Sam Berry has spent years in the Adelaide system trying to find his best spot, often being left out of their A rotation in his preferred inside mid position and having to play a role forward or off the subs bench. He has visibly bulked up this season, and is enjoying the absence of Matt Crouch to basically step into his role. Every finals contender needs a big body on the inside to win or at least halve the battle of strength in the clinches, and Berry has assumed the mantle of the Crows' workhorse on the inside. His role is not flashy, but it is very important going into September.
Sam Berry has spent years in the Adelaide system trying to find his best spot, often being left out of their A rotation in his preferred inside mid position and having to play a role forward or off the subs bench. He has visibly bulked up this season, and is enjoying the absence of Matt Crouch to basically step into his role. Every finals contender needs a big body on the inside to win or at least halve the battle of strength in the clinches, and Berry has assumed the mantle of the Crows' workhorse on the inside. His role is not flashy, but it is very important going into September.
Sam Berry started many centre bounces last week as a forward then zoned up to midfield to play as a defensive midfielder. His reduced fantasy price coming into 2024 is due to his job security last year being so low that he played a lot of SANFL. We know he can win his own footy when released to play pure midfield, but that does not seem to be his fate this season, at least not early doors. Can he prove to be a reliable stepping stone, or are fantasy coaches better off looking to fill their midfield benches with genuine rookies instead? It's a berry juicy conundrum.
Sam Berry has been rotated through midfield at times for Adelaide this season, more often starting as a small forward but sometimes along with the likes of James Rowe and Josh Rachele given license to run through the centre with some CBAs. For fantasy keeper leagues, is there a chance one of these young blokes will make the upgrade to permanent midfield, as has happened with Zak Butters and Conno0r Rozee elsewhere in South Australia? For Berry and Rowe the answer is probably no, their skills lie more in the area now inhabited by Sam Powell-Pepper.
