Adelaide Crows believe they're already ahead of the game, having picked up Brad Crouch in last year's mini-draft. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser
ADELAIDE has vowed to take a best-available-player philosophy into tomorrow's AFL National Draft, despite the threat of long draft bans hanging over its head.
Having temporarily dodged a draft bullet as the AFL continues its investigations into the Kurt Tippett scandal, the Crows are under huge pressure to make the most of their two "live" picks at the Gold Coast draft.
Depending on the outcome of the Tippett investigation, this could be the last National Draft Adelaide is allowed to enter for two years.
Admitting they have holes to fill with tall players and outside run, the Crows have to get their picks - at numbers 20 and 54 - right.
If not, they could pay a long-term price.
"Clearly it's an important draft for us, but I think all drafts are important," Adelaide list manager David Noble said.
"The threat of being banned from upcoming drafts gives the perception this one has a bit of added importance for us.
"But we'll go about the draft process like we always do, which is to cash-in on all the homework we've done on players to get to this point.
"At pick 20, we're certainly confident of bringing in a player who we think can help round out our list and contribute for a long time."
Despite admitting to wanting to boost the club's tall and running stocks, Noble said he and recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie - in his first draft in the head role after replacing Matt Rendell - would take the best player still on the draft board.
"You want the best talent, especially with a first-round pick," Noble said.
"The bottom line is you want to boost your talent pool at the draft. Positional needs and filling gaps on your list are best solved through trading or when you've got plenty of (draft) picks.
"We've only got two `live' selections so we'll take the best available players to keep building our list. If that means we have to trade in the future to fill holes, so be it."
Noble said he is confident this year's draft has plenty of first-round depth, enabling a young ace to fall into Adelaide's hands at No. 20.
Selection 20 has proven a mixed bag for clubs since the first national draft in 1986.
Port Adelaide premiership player and four times club champion Kane Cornes is the best player who has been snared at pick 20 (in 2000) while Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe (2009) is an emerging star.
But there have been plenty of flops, such as North Melbourne's Brett Hawkey (in 1989), Sydney's Stuart Mangin (1994), Hawthorn's Daniel Elstone (2001), Essendon's Tom Hisplop (2006) and West Coast's Tony Notte (2007), who played 32 games between them.
Noble said he is confident this year's draft has plenty of first-round depth, enabling a young ace to fall into Adelaide's hands at No. 20.
"We like the players who we think will be available to us in the first round, there's plenty of quality there," he said.
"And at No. 54 we think we can find someone who will also be able to come in and play a role for us."
The Crows already say they are a draft winner, claiming last year's mini-draft pick-up Brad Crouch would have been a certain top-three pick this year.
The 19-year-old - who already has spent a year on the Adelaide list - is expected to be in coach Brenton Sanderson's round one side next season.
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