Questions to ponder ahead of Round 3: Can the Pies be re-heated, Are Port the real deal, Can Jezza's form last for the Cats?
Collingwood look far off the conquering team of 2023 and one aspect of real concern is their struggles in defence.
It has been a tumultuous 12 months for the Adelaide Football Club – much like the Western Bulldogs, who won the flag in 2016, the grand final runners-up are going to miss this year’s finals.
What went wrong for the Crows?
It all started with the grand final and talk that captain Taylor Walker had turned on his players in the dressing room at halftime.
Adelaide had the momentum in the first half, but Richmond ran over the top of them in the second half to win their first flag in 37 years.
Then there was the pre-season camp from hell, where there were rumours of scare tactics and hearing the Richmond theme song over and over again. It more sounded like a torture room in Saw than an opportunity to prepare for the new season.
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Losses to Melbourne and Richmond twice were proof this is not the same team from 2017, and with their captain showing a lack of on-field leadership, the side has stagnated.
Adelaide needed this after the pre-season camp and the embarrassment of the second half of the grand final. Taylor Walker looks likely to lose the captaincy to Rory Sloane and hopefully the former can just focus on his footy.
It is a long summer ahead for Don Pyke and his men, who will want to make 2019 their redemption year by returning to the top half of the ladder and making a tilt at their third premiership.
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