Adelaide’s bumpy ride this season might be more about mental scars than the physical ones on the Crows’ long injury list

ADELAIDE returns to the MCG on Saturday for the first time since the grand final loss and the match against Hawthorn could reveal the depth of the scars from that dark day, writes Michelangelo Rucci.

Josh Jenkins reacts after missing a goal in last year’s grand final loss to Richmond. Picture: AAP Image

ARE the Crows scarred by last year’s crushing grand final defeat?

Or are they jinxed by a “black cat” curse that seems to make it easier to list the fit Adelaide players rather than those who are injured? Or did the Crows bring this mess upon themselves with a misguided pre-season that pushed the physical and mental boundaries, particularly with that mysterious training camp on the Gold Coast?

Adelaide returns to the MCG on Saturday - to play Hawthorn - for the first time since the 48-point loss to Richmond in last year’s grand final. And in his interview with The Advertiser on Monday, key forward Josh Jenkins makes a telling observation that emphasises why dealing with grand final losses tests AFL clubs.

Just as Port Adelaide later regretted how it dismissed its 2007 grand final nightmare with Geelong, the Crows might have reason to think how they left the MCG on September 30 last year. In Adelaide’s case, the critical issues from the grand final defeat with Richmond were left to linger.

“It took a heavy toll in the off-season,” admits Jenkins, who personally wore the brunt of the Crows fans’ backlash for his no-goal return against the Tigers.

Josh Jenkins, Riley Knight, Rory Sloane and Rory Laird on the bench in the last quarter of the grand final. Picture: Sarah Reed

“It is the way it goes ... you play the grand final, your season ends. You carry on for a day, there’s a team meeting and then you are gone (for holidays).

“That happens for every other team too, be it the season ending in round 22 or another final. But a grand final only magnifies (the issues from a season-closing defeat). It is a bad scenario ... you play the grand final, you lose and everyone disperses when you actually need each other the most.

“The off-season was difficult. But getting back together - and training hard, really hard - proved the grand final did not take control of our bodies. We’ve shown a few times - not enough - we’ve still got it. We have not lost the ability to play the game.”

But what of the Crows’ players minds - not just from the grand final but the Collective Minds program that was to make the Adelaide players mentally stronger as coach Don Pyke sought to unlock the telling power “above the shoulders”?

The contentious Gold Coast pre-season camp appears to have done more damage than good for the Crows players. This will be noted on Saturday when they step back to their nightmare zone at the ‘G to deal with the question of what scars are left by the grand final.

Many of Adelaide’s players were overwhelmed by the grand final occasion, in particular Jenkins. He returns to the MCG on Saturday with no fear in facing the demons that remain.

“Not many guys have worse memories than me,” Jenkins said. “I know we all lost as a team; it was a shocking day.

“But the fact we are going back to the MCG is not a huge concern. There are larger (immediate) concerns (after falling to 6-6 with a three-game losing streak) to find a level in our game that allows us to win.”

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