Crows to stand tall over time

ADELAIDE coach Neil Craig is confident his club's imposing stockpile of talls will hold it in good stead when the new Gold Coast and Western Sydney teams enter the competition in 2012-2013.

The Crows selected three key-position players, prized no. 10 draft pick Phil Davis, ruckman/forward Shaun McKernan and utility Will Young, in last year's NAB AFL Draft and added to their treasure trove of talls on Thursday night.

Recruiting manager Matt Rendell selected four players over 190cm in height, including highly-rated big man Daniel Talia, Sandringham Dragons' utility Jack Gunston, big-leaping Vic Metro forward Sam Shaw and local ruckman James Craig.
 
The Crows' coach stressed it was important the club planned ahead, saying key-position players would be rare finds in the next two drafts.

"We're really comfortable with what we've been able to select and they [our picks] give us good depth in all areas," Craig said on Friday.

"It was important for us to do [add talls to the list] because it's been well documented the way the draft is going to go over the next two years, what's going to be available and the concessions that the two new clubs will have.

"Our list management committee have planned really well and we're confident we've got a good squad together."

Rendell admitted the club didn't need another ruckman, but saw the opportunity of securing Craig - the All-Australian U18 ruckman - at pick No. 61 as too good to pass up.

Craig, 18, recorded the third-highest leap in draft camp history behind Hawthorn defender Trent Croad and West Coast's Nick Naitanui, at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra last month.

At 195cm, he's considered 'under-sized' by traditional ruckman standards, but his outstanding leap and clever tap work saw him dominate the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

The North Adelaide junior, who is no relation to his new coach, said he was thrilled to be drafted by the team he has supported all his life.

"I was over the moon when my name got called out. It's the best-case scenario being drafted by the Crows," Craig said.

"I don't have to move away from home or worry about anything else. I'm rapt to stay in Adelaide. I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Craig had spoken to most clubs in the lead up to Thursday night's draft and was touted as a potential top-30 pick.
But he said he didn't mind waiting until the fourth round to hear his name called.

"You don't go in [to the draft] with your hopes too high because you don't want to come off too disappointed," he said.

"I was getting a bit nervous thinking I might end up missing out, but it doesn't really matter what number you get picked at. Once you're on the list, you've got an opportunity and you see where you go from there."

The aspiring schoolteacher made his SANFL league debut for the Roosters late this season.

Craig, who was confident he still had some growing to do, said he was looking forward to playing consistent football at senior level before pushing his way into the cutthroat Adelaide side.

"It'll be tough to get a game at any club, but we've got some pretty strong big men here. I'll see how I go and I'll just have to get bigger and stronger."