The Adelaide Crows have handed a lifeline to young gun Tom McGuane, following Collingwood’s brutal snub of the father-son AFL prospect. The teenager – whose father Mick played 152 games for the club between 1987 and 1996 – looked destined to end up at Collingwood next year but the Pies failed to even offer him a rookie spot.
And the Crows have pounced after inviting the 18-year-old to train with the Adelaide squad over the summer. Collingwood would have had priority selection for the young McGuane, who has spent years coming up through the club’s academy. But the Pies made the brutal decision to snub the father-son prospect and overlook him in the drafts.
The Adelaide Crows have invited a Collingwood father-son prospect to train with them after the Pies snubbed the teenager at draft time. Pic: Getty
His father Mick won two club best and fairest awards and played in the 1990 premiership with Collingwood. And Mick revealed earlier this month that Collingwood’s decision to overlook the teenager hit the family ‘like a tonne of bricks’. The Pies great said the 18-year-old was ‘inconsolable for hours’ after receiving the news of his snub.
“It blindsided Tom. It blindsided me,” Mick McGuane told News Corp this month. “But my son was inconsolable for hours after receiving the news. A love for the black and white stripes was clearly in his veins and he showed it when he attended Collingwood games live or watched them on television at home.”
Mick and son Tom McGuane were rocked by Collingwood’s decision to snub the father-son prospect for next season. Pic: Collingwood/Getty
Son of Collingwood great hoping to win spot with Adelaide
While Collingwood was clearly first-choice, the young McGuane told 9News Adelaide that he’s grateful for the opportunity the Crows have given him and ‘can’t wait’ to start training with the club. If all goes to plan, the 18-year-old could win a list spot at the Crows for next season. “I had an interview (with Adelaide) yesterday. Obviously it was a pretty crazy week how it all unfolded,” he told the TV network.
“They gave me the opportunity to train over pre-season. My ultimate goal is to play AFL footy and I’ll do whatever it takes. It was a little bit disappointing (not to get drafted). I was in the mix with a few clubs and didn’t know what was going to happen, so for this opportunity to happen, super happy.
“I’ve had the same mantra, controlling what I can control and my dad’s always told me the harder you work, the luckier you get so I’ve stuck by that. There’s always a little bit of that (wanting to prove Collingwood wrong), but I’m always trying to prove myself right.
“I believe I’ll be good enough at the top level and I’ll stick by that. It was tough to take, I wasn’t expecting how it all panned out, but they’re entitled to their opinion. It’s a business and that’s how it panned out.”
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The young McGuane is a 178cm midfielder known for his impressive speed and footy IQ, as well as running and ball-winning ability. And he’ll be hoping to impress Adelaide’s coaches enough to earn a full-time spot for 2026, with clubs having between now and March to complete their lists via the supplemental selection period.