HE'S BEST known for tormenting North Melbourne with his prowess in attack but Adelaide's Sam Kerridge is hoping he'll hurt other opposition sides this year through the midfield.
Kerridge has 10 goals in his two games against the Kangaroos, including a haul of six in the second half of the Crows' miracle one-point win at Etihad Stadium in round nine, 2013.
Last year he booted four at Adelaide Oval as Adelaide cruised to a 36-point win.
The 21-year-old also showed his worth as a defensive midfielder last year in the absence of the injured Nathan van Berlo and has running power that would be the envy of most players in the competition.
He beat van Berlo in the club's 2km time trial in January – the first time in recent memory the former skipper has had to relinquish his crown as Adelaide's time-trial king.
Having improved his understanding of what it takes to play through the middle by studying his more experienced teammates, Kerridge hoped he'd be given opportunity to follow in their footsteps.
"I grew up playing as a midfielder and felt I was drafted as a midfielder and someone who can push forward," Kerridge said.
"To play in the midfield you've got to be really switched on and know your game and that's something that you learn off the older guys like Scott Thompson, Nathan van Berlo and now Rory Sloane – (midfield coach) Scott Camporeale has been really hot on that as well.
"It's not so much your fitness and how strong you are and big bodies, it's also your game knowledge – where to position yourself, where to stand."
Kerridge missed eight weeks in the second half of last season with what was described as a "hot spot" in his foot.
He had featured in Adelaide's opening 13 games of the season but the injury forced him out of the side until round 23.
He hasn't missed a beat this summer though and said he was itching to put his hard work into practice during the NAB Challenge.
Encouragingly for Kerridge, the Crows' opening game is against the Kangaroos in Port Lincoln on March 1.
