ADELAIDE ruckman Reilly O'Brien is determined to recapture the stoppage craft that made him a club champion in 2020 after losing his mojo and overthinking his game in 2022.
O'Brien, who has enjoyed an outstanding pre-season, was disappointed with his form last year, playing 20 games as the club's No.1 ruckman but finishing outside the top 10 in the Malcolm Blight Medal.
The 27-year-old lost one of his major assets as a ruckman who could follow up at ground level, becoming "flat-footed" after ruck contests and averaging a career-low 13.3 disposals.
O'Brien said he had found a better balance in his approach to football, however, and he was excited to get back to playing an instinctive and energetic style when the Crows travel to Perth next month for back-to-back pre-season matches.
"The thing I've been working on, which I probably lost a bit last year, was just my work around the stoppages in terms of my follow-up," O'Brien told AFL.com.au on Tuesday as the Crows helped promote Gather Round in South Australia.
"I was flat-footed at times and I felt a bit slow, so I've been doing a lot of work on my agility and repeat efforts to really have a big impact around there this year.
"After every year you reflect and assess how you went and look at why the year went the way it did … and that follow-up stood out as an area that dropped off. That probably flowed into other areas of my game in terms of my marking as well.
"They're my key strengths and they are the things that I know will make me a good player and help the team."
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O'Brien said he was feeling as fit as he ever has this pre-season, with the ruckman also adding strength in the gym during an uninterrupted summer.
The biggest change he has made, however, is turning off his all-encompassing footy mindset and taking a more balanced approach to his work.
"It's probably finding time to not obsess over footy 24-7, because I found myself in that phase a bit last year and I would be thinking about my performances constantly," O'Brien said.
"You just don't get a release when you're in that headspace, and I think it really zaps your energy and it can lead to performances that are sub-par because you don't have the instincts and the energy.
"I'm just trying to leave my footy at the club and then not treat it as a 24-7 thing to think about, so that's been a key change compared to last year.
"I still feel like I've got the same work ethic and routines and I'm doing all the work to improve my footy, but it's without overthinking and overcomplicating the game."
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O'Brien has solid competition in the ruck this pre-season, with teammate Kieran Strachan also enjoying a strong summer and pushing him on the track after playing two games last year.
Exciting youngster Riley Thilthorpe and forward Elliott Himmelberg have also mixed their time between attack and the ruck, with O'Brien highlighting Thilthorpe as a young player who could take a big step this year.
The Crows will launch Gather Round in April when the competition converges on Adelaide, meeting Carlton on a Thursday night to kick off an entire round of matches in South Australia.
O'Brien said there was excitement building in the state and the Crows felt an expectation to perform on the big stage.
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"To have all nine games here is incredible, so it will be great to have an influx of people come over and hopefully it's a really good weekend of footy and a carnival atmosphere," he said.
"There's certainly an expectation from our end, and I really want to win that big game on a Thursday night to open up the weekend."
