Former Collingwood recruiter Matt Rendell says Adelaide should absolutely go after Essendon free agent Mason Redman.
Redman, a restricted free agent, has been linked to the Crows as he hails from South Australia with Adelaide said to be “monitoring” the 25-year-old.
On top of suggesting the Crows should make a play for the Don, Rendell believes Redman could even move into the midfield in a similar fashion to Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson who shifted on-ball from half back this off-season.
“Yeah, he could (move into the midfield),” Rendell told SEN SA The Run Home.
“I really like him in the draft, I had him way up.
“I just loved the way he played, but I copped a bit of ridicule from my ex-Collingwood colleagues because he sort of didn't live up to my lofty predictions, but he gee he has had a couple of good years.
“He's been a slow burn, but it's been worth the wait, he's been fantastic, been their (Essendon’s) best player over the last two years.
“He could easily go into the midfield, love his work, he's tough and he plays well week in week out.
“I’d absolutely go after him big time because they still are a bit light on in defence as we saw last week.”
While Rendell believes Redman has the scope to move into the midfield, he feels he’d be best deployed off half back if he joined the Crows due to their relatively inexperienced defence.
“(Jordon) Butts and (Nick) Murray haven't played a heap of footy, (Tom) Doedee was out back there and (Mitch) Hinge was injured (against the Bulldogs),” Rendell said.
“It was a quite a young back line last week so they could use another senior player.
“They've taken the experience of Dawson out there and they put Milera back there and been pretty damn good really.
“They needed that big-bodied mid and that was Dawson, but it has weakened their defence a little bit by Dawson not patrolling across that halfback line.”
Redman remains unsigned beyond 2022 but SEN’s Tom Morris believes he’s more likely than not to remain at The Hangar.