ADELAIDE has found its Swiss Army knife in captain Jordan Dawson.

When the club made its successful pitch to the uncontracted South Australian at the conclusion of its 2021 season, Crows list boss Justin Reid highlighted two underrated aspects of Dawson's significant appeal. Versatility and leadership.

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Dawson had flashed his versatility across 64 games in six years with the Swans, but had mostly been settled across half-back. Although incredibly highly rated internally during his time at the SCG, he also hadn't been part of a leadership group yet.

Fast-forward just a tick over 12 months into his burgeoning Adelaide career and Dawson is club captain, has become adept across four varying roles and has emerged as one of the League's most flexible and impactful players.

Dawson's success in becoming so good at so much has fully justified Adelaide's faith in exchanging a 2022 first-round pick tied to Melbourne, essentially pick No.16 last season, for his services. And the best may still be yet to come.

Champion Data notes that last season Dawson spent 59 per cent of his game time in defence, 28 per cent on a wing, 11 per cent as a forward and only two per cent as a pure midfielder. It had followed the path he was on at Sydney.

But over the last fortnight, as Dawson has spearheaded successive victories that have catapulted the Crows back into finals calculations, the 26-year-old has been shifted into a more heavily focused midfield role. It has been the first such move of his career.

Having had just 12 centre-bounce involvements in his first 24 games with the club, Dawson has had 37 in the last two games alone. His total midfield splits have also subsequently increased from two per cent in 2022, to 79 per cent in the last two weeks.

As a midfielder, Dawson is pure impact. Champion Data notes he ranks 'above average' for contested possessions (12.5 per game) and score involvements (six per game), is averaging a goal per game, and last week against Fremantle had five clearances and six tackles to go with his 27 disposals.

Furthermore, his 20.8 AFL Player Ratings points since moving into the midfield ranks No.1 among all onballers and No.2 in the competition behind Melbourne ruckman Brodie Grundy in that period. It's not bad when you consider just how much Dawson was excelling in a completely different role throughout the season's first two weeks.

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Having spent 97 per cent of the opening fortnight playing across half-back, Dawson ranked 'elite' among all defenders for metres gained (605m per match) and score involvements (7.5 per match) during that stretch and 'above average' for disposals (25 per game) and uncontested possessions (15.5 per game).

Dawson has never been a prolific interceptor – although he still averaged 5.5 intercept possessions and two intercept marks throughout the first two weeks – with his defensive role more heavily focused on being the primary ball mover from half-back.

That was mainly down to his standing as one of the game's best ball-users. Champion Data notes Dawson ranks seventh among the 74 players with at least 50 kicks this season for kick rating, while Adelaide retains the ball from 69 per cent of his forward-50 entries and marks the ball from 31 per cent of his entries (both ranked No.4 in the League).

The stats paint a picture of Dawson's qualities in two completely different positions. This season alone, he has been one of the competition's most effective launch players from half-back and one of its most damaging inside bulls from midfield. It's all the more impressive when you consider he is just four games into his year.

This week, as Adelaide opens Gather Round in a blockbuster Thursday night encounter against an unbeaten Carlton, Dawson will – in all likelihood, given his versatility – be lining up next to his fellow skipper in last year's Brownlow Medal winner Patrick Cripps at the game's opening centre bounce.

Right now, with Dawson's current standing as one of the game's most effective midfielders, that doesn't seem like such an outlandish statement. But had you told the Crows captain that just a fortnight ago, even he would have been surprised at the thought.

"It was something I thought that, down the track, I would do it," Dawson said this week.

"At times last year, playing half-back was more where I was needed. I think now, going into the midfield, I've enjoyed it and I've had it in the back of my mind that I might do that throughout the years to come.

"Obviously, it's come a bit earlier, but I'm enjoying my footy."

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