Adelaide is poised to commence trade negotiations with Melbourne, following Shane McAdam’s request to join the Demons, for whom the versatile forward has shown a particular predilection.
The 28-year-old McAdam, who finds himself without a contract, took Adelaide’s football world by surprise when he expressed his wish to quit after an association of five seasons and 50 games at West Lakes.
Having been onboarded by Adelaide as a matured age pre-draft enlistee prior to the commencement of the 2019 season, McAdam doesn’t meet the criteria for free agency.
Even though Adelaide had presented a contract offer to McAdam last week, the footballer’s decision to consider other options has left the club disappointed, as they were hoping he would extend his time at West Lakes.
According to an official statement released by Adelaide last Thursday, “McAdam has conveyed his inclination towards a trade-off to the Melbourne Football Club.” The Club, which had shown keen interest in retaining McAdam with a contract on offer during the season, perceives him as a significant player.
Now, Adelaide’s focus has shifted to securing the most beneficial deal for the player during the trade period commencing on October 9th.
Despite participating in just seven games in 2023, McAdam’s striking aerial prowess for his stature and seven goals spanning rounds 21 and 22, indicates a vein of form that could pique the interest of many teams. He had earlier appeared in 15 games during each of the two prior seasons, scoring 23 and 25 goals respectively.
Meanwhile, amid the fluctuating fortunes of the squad, seasoned midfielder Matt Crouch disclosed his enthusiasm to stay with Adelaide, in an interview with SEN, despite experiencing inconsistent performance over the first two weeks.
Overcoming an extended stand at reserves level and six successfully wins at the end of the season with an average of 29 disposals and seven clearances, Crouch recently signed a two-year deal. In doing so, he cemented his place as one of the league’s most influential midfielders during the final rounds.
“I had regular interaction with Crows coach Matthew Nicks during the time I was sidelined, with discussions centering on how my playing style, quite similar to accumulator Rory Laird, might disrupt the Adelaide’s midfield equilibrium.”
Crouch, humbly acknowledging this, stated, “There were moments spent playing SANFL football when I questioned whether I would get back to an AFL level. Fortunately, I managed to seize my opportunity when it came, thanks to an injury to Laird.”
Despite daunting pressure, Crouch believes he handled the 2023 contract year with greater composure than others, like 2022 when he fell out of favor without any rival clubs showing interest.
Crouch concluded, “I had frequent discussions with my manager throughout the season, which at times were distracting and could be stressful; yet, I felt I could navigate through it better this year.”
