“It’s a Distant Memory” - Clarke Not Reflecting on 2023
As Adelaide prepare to take on Port in the first Showdown at Alberton Oval, Coach Matthew Clarke says last year’s lessons healed over a long pre-season. Adelaide bowed out of season 2023 to North Melbourne, falling short of a Grand Final berth by one point.
“Last season we were really happy with lots of parts of it, but in the end we fell short. It’s a long time ago,” Clarke began.
“I’ve always felt really comfortable and confident that we couldn’t have done much more [in the pre-season].
“That gives you a sense of peace of mind that ultimately you’ve done enough. Now we just let it roll and see how we track. Let’s see if we improved.”
Clarke also mentioned that the Crows will look to play in a similar way to last year;
“It’s a pretty simple game. We always are looking for ways to improve, but in terms of the method and the way we want to play, it’s not dramatically different.
“There’s only three phases: offense, defence, and contest. If you’re not addressing on off those phases, then you’re going to miss a trick.”
When touching on Port Adelaide, Clarke was full of praise;
“They’ve got some exceptional young talent on their list and it’s well complemented by their ability to acquire players through trade.
“Their list profile looks really good and therefore, they’ll continue to improve. Our challenge is to make sure we improve just a bit more.”
Speaking of exceptional young talent, Adelaide added South Adelaide star Brooke Bolieau with it’s first selection at the draft. The club confirmed on Wednesday that she would debut.
“Brooke’s stepped in and done everything we could possibly have asked of her. She played really strongly in those trial games and thoroughly deserves the chance to debut in a big game,” Clarke said.
Port Adelaide have named six club debutants, including three playing their first game in the AFLW.
The game begins at 7:15 Adelaide time, with the game broadcast on Fox Footy and Kayo.