3 minute read

Adelaide's recruiting manager says picking a batch of South Australian AFL draftees is good fortune rather than a plan to overlook players from interstate.

Adelaide's recruiting boss believes picking a crop of South Australians will help reduce a talent drain which has stung the AFL club in the past.

But the Crows' recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie says the SA flavour of his latest batch of draftees is more good fortune than a master-plan to pick locals.

Adelaide selected four South Australians in their five picks in Wednesday night's national draft.

The Crows signed two more South Australians as rookies while another, Jackson Hately, returns to his native state from GWS via the pre-season draft.

"We didn't go in thinking 'let's go South Australian, South Australian'," Ogilvie told reporters on Friday.

"We were just going to stay true to the talent order and wherever they came from.

"If there was a gap (in ability) we would have taken players from other states but the closeness of some of those decisions helped us in that South Australians were there.

"It's great to bring locals in because it's easy to settle them at the club ... it helps."

The Crows have lost a raft of non-South Australian talent in recent years including elite talents Patrick Dangerfield, Jack Gunston and Alex Keath - all Victorians who returned to their home state.

"Now we have got a large portion of our list from South Australia, ... (but) whether they come from Tasmania or Glenelg, it doesn't really matter," Ogilvie said.

The Crows, after finishing bottom, had the No.1 pick and bid for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan but he was tied to the Western Bulldogs under academy rules.

The Dogs matched that bid so Adelaide, with pick No.2, selected forward-ruckman Riley Thilthorpe.

"He was our man a long way out," Ogilvie said.

"It was a bonus he lived around the corner from the club."

The 18-year-old Thilthorpe, the highest-ever pick for the Crows, has played against men in the SANFL in the past two seasons.

"It has fast-tracked me more than I can say," Thilthorpe told reporters on Thursday.

"You have got to have so many different strings to your bow playing against men ... it has taught me a lot."

Adelaide also chose South Australians Luke Pedlar (pick 11), Brayden Cook (No.25) and James Rowe (No.38).

Victorian utility Sam Berry (No.28) was the club's sole national draft choice from outside of SA.

The Crows used rookie pre-selections on locals James Borlase and Tarek Newchurch.