ADELAIDE coach Neil Craig says it’s about time a new generation of Crows emerged to lessen the burden on veteran superstars Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin, Tyson Edwards and Brett Burton.

Last year the Crows farewelled 12 players, including experienced heads Mark Ricciuto, Jason Torney, Matthew Bode and Ian Perrie and placed a greater emphasis on developing a new-look squad.

The necessary gamble to rejuvenate the AFL’s oldest list paid off this season with youngsters like Nathan van Berlo, Bernie Vince, Ivan Maric, Richard Douglas, Kurt Tippett and Dave Mackay helping elevate the club from eighth (in 2007) to fifth after 22 rounds.

Jason Porplyzia and Nathan Bock, who struggled with injury in previous years, thrived on being given greater responsibility and Scott Thompson was identified as Adelaide’s most damaging midfielder, receiving an opposition tag most weeks.

The evolution of the Crows’ playing group was confirmed last week when All-Australian squad member Bock, as well as Thompson and Porplyzia, were nominated for the AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player award.

Despite this endorsement from their peers, gaining recognition from outside West Lakes is still a work in progress for the trio.

All three finished well outside the top six in Monday night’s AFLPA MVP (Leigh Matthews trophy) count, as voted by all AFL players, which was eventually won by Geelong star Gary Ablett.

But Craig said the sheer fact that Bock, Thompson and Porplyzia had been nominated by their teammates, ahead of the club’s more seasoned performers, was a good sign of the winds of change are blowing through the club.

“It’s about time, and that’s no disrespect to Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin, Tyson Edward, Brett Burton and Mark Ricciuto-type players,” Craig said.

“I think those nominations are probably great recognition for how our playing group is starting to develop and move on.

“We need to continue that progress and we need to make sure we keep recruiting, developing, educating and putting pressure on players to perform early in their careers, so we can add to that.

“Then maybe, in three or four years time, we won’t be saying Bock, Porplyzia and Thompson again.

“I think it’s been really unfair to a certain extent with Ricciuto, Goodwin, McLeod, Edwards, Ben Hart then Ricciuto, Goodwin [again] - you know the pressure you put on people year after year.

“We’d like to think we can share the work load and it’s important to share the work load in that area, otherwise it becomes too hard for people to do it.”