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Adelaide had an up-and-down 2015, a season that will forever be remembered for the tragic loss of their coach, Phil Walsh.
They started the season in a blaze of glory, barrelling 21 goals past a leaky North Melbourne defence, and played under the motto of Walsh, that the aesthetics of a football side are an important part of the game.
The Crows also unleashed the shackles later in the season when they averaged 142 points per game across a three-match stretch in the last month of the home-and-away rounds. It was exhilarating to behold.
They then took part in what was roundly regarded as the match of the AFL season, when they defeated the Western Bulldogs by seven points in their elimination final.
READ THE REST OF OUR AFL PREVIEW SERIES
There is obviously no Patrick Dangerfield any more, after his move to the Cats. What type of side can Adelaide expect to field next season?
| B: | Luke Brown | Kyle Hartigan | Ricky Henderson | |
| HB: | Curtly Hampton | Daniel Talia | Rory Laird | |
| C: | Brad Crouch | Rory Sloane | Brodie Smith | |
| HF: | Tom Lynch | Taylor Walker | Troy Menzel | |
| F: | Eddie Betts | Josh Jenkins | Charlie Cameron | |
| Foll: | Sam Jacobs | Richard Douglas | Scott Thompson | |
| Int: | Jake Lever | Paul Seedsman | Matt Crouch | Riley Knight |
| Emerg: | Kyle Cheney | Nathan van Berlow | Dean Gore |
Adelaide lost Matthew Jaensch due to early retirement a few weeks ago, and while he would have been a part of the best 22, the Crows have an abundance of running half-backs, so his absence will be less keenly felt than others would be.
Rory Laird and Brodie Smith have provided the main drive over the last couple of seasons, Laird just missing out on the All-Australian team in 2015, Smith being awarded a gong the year before. Ricky Henderson can play tall or small, but also loves to run and rebound.
A couple of players from other clubs have been recruited to help out in this area. Paul Seedsman won the Anzac Day medal last year, but couldn’t hold form. Curtly Hampton is a personal favourite but has been underwhelming for two years, and a new club might be what he needs.
All of these guys should be seen through the wings and half-back at different stages throughout the season. There have also been strong noises coming out of South Australia about the impact first round draft pick Wayne Milera might make.
Luke Brown takes the lock-down small jobs, and added more rebound to his game last year, but not more possessions. With the amount of natural runners around him, perhaps it’s not required.
Kyle Hartigan should be the go-to full-back, but will he and Jake Lever play in the same side? The younger man Lever caught the eye in his opportunities last season.
Daniel Talia will accept the most responsibility by playing on the most dangerous tall forward. Talia gets plenty of praise as one of the ‘elite’ defenders in the competition, but most of it appears baseless. He needs to influence more play.
A common theme of my previews is marking down backmen that are low on possessions. Defending is easier than creating. As Ron Barassi famously said, give me possessions and I’ll shut up!
With no Dangerfield exploding out of the middle, Rory Sloane becomes the number one man at the Crows, a role he’ll take to with aplomb. Tougher than a shark’s tooth, good user and a natural leader.
Scott Thompson and Richard Douglas would both respond to the name ‘old reliable’ if you called them. Thompson wins more ball, and does the clearance and tackle work on the inside. Douglas is more outside, covers a bit more ground and is more effective in the forward half.
The Crouch brothers, Matt and Brad, have played 25 games apiece, but only one together. Both are ball magnets of the highest order and will provide big numbers together if they get a crack at it. They will be important players for Adelaide despite their inexperience.
Nathan van Berlo will provide depth as an old salt, Cam Ellis-Yolmen at 23 needs to cement a position after four years on the list for a 12-game return, while the likes of Rory Atkins and the untried Dean Gore from Geelong make for interesting prospects.
Sam Jacobs is a quality ruckman, but something of a poor man’s Todd Goldstein. Not quite as mobile, not quite as impactful, and basically provides less of all the important things a ruckman is required to provide. Still a good player though!
The forward line is the jewel in the Adelaide crown, arguably the most complete in the league. When working in sync with a midfield that’s on top they’re all but unstoppable.
The three talls in Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch complement each other perfectly. Jenkins is the most comfortable closest to goal, Lynch does the roaming and link work up the field, while Walker is a combination of the two, equally at home with either facet.
Eddie Betts has elevated his standing in the game since crossing the border, and has kicked more goals in each of his two seasons at the Crows than he ever did at Carlton. While Eddie’s magic around the goals makes all the highlight reels, his marking is also an asset.
Charlie Cameron provided more than nuisance value once cementing his spot last year, and is ever dangerous inside forward 50. Troy Menzel had plenty of pea-heart moments at the Blues and won’t be handed a spot in the best 22. He needs to show some resilience and work ethic at a new club.
Don Pyke has publicly stated he believes one of the Crows’ main weaknesses is a leaky defence, which may be a by-product of so many natural runners playing down there. Skill and speed are the other two factors he has highlighted.
If Pyke can get the ball quickly into that forward line then they may be able to cover other deficiencies, as they did at times throughout last year.
The Adelaide midfield contains a number of younger tier two and three mids and Pyke will be relied on to step up, as it does have a blue-collar look with Dangerfield gone. There appears decent depth, with not much between player 15 and 30 on the list. Which of these can improve the most?
As Ryan Buckland has been saying for a while, we’re getting to the point of the ladder now where there is likely very little difference between the top four and this point. An injury here, a couple of close losses there, and that will be the difference between a home final and a top ten pick in the draft.
The Crows are a solid chance to play finals again, but some good sides are going to miss out this year. I’m saying they’re one of them.
Predicted ladder spread: 7th-12th
Predicted finish: 10th
Best and fairest: Rory Sloane
Leading goalkicker: Taylor Walker
All-Australian potential: Rory Sloane, Taylor Walker, Eddie Betts
Rising Star candidates: Wayne Milera, Dean Gore
Current ladder
Adelaide – 10th
North Melbourne – 11th
Melbourne – 12th
Gold Coast – 13th
Port Adelaide – 14th
St Kilda – 15th
Brisbane – 16th
Carlton – 17th
Essendon – 18th