Hombsch is stepping in to replace Burns in the forward position, while retaining his role as Matthew Nicks’ Senior Assistant for a fourth consecutive season.
Nathan van Berlo will continue as the midfield coach, and Michael Godden is set to take on additional responsibilities in coaching development, all while continuing to lead the SANFL team.
With 116 AFL games to his name, having played for GWS, Port Adelaide, and Gold Coast, Hombsch is widely recognized for his toughness and is held in high esteem by both teammates and opponents.
Following his retirement as a player, he joined Adelaide’s AFLW program as the head of development in 2021. This year, he became part of the Crows’ AFL and SANFL programs as the backline development coach.
Adam Kelly, Crows Head of Football, expressed confidence in Hombsch’s readiness to transition to a full-time role on the Club’s AFL coaching panel.
“Jack has already built strong relationships with our players, especially the defenders, and is a natural fit as a backline coach,” Kelly said.
“He has shown great initiative as a coach on game day at SANFL level, and the way he has educated some of our younger defenders has been very impressive.
“As a player, he was a talented and hard-working defender who embraced challenges and showed great resilience. Now, he is instilling similar characteristics in our group as a coach.
“And Scott Burns, one of the most experienced assistants in the AFL, who has coached across all three lines, will bring that experience to our forwards group.”
Godden will continue coaching Adelaide’s SANFL team for a fourth season and will take on an expanded role in coach development in the AFL program.
“Mick is a crucial part of our coaching team and has received national recognition for the past two seasons with the AFL Coaches Association development coach of the year award,” Kelly said.
“In addition to his SANFL commitments, he will work closely with our panel in coach development. This is in addition to the work being done by Ash Ross, who has been with us for the past 12 months after working in New Zealand cricket and the South Australian Sports Institute.
“In the event of a scheduling clash involving our AFL and SANFL teams, Mick will work with the AFL team, and Matthew Wright will coach the SANFL team.
“Matt was a terrific leader as captain of our SANFL team before retiring this season and will remain at the Club as a development coach.”
Another addition to the Club’s coaching panel for the upcoming season is the appointment of Andrew McPherson as a development coach.
McPherson played 28 games for the Crows across seven injury-interrupted seasons from 2017-2023.
“Unfortunately, injuries meant his playing career came to a premature end, but through that came opportunities for Andrew to explore coaching,” Kelly said.
“He was able to support our coaches on game day in the SANFL, where he showed good aptitude and knowledge of the game. He was also an assistant coach of the state under-16 program this year.
“Andrew is an outstanding character, a strong leader, and a two-time winner of our Dr Brian Sando OAM Award for professionalism and dedication. He will add a lot to our development program headed by Marco Bello.”