Colorado Crush coach Mike Dailey is turning his attention toward keeping his championship team together after the Crush won ArenaBowl XIX on a last-play field goal by Clay Rush.
Rush’s 20-yard field goal Sunday in Las Vegas lifted the Crush to a 51-48 victory over the Georgia Force and gave the Denver franchise a championship in just its third year of competition.
“Our general thinking coming off a great season as we had, is to keep the team intact as much as possible,” Dailey said Monday. “But we can’t let the world pass us by just because we won a championship.”
As players and coaches filtered back to Denver on Monday, Dailey began pondering the future of a roster that includes six free agents. Damian Harrell is at the top of the list after winning the Arena Football League’s offensive player of the year award.
Dailey said the staff and players would gather for a final time today at the team’s headquarters at Wembley Park in Commerce City.
“I have to sit down with ownership and management and discuss all of the players,” Dailey said. “There are two sides to the issue with the free agents. They may want to test the market, but in any case, we have to have something worked out with them by about the end of the month.”
Other free agents include linemen Hugh Hunter, Maurice Anderson and Bryant Shaw, fullback and linebacker Chad Dukes and defensive specialist Delvin Hughley. Dukes and Anderson were plagued by injuries most of the season, but Harrell, Hunter, Hughley and Shaw were vital parts of the Crush’s 13-6 championship season.
The rosters of all 17 teams will be subject to the expansion draft for a new team in Salt Lake City and possibly in Kansas City. Meanwhile, members of the Crush organization are pondering ways of organizing a citywide celebration. Details have not been completed.
The Crush hit it big in Las Vegas. In addition to winning the Foster Trophy, the franchise took home the $225,000 winner’s share from the AFL. The players were rewarded, too.
“Players on the winning team (each) received the $4,400 winner’s share plus postseason contract incentives they have with their team,” said Chris McCloskey, AFL senior vice president of communications. McCloskey said each member of the Force received about $2,200.
Dailey credited his players for turning the season around after stunning losses to San Jose (89-41), Chicago (75-51) and Grand Rapids (58-52).
“The credit goes to a lot of people and particularly the players for putting things back together after those losses,” Dailey said. “It took really good leadership.”
Dailey had high praise for the Crush fans in Las Vegas.
“Our fans really carried the day for us in Las Vegas,” Dailey said. “I know there were more fans there for us than there were for Georgia. I’d like to reach out and thank all of them.”
Footnote
Dailey said assistant coach Lee Johnson faces surgery on his right knee. Johnson tore a tendon during the postgame celebration on the field.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
