Before getting a bad knock on the knee in the Showdown, Nathan van Berlo gets away with the ball at AAMI Stadium.(Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
ADELAIDE is the most undisciplined team in the AFL - and the Crows will have to correct themselves without captain Nathan van Berlo in the next month.
Scans have revealed the knock van Berlo took to a knee on Sunday - forcing him to be subbed out of Showdown XXXIV - has led to painful bone bruising. His leadership role will fall to fellow midfielder Scott Thompson, starting with Sunday's home clash with the Western Bulldogs.
Crows must step up now: Rutten
Thompson takes charge of a team that shares the dubious title of the AFL's biggest free-kick offender with unbeaten premier Sydney. They are each conceding an average of 26 free kicks this year.
This is significantly up on Adelaide's average count of conceding 20.8 free kicks in 25 matches last season.
But it is the nature of the free kicks and 50m penalties - in particular with sloppy tackling and crossing the mark - that is annoying coach Brenton Sanderson.
"We give away reckless frees and we give away 50m penalties," said Sanderson, amid the frustration of the Crows' 1-2 start to the season.
"We probably lead the competition for 50s - it is undisciplined."
Adelaide has given away six 50m penalties in its games against Essendon, Brisbane and Port Adelaide - and had three goals scored from these undisciplined acts.
Sydney has conceded more 50m penalties - eight - but not paid as dearly as Adelaide on the scoreboard.
The Crows have given away six goals from free kicks in their matches this season.
Five AFL teams have given away more goals from free kicks, but the trend of Adelaide exposing itself to more pain on the scoreboard by a lack of discipline on the field is a concern for Sanderson.
Full back Ben Rutten is seeing the end product of the free kicks and 50m penalties.
"I don't know (why his team-mates are less disciplined)," he said.
"All I know is the ball is getting brought forward.
"A lot of the time I don't know what the 50s are for.
"It is something we have to get better at. We can't keep giving away 50m penalties."
Adelaide is listed to have a day off from formal training today before running through a closed practice session at AAMI Stadium tomorrow morning.
This work-out will form the basis of critical decisions at the selection table where Sanderson has to deal with Adelaide's lack of midfield productivity being further hurt by the loss of van Berlo.
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