Crows struggling to contain leaks
CLUBS try to ignore outside noise. But for Adelaide this week, it’s been like trying sleep next door to an AC/DC concert.
The incessant reporting of events at their Gold Coast camp in February, including claims it was “cult-like” and players were distressed and mentally disturbed, that there were fractures within the group and some were even weighing up their futures at the club, had coach Don Pyke address the issue yesterday.
It wasn’t ideal, a day before the grand final rematch against Richmond tonight, but it needed to happen.
And Pyke didn’t totally shoot down the claims.
In one sentence, he said: “There was a fair degree of inaccuracy in the reports ….”
In another, he said: “The reality in our world is that training, whether it be physical or mental, there’s components within the program which are challenging.
“The reality is you don’t keep 100 per cent of the people happy 100 per cent of the time.”
There’s smoke, but we’re not sure how big the fire is or was.
The Crows say there wasn’t a fire at all, but the fact captain Taylor Walker sent a text message to the players, which the Bulletin has obtained, tells us the noise was substantial enough for him to react.
The message read something like this: “Boys, there’s some rumblings around the camp. Don’t talk to anyone, let’s discuss it in the morning. Disappointing Tex.”
It was reported as being terse and aggressive. But Crows people disagree.
They say it was strong leadership from the skipper and that he was, like others at the club, disappointed the media were made aware of strife at the camp, which was first reported last Friday.
The Crows are curious about how a camp eight weeks ago had suddenly made headlines.
Clearly, some players had issues with it, but how deep those issues are haven’t yet been documented or really materialised.
The AFLPA has not had a complaint, and if it did, and in the sort of headspace it is in after the Melbourne situation, we would know its position.
The Crows said on Tuesday no player sought or required psychological help.
Pyke confirmed again yesterday the club hadn’t received any negative feedback from the players’ association. So, what have we got? We’ve had a camp which set out to challenge players mentally, which some players did not like but others, such as Walker, Eddie Betts, Sam Jacobs and Rory Sloane, who have spoken publicly, thrived on.
It’s difficult to ascertain the validity of the potentially devastating accusation that players are considering their futures.
Amid all the negative headlines, Adelaide have had to prepare for the Tigers.
A win tonight and the noise will virtually disappear.