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Delisted ruck dominates Crows intra-club, but Adelaide’s health means AFL lifeline looks unlikely
Lachlan Geleit • February 18th, 2025 7:32 pm
Two-time Adelaide premiership captain Mark Bickley was impressed by the work of delisted Sydney ruckman Lachlan McAndrew in the Crows’ intra-club match on Friday.
McAndrew, who has signed for Adelaide in the SANFL, has trained with the Crows’ AFL squad over the pre-season and Bickley says he dominated experienced ruck Reilly O’Brien for parts of last Friday’s clash.
While such performances would usually land a player on a list via the SSP period, Adelaide’s full bill of health heading into 2025 means there’s no way they can add McAndrew to their squad unless someone goes down with a long-term injury this week.
Despite not having the option to list the 24-year-old, Bickley was wowed by his work close up at West Lakes.
“The big talking point (from the intra-club) was a guy called Lachlan McAndrew,” Bickley told SEN SA Breakfast.
“People would say, who's Lachie McAndrew? He was the ruckman who was delisted from Sydney last year but was called in with an S.O.S when Kieran Strachan went down (with a foot injury).
“He actually was quite dominant in the first half. He jumped all over Reilly O'Brien, he beat him in the first half and kicked a goal. His tap work was also good.
“He's 210 centimetres, so he has quite a large physical advantage over O'Brien, but I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is a player who has got something’.
“But his contract situation is interesting, he has signed on to play for Adelaide in the SANFL, and now that Strachan is coming back from injury, Adelaide doesn’t have a list spot (in the AFL).
“He cannot be listed by Adelaide unless somehow a list spot opens up in the next few days, which is when the list lodgement closes.”
As a result, Bickley thinks that McAndrew will loom as a serious Mid-Season Draft option for the Crows as well as other clubs if he keeps up this level of performance in the SANFL in 2025.
Bickley thinks that Adelaide could even send McAndrew to Norwood to give him the opportunity to play full-time ruck if Strachan returns from injury and slots in for the Crows’ reserves side.
“If he goes back and he's signed with the Adelaide Crows in the SANFL, can you really have a 210-centimetre player in McAndrew playing with Kieran Strachan? Do you want both of those guys in your SANFL side?” Bickley asked.
“So, there's a few whispers suggesting that maybe McAndrew might go and play for Norwood on some sort of loan arrangement.
“If he does that, I think if he performs anywhere near as he did on Friday night, come the mid-season draft … I think he's going to be a huge person they're going to look at.”
The Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period closes on Friday, February 21.
