It was only a few weeks ago where everyone, particularly in South Australia, thought that the Adelaide Football Club was at one of its all-time lows.
Neil Craig resigned after a humiliating 103-point loss to St Kilda and the players were criticised of having a poor attitude and a haphazard approach to the work ethic required at AFL level.
Long-term injuries to Jason Porplyzia and David Mackay have combined with smaller injuries to key players to contribute to the Crows’ unusually poor and seemingly uninspired season.
You then have the Phil Davis saga, his defection to the Giants in Sydney leaving a hole in the club after he had been seen as a future captain and superstar. Morale dipped given that Davis had been so heavily invested in, as the club’s first pick in the 2008 draft.
All in all, the first 18 rounds were at best a disappointment for such a proud club intolerant of sub-par performances.
The Crows played a very structured style of game. They were stagnant in their approach to ball and had no flair or excitement. Where teams like Collingwood and Geelong played on, broke the lines and piled on defensive pressure, the Crows didn’t want to take the game on. And that was their biggest problem.
But here’s how I saw the situation: I saw it as a relationship where not everything was good. A couple who cared about each other and had that respect for each other, but ultimately were going through the motions.
Don’t get me wrong: Neil Craig is a very good coach. He’s particularly exceptional in the field of sports science. But he was the coach for seven years and was involved with the club since 1997. It was time for a change. And he knew that.
He is the ultimate professional. He saw that his tenure had come to an end and accepted that it was in the best interests of the club and himself to have a change.
And that’s where Mark Bickley comes into the equation. I’m not entirely sold on Bickley becoming coach. But I am impressed with their past month. Three wins to the bottom three clubs on the ladder isn’t necessarily something to be solely satisfied with, but their honourable 11-point defeat to powerhouse Geelong is.
As a whole, the playing group seems refreshed. Perhaps it is a honeymoon period of some sorts. But changing things around, putting players in different positions, giving the players confidence to take the game on and an overall injection of speed and excitement has really turned the Crows’ season around.
While they won’t make the finals, it does give every Adelaide supporter that confidence that there is a very talented playing group, and the undeniable potential brings a feeling of anticipation.
Here’s hoping that this new-found form continues. The real challenge will be to continue these spirited performances throughout next season and beyond. We can only hope.
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