The Dan Curtin midfield move that Adelaide must consider for semi-final clash

Is it time to thrust Dan Curtin into the midfield?

There were issues all over the ground for the Crows on Thursday night against Collingwood.

The ball movement was too straight line and lacked dare, the entries too often found Darcy Moore and the Crows were too happy to just dump kick the footy.

The Crows’ forward 50 stoppage game, such a strength for them this year, was literally non-existence.

The defence had their worst night for a long time.

And while the Crows actually won the clearance battle 35-33, few would say their midfield won the war - with the Magpies’ third-quarter blitz the killer blow.

Coming into this season it looked like the Crows had finally got the midfield depth fans had been crying out for.

All of a sudden it is looking thin.

Izak Rankine’s suspension and the unfortunate retirement of Matt Crouch because of persistent hip and groin injuries - as well as Rachele having been unavailable through his knee injury - has meant the variety of options Matthew Nicks had in front of him has dwindled.

On Thursday night Nicks went back to the past with Rory Laird getting his first centre bounce attendances for the season and Ben Keays since Round 7 against Fremantle.

But there is a reason Nicks went away from this duo in the first place.

When Laird and Keays were full time midfielders for the Crows the knock on them was that the on-ball group, outside of captain Jordan Dawson, was too workmanlike and did not have enough points of difference.

It is looking that way again, especially if Dawson gets clamped like he did against the Pies on Thursday.

His main running mates in the guts Jake Soligo and Sam Berry give their all but they present their own issues. In Soligo’s case he turned the ball over too much, with a disposal efficiency of just 38 per cent from his 21 disposals against the Pies with six turnovers.

For Berry, while he got his hands on the footy at the contest, he had little impact after that.

On the other hand the Magpies had Nick Daicos doing his usual star stuff, but got Jordan De Goey back to his best as he tore the Crows apart at stoppages.

The good news for the Crows is that the Hawks don’t have these gamebreaking qualities in their midfield with Will Day injured.

But in Conor Nash they have someone who could very much shut down Dawson.

So the Crows need something different in their midfield.

The temptation could be Rachele if he is deemed fit enough, but he is needed in the forward line.

Before Rankine got banned the Crows were the best team in the competition for points from forward 50 stoppages.

In the two games without him they have kicked one and zero points from this source, with the scoreless effort against Collingwood in the qualifying final just the fourth time in their history this has happened.

Rachele is required in the forward line to try and get this back for the Crows.

So why can’t Curtin be the answer to revitalising what has become a stale midfield in recent weeks?

We all know just how talented he is and a shift inside could be exactly what he and the team needs.

The Crows have tried him in the middle before and at 197cm he gives Nicks a different option in there.

It also might be a way of getting him back to the form he showed earlier this season that had him spoken about as a rising star winner.

In recent weeks Curtin has been relatively quiet on a wing, even though he got 17 disposals against the Pies last week he didn’t have considerable impact on the game.

His highest disposal count in over a month (22 against Port Adelaide) came when he was at 52 per cent of centre bounces for the Crows.

He also was at 19 per cent of them a week later the last time the Crows took on the Hawks at Adelaide Oval.

A fine kick, good hands and the ability to do something different, Curtin figures to be a staple of the Crows midfield for years to come when they add him and No. 4 pick Sid Draper - when he is ready - in alongside Dawson.

Nicks went back to the past as things unravelled against Collingwood.

Now, with the Crows’ season is on the line, is it time for him to look to the future?

SANFL WATCH: WHICH CROWS ARE PUSHING FOR SELECTION?

Adelaide’s SANFL side has gone out of its finals campaign in straight sets, but a number of players have put their foot forward to help the AFL side avoid a similar fate.

The Crows went down to Norwood in the semi final on Sunday at Adelaide Oval, in front of senior coach Matthew Nicks - who was watching with a number of stars such as Riley Thilthorpe and Josh Rachele.

Of those who would have caught Nicks’ eye included Harry Schoenberg and Luke Nankervis in particular.

Schoenberg, who was last in the senior side in the Round 23 win over Collingwood for his one AFL appearance this season, had 25 disposals, 10 clearances and a goal.

Nankervis has played seven games at AFL level this year but has not been sighted since before the Crows’ mid-season bye.

He had 20 disposals, seven marks and a goal to push his case for a recall.

Lachie Murphy had 20 disposals and eight clearances in the midfield.

More Coverage

Carefree Ginni returns to Adelaide after ‘embarrassing’ journo run-in

Jon Ralph

Finals stage fright shocked Crows but one stat remains in their favour

Matt Turner

After six goals and 23 disposals the week before medium forward Brayden Cook was nowhere near as prolific on Sunday against Norwood.

While he had some nice moments, he finished with the one goal and 10 disposals.

No. 4 draftee Sid Draper had 16 disposals and nine tackles, while Chayce Jones had 18 disposals and six tackles himself.

Originally published as The Dan Curtin midfield move that Adelaide must consider for semi-final clash