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.
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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?
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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