THE season proper is still three weeks away, but already people are predicting big things for Jason Porplyzia in 2008.
Former Adelaide onballer Andrew Jarman has tipped the 23-year-old to take out the club’s best and fairest award, while another punter has gone as far as to stake his hard earned on Porplyzia to win the Brownlow Medal.
Porplyzia’s career has been a complicated and a times frustrating one. The classy onballer first came to Adelaide as a rookie in 2003, but was subsequently delisted and told to go away and work on his fitness.
Porplyzia did just that and the Crows rewarded him with a place on the senior list for the 2006 season.
He showed glimpses of brilliance in 2007, but was hampered by knee and hamstring injuries. Now, fitter and stronger than ever before, Porplyzia is ready to make his mark on the AFL.
“I’ve worked very hard on my fitness over the summer,” Porplyzia said.
“I had a really solid pre-season and was injury-free throughout it for really the first time since I came to the club, so hopefully that good run will continue. Leading into round one I just want to keep building on that fitness and form.”
A superbly skilled player out of West Adelaide, Porplyzia has already showed the benefits of a full pre-season.
With Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards playing roles up forward, Porplyzia is relishing his opportunity in the Crows' midfield.
Porplyzia has averaged 22 possessions and a goal in the opening two NAB Cup games and, against Fremantle on Sunday night, he also had a team-high four hard-ball-gets.
“I’m certainly enjoying going through the midfield and working my way through the rotations,” he said.
“It was good to link up the play a couple of times and to use the ball well.”
The Crows, who have vowed to go back to playing an attacking brand of football, scored over 100 points for the second-successive game in Sunday's triumph.
Ken McGregor led all scorers with four majors, but was overshadowed by an Andrew McLeod master class.
The 2007 All-Australian captain booted three goals in a high-scoring final term and set-up at least two others in the third quarter.
“It was a bit of silky-smooth magic from Bunji [McLeod] tonight,” Porplyzia said.
“It’s fantastic to have that luxury with him up in the forward line. He could be a really potent sort of force if he’s able to play there this season.
“At the moment the young blokes are holding up in the middle and allowing guys like he and Goody [Simon Goodwin] to go forward. David Mackay was quite good towards the end of the game tonight. For a lighter-framed kind of guy, he certainly doesn’t hold back.
“Kenny [McGregor] was great tonight as well and the other big guys like Kurt Tippett and James Sellar showed a bit more too. There are certainly some good signs there.”
The Crows will now host Hawthorn at AAMI Stadium at 6:40pm (ACST) on Saturday night.
It will be the first time the two sides have met since Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin snatched the 2007 elimination final from Adelaide’s grasp.
“It will be interesting to see how that all sort of unfolds,” Porplyzia said with a smile.
“But we’ll just go about our business and do what we have to, to win the game."
