Richmond great Shane Edwards is joining Adelaide in a dual role as the AFL club's Indigenous development manager and as a recruitment officer.
Edwards, who retired last month after an esteemed 303-game career at the Tigers, will return to South Australia, from where he was drafted in 2006.
The Crows are hailing Edwards' appointment as significant at a club which has been involved in several recent racism-related incidents.
In 2018, Adelaide's Indigenous players including Eddie Betts were upset at cultural insensitivities on a pre-season camp.
And last year, the Crows' former captain Taylor Walker was banned for six AFL games for making a racist remark at a state league game which damaged his relationships with the club's current Indigenous players.
The appointment of Edwards, who has played the eighth-most AFL games by an Indigenous footballer, is being hailed by the Crows as significant.
"First and foremost, it is Shane's record of leadership and mentorship, and his obvious desire to support others to be their best, that made him a great candidate for this role," Adelaide's football manager Adam Kelly said in a statement on Monday.
"That he has been part of a highly successful environment (at Richmond) for a long time, and that he brings with him a vast amount of football experience, complements his suitability for the important role that he will play within our program.
"His decorated playing career is obvious ... but just as impressive is his standing in the game and reputation as a highly respected football person and proud Indigenous man."
The understated Edwards, a triple premiership player, said he had "a bit to offer" in the Indigenous player development area.
"Regardless of whether it's my job title or not, I would always be keen on helping out in that space, it's something I'm very passionate about," he said.
"And I've been working in the recruiting department at Richmond for the past four or five years so it's always been a focus to try to move into that space when I finished playing."
Edwards will work with Adelaide's current Indigenous player development manager Jeremy Johncock, who is shifting to a role as the club's Indigenous programs manager.
