AFL great and Channel 7 expert Kane Cornes has taken aim at Adelaide’s recruiting in the wake of Luke Pedlar’s trade request to crosstown rivals Port Adelaide.

Pedlar is set to join a select group of players to play for both the Crows and Power, but it also puts the microscope back on the Crows’ recent drafting.

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The 24-year-old was taken with pick No.11 in the 2020 draft, but has managed just 49 games in his six seasons as he failed to nail down a spot due to injuries and form.

His best season came in 2023 when he played 21 games, but hasn’t played more than 10 in any other year.

Luke Pedlar has requested a trade to Port Adelaide. Credit: AAP

The 2020 draft is widely considered one of the worst in recent history due to covid wreaking havoc, but Pedlar’s failure at Crows continues a worrying trend for first-round picks.

Riley Thilthorpe was taken with pick No.2 in that draft is clearly a success, but aside from that there are a lot of busts.

Jordan Gallucci (No.15 in 2016), Chayce Jones (No.9 in 2018), Ned McHenry (No.16 in 2018) and Fischer McAsey (No.6 in 2019) are all no longer at the club, while Cornes says the jury is still out on Sid Draper (No.4 in 2024).

“(Pedlar) is another botched draft pick at the Crows. Their drafting really needs to now be put under the spotlight,” Cornes said on Trade Radio.

“Going right back to Jordan Gallucci, Fischer McAsey, I’m not certain about Sid Draper, I’m more confident in Dan Curtin but I’m not 100 per cent sold he’s going to be a star yet.

“Luke Pedlar was pick No.11, Chayce Jones was a first-round pick who should be in the prime of his career, but he’s gone.

“Adelaide’s drafting has been poor, absolutely poor. This is another piece of evidence as to that.

“Pedlar may become a good player, and I don’t think it’s all Adelaide’s fault. He has not been able to get himself fit enough, there have been injury concerns.

“It was a stretch when they drafted him out of Glenelg. He certainly wasn’t projected to go as high as what he did in that draft. They took a risk on him. I don’t know why they picked him so early, but they did.

“It hasn’t worked. He’s had some good AFL moments, but he’s a nine-possession small forward who has really struggled to consistently be good enough to perform at the level.”

Cornes then put the pressure on the recruiting staff to get this year’s draft right where they currently have pick No.14.

“You’d want to hit on pick No.2. They bid on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan before they got the ‘Thilseeker’ Riley Thilthorpe,” he added.

“Josh Rachele is a good player and you’d want to make sure you got that right at pick No.6.

“Sid Draper is a watch. Small midfielder who has some injury concerns.

“We’ll see, but I just think they haven’t been good enough at the draft and they are under pressure to get this right.”