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Bickley: The ideal players the Crows should target
SEN • September 16th, 2025 12:14 pm
In a perfect world the Adelaide Crows should pursue a player like Zac Bailey.
The emerging Brisbane Lions star, who claimed his first All-Australian blazer this year, is contracted until the end of next year.
But if the Crows are to improve their list on the back of the disappointing straight sets finals exit, who could they go after from rival clubs?
Two-time premiership captain Mark Bickley considered a number of names while putting forward Bailey as the perfect player in a perfect world for the Crows.
“If you had your choice, Zac Bailey would be on the top of the list,” Bickley said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“I’d be happy to part with the big money to get Zac Bailey because he’s just a dynamic player, he bursts out of stoppages, he’s damaging, he hits the scoreboard.
“On the weekend he only had 16 touches but kicked three goals. He brings other players into the game. He’s just starting to develop as a midfielder. He’s been behind Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage, Will Ashcroft and all of those players.
“He’s proven he can go into the midfield, he’s got finals experience, all of that.”
Melbourne’s Christian Petracca and to a lesser extent Clayton Oliver have also been mentioned in trade circles.
Petracca in particular could become available but Bickley is not quite sold on the 29-year-old Dees star.
“Petracca and Oliver, I’m just not sold on both those guys over the last 18 months,” Bickley added.
“There’s been less explosiveness from them both with the way Melbourne has played it’s get the stoppage and then just get it out of there.
“If you’re going to pursue Petracca, I’d be more inclined to, say Taylor Walker doesn’t play next year, that’s the role of Christian Petracca as that high forward. And you’re hoping he can kick 40 goals. But what he does bring, if you need a lift like on the weekend, he can go into the midfield and do what Jordan De Goey did the week before.
“He still has that craft because he’s a star player, but I wouldn’t recruiting him to play as a pure midfielder because you’ve got Jordan Dawson there for that.”
Furthermore, the 272-game former Crow has implored the club to strongly consider younger players, specifically picking out North Melbourne’s Tom Powell.
The 23-year-old, drafted from SANFL club Sturt, played 23 games this season and finished eight in North’s best and fairest.
Powell is contracted until the end of 2026.
“I’d be looking at teams like Gold Coast and North Melbourne who have invested heavily in the draft,” he said further.
“The Roos in particular have a whole heap of highly talented youngsters that aren’t playing at the moment. Go and grab some of those guys. Tom Powell for example, I think he’s an excellent player. He’s a South Australian kid, his dad (Matthew) played for the Crows (16 games in the 1990s).
“He’s doing some (good) stuff at North Melbourne. But they’ve got George Wardlaw, Harry Sheezel who will be a midfielder, and others that are moving through there. I just wonder whether you mightn’t be able to say, ‘Hey, come over to Adelaide and in a better side you’ll be a much better player, and finals are on the agenda here as well’.
“I think you’re scouring the competition to look for players that may be are on the cusp of breaking out and you’re offering them the opportunity to come to a good club.”
