

“We have made some steps but we need to make more big steps to get what we want,” he said.

“As a footy club we set some clear goals going into finals and we wanted to play in a premiership and we didn’t.

“As a captain I’m very proud of what we have achieved but I’m not happy.

“We’re a good footy club but we want to be a great footy club. And do to that we need to get better.”

The Crows are braced to lose football operations manager David Noble to a similar role at the Brisbane Lions.

-AAP

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