NO ROOM FOR EGOS

Crows’ Super Six forward line a team-first demolition gang

“LEAVE your ego at the front door.” It is the mantra that forms the backbone of Adelaide’s all-conquering forward line.

The Crows’ Super Six have been admired all year for their extraordinary synergy and ruthless goalscoring power.

But it’s the selflessness that flows through Eddie Betts, Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins, Tom Lynch, Charlie Cameron and Mitch McGovern that makes them so lethal.

Don Pyke’s men rank No.1 for points-scored (109.8 per game), goals per inside 50m (27.9 per cent), points from turnovers (72.1), points launched from defensive midfield (24.1) and points launched from attacking midfield (35.2).

The Crows slammed on 21 goals in their Friday night demolition of the Cats — the seventh time they have kicked 20 or more goals in a game this year.

To put that offensive power into context, Port Adelaide owns the next most 20-goal totals with four, while six clubs (Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle) couldn’t do it at all in 2017.

Lynch said a pledge to strip themselves of the lust for personal glory had been the key to unlocking the seasonlong scoring spree.

“As a forward six, we knew that if you leave your ego at the front door and if you want to be a part of this group you have to be very selfless and play your role and that’s what we’re all about,” Lynch said.

“It’s obviously important that we’ve been able to play together for a number of years now and get that continuity, which builds consistency.”

Crows forwards coach David Teague, the man responsible for the AFL’s most potent lethal attacking force, said the players knew the sharing and caring approach was the key ingredient to the goal rampage.

“It’s not always their day [individually], but they want to kick a winning score and that’s what they’re about,” Teague said. “It’s taken time, but particularly over the past 12 months, they’ve owned it, they’ve run it and the synergy has been terrific.

“Tom Lynch probably drove it as much as anyone, but then you get Eddie [Betts] and I think Eddie leads the AFL for goal assists. So when you’ve got a superstar of the game willing to give off goals and not worried about his own tally, the players buy into it.

“So when a young player enters the group and sees the leaders doing it they know they’ve got to do it. They’ve seen what it does and what it creates.”

Lynch has been the linchpin, blurring the lines between midfielder and forward to average nearly 14km per game.

According to Champion Data, the former St Kilda draftee ranks No. 1 in his position for score involvements (average 8 per game) and marks (7.2), while he is No. 2 for disposals (20.6).

Dylan Grimes appears an ideal match-up, but he usually goes to Betts.

The Tigers used Brandon Ellis on Lynch earlier this year.