Adelaide confident prized fitness boss will remain a Crow despite growing interest

Adelaide will continue their fight to retain elite high performance manager Darren Burgess amidst rumours of potential suitors across the AFL.

With talks surrounding a return to a Victorian based team, the Crows are adamant that their prized fitness boss will remain in South Australia for the foreseeable future.

“He is one name that just keeps popping up in conversations,” Josh Gabelich told SEN’s Sportsday.

“Clubs are coming for him. Carlton came for him very hard; they ended up going with Rob Inness from Sydney, they poached him yesterday but that was only after Darren Burgess knocked them back.

“Richmond have been circling, Geelong are in the market.”

As the importance of high-performance managers continues to rise with strength and conditioning programs proving vital in injury and player management, the price to employ the best in the game has increased significantly.

Gabelich: “It’s become such a crucial part (of club operations).”

Cornes: “So, so important. We’ve seen the backlash at the Blues about their injury crisis and I will still vouch for Andrew Russell as one of the best.

“They have poached the Sydney guy (Inness), he wouldn’t come cheap, and Darren Burgess has always been paid really well.”

Gabelich: “I think the range is between two to five hundred (thousand dollars per year).

“It’s a broad range because there’s a broad range of experience. There are not too many really experienced (high-performance managers) going around.”

While certain clubs may be willing to splash out for Burgess’ services, Gabelich believes that the Crows are not willing to budge.

“As far as Adelaide are concerned, Darren Burgess is not going anywhere,” he said.