PLAYER RATINGS - AIDAN RILEY

So he's played a few decent games at AFL level. And he's a consistent ball and clearance winner at SANFL and still young enough and with the right mix of skills and athleticism to develop the outside game. Even if he doesn't we can't just rely on Viney, Tyson and Michie, we have to develop the next line of clearance players as well.

Overall even despite the injury set up I'm much more impressed having Riley on our list than Magner.

Originally a NSW scholarship player... Assuming thats the Paul Roos connection

Loving the work of what Roos is doing..!

We finally have some decent midfield depth!

Go dees

Adelaide injury list

This site suggests it's a broken leg in R15 this year. Cute of the MFC presser to ignore that and talk about his broken arm early in the season.

He looks like Gysbert in a different jumper

Gysberts has duped us and has found his way back onto the list ... darn.

Surely one of Jetta or Nicho is gone.

Two things - he must be highly regarded at the Dees to think that he won't be waiting in the rookie draft and Viney, Roos and co REALLY don't rate our midfield group.

Really the recruiting team have balanced up who will be available at pick 57 compared to Riley and gone with Riley. I don't think it's about not rating who've we have assembled but recognizing despite the 4 big additions (Vince, Cross, Tyson, Michie) we delisted 4 pure midfielders as well (Magner, Couch, Rodan, Taggert). So we hadn't really added depth. Just replaced the depth who weren't up to AFL standard with 4 guys who will be who now force competition on the likes of Matt Jones, Evans, McKenzie and Toumpas. Riley is the first addition that adds depth in numbers from last year. Pick 9 will be the next addition.

Gysberts has duped us and has found his way back onto the list... darn.

Presume that photo is in his first year or so.

Fast forward a couple of years later and he has plenty of size. Unlike Gysberts I'm tipping Riley has improved physically since his first year

AFC AUCTIONS ONLINE

We will have to delist Jetta or Nicholson in order to use three picks in the draft next Thursday.

We are only bound to two draft picks; Clisby's upgrade counts as one of the three mandatory selections.

Gysberts has duped us and has found his way back onto the list... darn.

Nothing like Gysberts, Riley is tough/works his arse off in games.

Tad underwhelmed by this pick-up. As always I'm happy to be surprised but feel it's a little overkill on the whole 'we need big bodied clearance players' thing.

He was pick 58 in the 2010 Rookie Draft, and played 12 games at the Crows, who I'd say are far from deep in that department.

I've seen nothing that separates him and I don't particularly see why he wouldn't be available as a rookie. After the Jack Hannath experience I'm guessing we learnt our lesson to bite the bullet.

Congratulations to Aidan, as in this video you can see he has some good lower body strength and I'll always back anyone who puts on the red and blue, but up front I'm certainly not jumping as high as Dom or even the qualities Cross brings us.

Pick 57 is irrelevant in the rookie draft, he was one of their scholarship players so could add him to their list without burning a higher pick.

Originally a NSW scholarship player... Assuming thats the Paul Roos connection

Unlikely I'd say. NSW scholarships were given out to guys when they were 15 or 16 and then they were developed by the AFL club, no real swans link like the new Academy set ups.

There's more chance it was a Neil Craig crows tip who would've known him from his days coaching their and recognised talent. I would think the club has been monitoring out of contract midfielders not getting games from clubs with deep midfields (ie. Michie at Freo) since early in the season.

The early selection before the draft/rookie draft indicates the likelihood of another offer and with Essendon having Craig and Simon Goodwin it wouldn't surprise me if they wanted a depth clearance midfielder given their lack of draft picks. Or possible Matt Rendell providing input at Collingwood. Adelaide were certainly right at the top of the list in terms of teams with excess of promising if not star midfielders. Guys like Lyons, Grigg, Kerridge, Crouch to go with the bigger names. Hence why they sent us Vince when the deal suited them and delisted Riley despite him showing plenty of talent. The injury certainly cost against him. Much like us losing patience with Petterd when we had so many similar types of under performing flankers and him constantly being injured.

What does that mean in respect to draft picks and more players to be delisted?

muwhahahaha !!!

The highlights were interesting. His kicking is a bit up and under, but he does seem to know where to put the ball at least. Far more interesting were his second efforts. It shows him repeatedly disposing of the ball and then running on to create options again, in one case picking up the spillage from his own kick further downfield. I suspect it is that more than anything which would make him attractive to our coaching department. He'll need to put in some work on the weights to get the bulk he needs to play that way in the AFL though.

We are only bound to two draft picks; Clisby's upgrade counts as one of the three mandatory selections.

Pretty sure Hogan counts as well.

and already his name's mis-spelt !! lol

It's AidAn !!

Comes across as being a Viney selection, I'm willing to back it.

...

the 4 big additions (Vince, Cross, Tyson, Michie)

... delisted 4 pure midfielders as well (Magner, Couch, Rodan, Taggert).

...

So we hadn't really added depth. Just replaced the depth who weren't up to AFL standard with 4 guys who will be who now force competition on the likes of Matt Jones, Evans, McKenzie and Toumpas...

I like this post a lot because it shows that the dumped 4 players who weren't paying AFL for 3 blokes who should play 15-20 games, and one who could play a few.

In that way we have added depth, because we have an extra 4 mids to choose from because last year, with those 4 on the list, we were effectively 4 mids short.

Our depth is now done of the mids that played in 2013

Add pick 9 and Riley and we have 6 potential players as depth (ie outside our best 22 that we may actually select).

a bit more meat in this pic

With Sylvia leaving Melbourne's redhead stocks were becoming dangerously low.

Some of the comments are got from the Crows supporters.

''Inside midfielder, isn't particularly big, but goes very hard at it. Solid speed, solid disposal, very good tackle''

''Aidan is a clearance machine given a chance and an injury free run. Unfortunately he is always throwing himself into the pack of players which contributes to the aforementioned injuries''.

Sounds like an absolute tough nut.

No wonder they call him PigDog!

Originally a NSW scholarship player... Assuming thats the Paul Roos connection

Drafted to Adelaide via NSW scholarship in '09.

Viney was assistant coach at Adelaide 2009-2010 and played a big role here last year in recruiting.

Lets see how many fellow Landers put him in their starting 22 for round one........ You know it will happen.

separated at birth ??

This and the Michie trade indicate that Roos prefers speculative 21 year olds over speculative 18 year olds. I know nothing about Riley so I have no idea if he'll be any good, but the rationale seems reasonable.

Interesting. I have no idea either way, but interesting nonetheless. Good luck Aidan.