Hard-nosed Crows youngster Luke Pedlar has cemented his future in the City of Churches, with the South Australian inking a deal to remain with Adelaide until the end of the 2026 season.
Pedlar completed a breakout campaign in 2023, slotting 25 goals at in 21 starts for Matthew Nicks' side, all at a 62.5 per cent conversation rate.
Speaking after putting pen to paper on his two-year extension, Pedlar pressed that while it was nice to have some certainty on what the future held, the 21-year-old also stated that he was under no allusions that he had plenty of room to improve.
“It's obviously a great feeling to have the security of a couple more years after this one and I'm looking forward to where the boys can get to,” Pedlar told Crows Media.
“I started the journey when I first got drafted with a lot of the boys who are coming through now and I'm really looking forward to (the future).
“Last season was a good reflection of the pre-season I had and the couple of years leading up to it. I had to build my foundations and get my body to the level to play at the elite level and be a professional so it was a great reward to play a fair few games last year.
“I've still got a fair way to go and there are plenty of parts to my game that I will keep improving and see where I can get to.”
Solid of build and never one to waver over the hardball, the Kingston South East native appears destined to see a spike in midfield minutes in the near future.
Also speaking on Friday, Crows list boss Justin Reid lauded Pedlar's work rate, contending that the South Australian had already vindicated the club's choice to select him with a first round pick ahead of the 2021 season.
“Those attributes really showed themselves last season – strong and explosive with the footy and dangerous around goal,” Reid said.
“In his first two years on the list, Luke worked really hard on getting his body ready for the rigours of AFL footy and now he's in a position to play at a high level on a consistent basis, and we look forward to his continued growth in coming years.”
Since debuting in Round 16, 2021, Pedlar has gone on to don the Crows' tri-colours on a further 25 occasions, averaging 10.5 touches and a goal-a-game across the stretch.
