Former AFL star Bryce Gibbs has hit out at pre-season reporting of Izak Rankine, stating the young Crow is being set up to fail.
Rankine comes to Adelaide with high raps but under an immense amount of pressure after the Crows gave up a reported large salary and pick 5 for the forward.
He’s begun training with the Crows, but is not participating in contact drills after undergoing shoulder surgery in his final weeks at the Suns.
In an article published on Tuesday afternoon, The Advertiser pumped up Rankine at training, stating he was “standing out” and “seeming to be in two places at once” among several examples praising his performance.
But they’re comments that have caught the ire of Gibbs, who says Rankine is already under enough pressure three months out from the start of the 2023 season.
“This is the thing… when they got him in, the pressure to come from the Gold Coast to a two-team town like Adelaide, real passionate footy state, we know that. It’s all we talk about for most of the year,” Gibbs began on SEN SA Breakfast.
“We know the Crows have been going through a rebuild over the past four or five years, some of their supply forward of centre has been pretty average over the last couple of years, and Rankine’s that sort of player who needs delivery, needs the ball down there to do his thing, which is to create and be a bit of an X-factor in the forward half.
“We know he’s going to go into the midfield at some stage and spend a bit time in there this year, but if it doesn’t happen for Izak – especially early in the year – it’s off the back of this sort of stuff.
“It’s off the back of them pumping him up on the 14th of December, just ready (so that) if he struggles, to cut him down at the knees.
“This is when it starts, and it s--ts me.”
Rankine enjoyed a breakout season in 2022. The 22-year-old, playing in his fourth year at the top level, booted 29 goals from 18 games but constantly appeared a step ahead with his ball use and crumbing ability as a small forward.
He was reportedly poised to sign with the Suns until playing at Adelaide Oval midway through the season, which ultimately saw him start to change his mind.
But he was the only trade addition to an Adelaide lineup that struggled in 2022, and Rankine himself can’t turn the club around.
“I want Izak Rankine to have an outstanding year, I want that to happen… but when people are pumping him up like this (he’s not even in full training),” the ex-Crow stated.
“If he does struggle and the Crows get off to a slow start, and they’ve got a tough draw)… they’re going to come for him. One minute they’re pumping him up, the next they’ll come for him.”
Rankine appears destined for more midfielder minutes in 2022, with former Adelaide forward Josh Jenkins recently urging the Crows to put one of Rankine and Josh Rachele at every stoppage.