One of Adelaide’s most unheralded players is also its most important, according to a former club recruiter.
Matt Rendell believes Nick Murray’s season is flying so far under the radar that the 22-year-old is a “serious chance” to be wearing an All-Australian blazer in August this year.
Murray, who’s essentially been locked in as the Crows full back since his debut in 2021, has played every game to start the year and with fellow backman Jordan Butts’ omission earlier this season, Rendell believes Murray’s input has been underrated.
“Nick Murray from the Crows, I think he’s their most important player,” Rendell began on SEN SA’s The Run Home.
“If they lose him, they’re in dire straits, they haven’t got anyone else. They’ve got Butts, they haven’t got anyone else.
“He is a super important player and I think he’s a serious chance by the end of the year to be an All-Australian.
“They’re light on (in that department).”
Murray was injured in Round 1 and conceded three goals to Tom Lynch the following week as Richmond got ahold of the Crows.
But Murray has since kept Todd Marshall and Luke Jackson to one goal each in the past fortnight, with both performances coming in wins for Adelaide.
He’s played 33 games for the Crows since arriving as a rookie and is contracted until 2025. Murray is set to line up on in-form Blues superstar Charlie Curnow on Thursday night.
With both sides coming off important wins in Round 3, AFL Hall of Famer Malcolm Blight sees it as a dead-even contest.
“This is deadest 50/50. I’m actually leaning… towards Adelaide at home, and that would be the only thing (separating them),” Blight said on Sportsday SA.
“Carlton are a really good team, but I’ve just got a feeling that home ground advantage (might help Adelaide get up).”
The Crows upset Carlton last time the two sides met late last year and Matthew Nicks’ men have won four of their last six games at Adelaide Oval.