NEW Leeton-Whitton coach Sam Darley is looking forward to hitting the ground running when he arrives in January.
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The former AFL footballer this week reaffirmed his commitment to the Crows despite his former club, North Hobart, lodging a clearance for his return.
Darley dismissed the clearance, which has been denied, as nothing more than a minor dispute at North Hobart's end against his new club.
"(North Hobart) put a clearance in to get me back but I'm a Leeton player. To go anywhere else, (Leeton would) have to clear me and I don't want to go anywhere else," Darley said.
Darley's stance comes as the Crows began their pre-season this week under Matt Rainbird.
Darley has planned for six training sessions before he arrives in January.
The birth of his first child, a boy, has delayed his arrival in Leeton.
"I was planning on coming up but Lil's probably not getting around as freely as she'd like, it's only been 16 days and all our family is in Tassie. We don't really have people we can rely on for her to get around if she needed if I was to come up so we won't be up until January, us personally," he said.
"I've got Matty Rainbird taking the sessions I've put together pre-Christmas, it will just be six sessions and then really load up in January.
"I wish I could be there."
The Crows were beaten in the grand final of this year's AFL Riverina Championship after a large number of the club's former juniors returned to play at home during COVID.
Lucas Meline, Cooper Sharman and Mitch Hardie have since departed for the SANFL, while the likes of Tom Meline, Ryan Grey, Rainbird, Mason Dryburgh and Nathan Ryan have re-signed.
Darley revealed he was trying to convince his good mate, and former Crow, Jacob Townsend to return but looks to have missed out.
"It looks like he may end up at the Gold Coast, which is great for him," Darley said.
"There's a couple still I want to talk to but if it doesn't, I know our retention other than Hodgey (Jade Hodge) and Pup (Bryce O'Garey) has been good outside of those older blokes. Those post COVID guys, you don't expect them to stay."
Darley acknowledged it is still early and a lot can unfold between now and the start of the season.
"I don't really know the group that well yet, I know the way we play may change pending on what we've got," he said.
"At the moment we'll probably have to play quite small up forward so my game plan will change but if we find a key forward, and there's one we're talking to, then things will change and it is only November."
Darley wants to play himself in the midfield but also hinted at spending time forward.
"I'll play mid. If we're strong enough in that area, I'd like to rest forward," he said.
"Not having a key forward up there, I'd look to exploit that, personally, if I can. But again, it depends. If we're getting smashed around the contest, I'm not going to sit myself at full-forward.
"That will probably be game to game, we'll just see how we're travelling. From what I've seen on video, and talking to the other boys, I'm pretty confident with the group that they've got and then also adding myself in."
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