AFL great David Parkin reveals what the Crows need to win the flag and why it won’t be this year
Adelaide are doing all the right things to be in the best position to contend for the flag, but an AFL great says the one key stat missing from the Crows roster will hurt their chances of success this year.
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AFL great David Parkin has heaped praise on Adelaide’s rise this season, but thinks the team may need more September experience before it wins a flag.
The Crows are seeking to become the first premiership side after a seven-year finals drought since Hawthorn under Parkin’s captaincy in 1971.
Adelaide has the second-least major-round experience of the nine contenders this season at a total of 53 games among eight players.
Reigning premier Brisbane has more than six times that with 320 matches across their squad after making finals the past six years, while Geelong (307) and Collingwood (274) are not far behind.
GWS (196), the Western Bulldogs (151) and Fremantle (86) are next.
Only Gold Coast (21) has less finals experience than Adelaide.
Parkin, who won one flag as a player then four coaching the Hawks and Carlton, said history and Adelaide’s September inexperience compared to other 2025 finalists suggested this season would be “a step in the succession of steps” the Crows had to take.
“I think they’re absolutely on the right track with the right conductor (Matthew Nicks),” the Australian Football Hall of Famer told this masthead.
“It will just be the experiences that finals will give them and this year may be just that.
“I just think it might be a close miss or disappointment this year, which will be the driving factor for 2026.
“Structurally, looking at their team the other night, I don’t think it’s missing too many individual parts to it.
“The talent is good, the midfield is probably on the rise of being the third or fourth midfield in the competition, but it (winning a premiership) is a process.
“A year more experienced and with the disappointment behind them, you could write me down – looking at all the other clubs and where they are – to pick them for a flag in 2026.”
Adelaide’s most recent final was its defeat to Richmond in the 2017 premiership decider, a match Taylor Walker, Matt Crouch and Rory Laird all played.
Since then the Crows have finished 12th, 11th, last, 15th, 14th, 10th and 15th – the latter five seasons with Matthew Nicks as coach.
Off-season recruit Alex Neal-Bullen is the Crows’ sole flag winner, prevailing with Melbourne in 2021.
The forward has the joint-most September experience in Adelaide’s squad at 10 matches, along with former captain Walker.
Veterans Brodie Smith (eight finals), Crouch (seven) and Laird (seven), ex-GWS duo Isaac Cumming (seven finals) and James Peatling (three), and skipper Jordan Dawson (one, at Sydney) are the other Crows who have featured in September.
Parkin lined up in Hawthorn’s 1963 grand final loss against Geelong, then was part of Hawks sides that finished fifth, bottom, ninth, 10th, sixth, fifth and eighth the next seven years in a top-four finals system and 12-team competition.
The tenacious back pocket was captain when the club returned to the finals in 1971 and beat St Kilda by seven points in the decider.
“In ‘63, I was probably the worst player on the ground – I had something like seven goals kicked on me for the day – so I carried that as a cross for a long time,” Parkin said.
“I was a fair dinkum good player in ‘71 because it was my last chance and I was just carrying them over the line.
“Blokes like Taylor Walker, he’s worked so hard and I admire him enormously for what he’s given to that club.
“You can understand his thinking, his motives and his drive, and that would certainly influence the players around him.
“But you’ve got to experience some disappointment (as a group) to take you up the next notch.”
Parkin’s first premiership as coach came with Hawthorn in 1978.
He later steered Carlton to grand final success in 1981, 1982 and 1995.
“I was lucky enough to coach in a 12-team competition, which made life a bit easier,” the 82-year-old said.
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