“The one to build around”: The Crows have a new midfield star in Soligo

Jake Soligo was simply superb in Adelaide’s Showdown win over Port Adelaide on Thursday night.

The 21-year-old midfielder won the Showdown Medal for his efforts in amassing 28 disposals, 10 tackles, six clearances and four inside 50s in the Crows’ 30-point triumph.

Soligo was comfortably the best player on the ground and his performance was lauded by David King who believes he is the type of on-baller the Crows can build around for the future.

“I think he’s a player to build this midfield around,” King said on SEN Breakfast.

“I’m not saying that this guy is going to win Brownlows, but he plays a little bit like Lachie Neale. Really in and under, he’s got that low centre of gravity, he takes the ball from inside to out.

“He tried to do a bit too much early in the game, he got nabbed a few times, but he’s only played 45 games of (AFL) footy so he’s learning the caper.

“He’s the one they’ve got to build around.”

Since making the full-time move into the midfield against Fremantle in Round 3, Soligo has averaged 26 disposals, 5.5 clearances, 5 tackles and 4 inside 50s.

He has arguably been Adelaide’s best player during that time, overshadowing the likes of Jordan Dawson, Rory Laird and Matt Crouch, and Kane Cornes has been taken with what he is doing in the middle for Matthew Nicks.

“I love everything about him,” Cornes said.

“He’s been the one that has really changed the course of the season for them.

“When he went into the midfield against Freo, you were like, ‘Ok, there’s a lot here’. He’s been unbelievable, really.

“He’s consistently doing it and now he belongs at the level.”

Power great Cornes was also enamoured with a pair of developing Crows defenders who were influential in Thursday night’s Showdown victory.

Second-year talent Max Michalanney, 20, continues to have an impact around defensive 50 while Josh Worrell, 23, has become a staple as an intercepting and rebounding backman in 2024.

“Max Michalanney is the next Jake Lever,” he continued.

“What he’s doing in his second year is enormous. He and Josh Worrell are forming a really nice combination.

“They took six intercept marks between them last week, they dominated the third quarter and you think, ‘That’s ok, that’s against North (Melbourne)’.

“But Michalanney does it every week. He beats his opponents and good opponents (at that), he comes off at the right time. I thought he was enormous.

“‘Nicksy’ lauded their back six last night, it’s hard to disagree wth that. When you absorb nearly 60 entries and defend as well as they did.

“This is exactly what they needed to give them the belief. That’s the footy I saw them play last year - incredibly tough and contested, hard to play against, defended well and then devastating to score.

“That was exactly what we saw again last night for the Crows.”

The Crows improved their record to 3-5 courtesy of their Round 8 win. They next host the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval in Round 9.