Adelaide’s strong list and favourable fixture means Crows can again be an AFL force

After reaching the Grand Final a year earlier, 2018 was a miserable one for the Adelaide Crows. But after a year where almost everything went wrong, coach Don Pyke can be confident heading into 2019.

Don Pyke can’t wait for 2018 to be in the rearview mirror. Pic: AAP

After reaching the Grand Final a year earlier, 2018 was a miserable one for the Adelaide Crows.

So, what does 2019 have in store for Don Pyke’s super-talented list?

BATTLE: WANGANEEN’S PRIVATE STRUGGLE

TICK TOCK: HAVE GIANTS RUN OUT OF TIME?

‘LAZY JOURNALISM’: SWANS CHIEF’S BUDDY BLAST

CHRIS CAVANAGH assesses the Crows’ strengths as they try to bounce back up the AFL ladder.

EIGHT REASONS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT ADELAIDE IN 2019

STRONG LIST

The Crows had a forgettable 2018 but it was less than 18 months ago that they were united in a power stance about to tackle Richmond in the 2017 Grand Final. From that team, all but two players still remain on Adelaide’s list, those departures being Charlie Cameron (Brisbane) and Jake Lever (Melbourne). During the same period, Bryce Gibbs (Carlton) has been added to the midfield mix. So, there is no disputing that at full strength this is a more than capable playing list.

Bryce Gibbs had a terrific first season for the Crows. Pic: Michael Klein

INJURY CURSE

Defender Brodie Smith was rated by Champion Data as Adelaide’s top-ranked player entering 2018 but played only two games late in the year after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the club’s 2017 finals series. Rory Sloane was the club’s second-ranked player but managed just 12 games due to a foot injury, while fellow midfield star Brad Crouch (groin) missed the entire season. If the Crows can get that trio back fit and firing, it will make a massive difference to their 2019 fortunes.

BEAT THE BEST

There were plenty of matches in 2018 that Adelaide would rather forget, notably heavy losses to Melbourne (91 points), Hawthorn (56 points) and Collingwood (48 points). But along the way there were also strong wins. During what was a see-sawing season the Crows beat preliminary finalist Richmond, eventual premier West Coast and fellow finalists Sydney and Geelong. When they were on, they were a force to be reckoned with. The only problem was they weren’t on often enough.

Rory Sloane and Josh Jenkins celebrate after the round 15 win over West Coast. Pic: Getty Images

SIEGE OVER

Adelaide was under siege from day dot in 2018. A revolutionary pre-season camp last February spectacularly backfired, reportedly leaving a number of players emotionally distressed, shaken and frustrated. Details hit the media during Round 1 of the season and the camp was a talking point throughout as the Crows hit their Round 14 bye with a poor 6-7 record. Club hierarchy admitted in October they got it wrong with elements of the camp. But with the saga now put to bed, there is a clean slate entering 2019.

BIG TEX

Taylor Walker played 14 games in 2018, but he didn’t look quite right in many of them. The skipper started the year with a foot injury which had restricted his pre-season training and went on to have hamstring troubles. The result was the Crows got only 26 goals out of their key forward, who remains a barometer for the side. Over the prior three years the big man had averaged 53 goals. If Walker, who turns 29 in April, can stay fit and again produce a 50-goal season, Adelaide will be sustaintally better off.

SUNS FACTOR

The AFL effectively handed the Crows eight premiership points to start the year, with their fixture showing two games against Gold Coast. It is no secret the Suns are headed back to the drawing board and could field a less experienced and talented side than they did during a three-win inaugural season in 2011. Adelaide has never lost to the Suns, holding an 11-0 record against them. Free kick, Crows.

Brodie Smith returned in 2018 but skipper Taylor Walker looked injured for much of 2018. Pic: SARAH REED

FANTASTIC FIXTURE

Gold Coast aside, there are plenty of other things to like about Adelaide’s fixture if you are a Crows fan. Champion Data ranks it the second-easiest fixture in the competition behind only St Kilda. Having finished 12th last year, the club has drawn double-up matches against St Kilda, Geelong, Port Adelaide and West Coast, along with the Suns. In addition, Adelaide gets to play many of next year’s top contenders on its home deck at Adelaide Oval, including Collingwood, Richmond, Greater Western Sydney and Essendon.

ELECTRIC EDDIE

The most prolific small forward of recent times, Eddie Betts simply wasn’t at his best last year. He missed four games with a hamstring injury but — like the Crows — just seemed a bit off the pace for much of the season. Betts kicked just 29 goals from 18 games, an average of 1.61 a game. That would be a more than respectable figure for most small forwards, but Betts is capable of much more. In 2016 he averaged 3.13 goals a game and in 2017 he averaged 2.29 goals a game. While Betts is now 32, the Crows will be hoping he can find another gear and return to the form of his 55-goal All-Australian year of 2017.

Eddie Betts remains an excitement machine. Pic: SARAH REED

TAB ODDS

Premiership: $15

Top-8: $1.65

Most losses: $101

TRAJECTORY

2014: 10th (11-11)

2015: 7th (13-8, semi-final)

2016: 5th (16-6, semi-final)

2017: 1st (15-1-6, runner-up)

2018: 12th (12-10)

DEFENCE WINS PREMIERSHIPS, RIGHT?

The Crows have the No.1 rated defence, with three players rating elite and another three rating above average. Rory Laird is the star of the backline, ranked as the fourth best general defender in the game.

Source: CHAMPION DATA

Originally published as Adelaide’s strong list and favourable fixture means Crows can again be an AFL force