The Crows are a no-fuss team with a low profile outside of South Australia who are one win from storming into a grand final at the MCG

MOST of the Crows team could walk down the street in Melbourne without turning a head, but that could be about to change, writes Fox Sports Kelli Underwood

Adelaide Crows coach Don Pyke ahead of Friday's AFL preliminary final in Adelaide. Picture: AAP

I’LL let you in on a little secret. Most Victorians haven’t rated the Crows all season.

Some had them missing the eight. Others declared “no Rory, no Crows” after Sloane was tagged out of some early contests.

Even the Herald Sun recently ran a piece titled How well do you know the Crows? with headshots of six Adelaide players. It declared the majority of readers wouldn’t know who they were.

The mystery six was Brodie Smith, Richard Douglas, Rory Laird, Rory Atkins and the Crouch brothers. Any of these players could walk down Swanston St and not a single head would turn. But I bet that’s just the way Don Pyke likes it.

Pyke reminds me of one of my favourite coaches in Greg Popovich.

If you don’t know who he is – ask Crows fan Patty Mills! Popovich has coached the San Antonio Spurs for more than two decades and led them to five championships. He’s turned Mills from an NBA bench warmer into a star player. He’s a no-nonsense operator who rarely offers a smile. Sound familiar?

In the American sporting world of bling, ego and “look at me”, Popovich has created a system that has brought down star-studded line-ups to win title after title. He created a culture that is the envy of sporting organisations around the world. His players buy in and sacrifice individual success for the benefit of the team. He once declared: “it’s not about any one person. You’ve got to get over yourself and realise that it takes a group to get this thing done”.

Sure the Crows have stars. The hard as nails Rory, the powerful presence of Tex and the illuminating Eddie. But this type of culture starts at the top with humble leaders who set the tone. They’re unselfish. There are no big egos. They stick vigorously to their system. They’re organised, efficient and they understand their roles.

Plus, they have an absolute commitment to become the ultimate team. It’s a system that propelled them to the top of the AFL ladder.

They were on top for all but five rounds this home and away season. And still the Vics don’t rate them!

Many wrote them off after their best player Patrick Dangerfield packed up his bags and moved home.

No Danger - no midfield they howled. But in stepped the Crouch brothers - the best double act out of Beaufort since the pie and doughnut combo from the bakery, on the long drive back to Adelaide!

CROWS RULE OUT MCGOVERN

Dangerfield’s move to Geelong is one of the three biggest trades since the introduction of free agency. First, Gary Ablett moved to the Gold Cost. No Ablett – no Geelong some feared. Instead the team soared, winning a premiership the very next year. Then Buddy Franklin quit Hawthorn for Sydney. No Buddy – no Hawks, declared the critics. And yet without the superstar forward, the Hawks won the next two flags.

Can the Crows continue the trend? Not one Adelaide player has played in an AFL grand final. A third of the Geelong team has played in a premiership. And the Crows have lost their last four preliminary finals dating back fifteen years.

But tonight’s contest isn’t about numbers or history. It’s about an even side that lacks an obvious weakness preparing to play total football. The ultimate team taking on the so-called “two man team”. And if the Pyke system brings down the heavyweights from Geelong, look out Melbourne ... the Crows will parade down Swanston St next Friday and some Victorians may even look twice. Don might even crack a smile!

SA-born journalist Kelli
Underwood appears every Tuesday night on The Back Page on Fox Sports

Originally published as The Crows are a no-fuss team with a low profile outside of South Australia who are one win from storming into a grand final at the MCG