A nightmare season for the Adelaide Crows may have started new dreams

ADELAIDE closed its 23-season story at West Lakes on Saturday with a 68-point win against Melbourne, 34,653 saluting Football Park with a Mexican wave.

EVERY dark cloud has a silver lining, they say. In Adelaide Football Club's case, it actually may be gold.

The Crows' nightmare season began with a storm from the Kurt Tippett contract scandal, inherited a cold front from Melbourne as Adelaide strategy coach Dean Bailey suffered the consequences of the Demons' tanking saga in 2009, endured repetitive injuries to forwards and played out in the bleakest winter under constant rain clouds at AAMI Stadium.

Adelaide closed its 23-season story at West Lakes on Saturday with a 68-point win against Melbourne, 34,653 saluting Football Park with a Mexican wave and the average attendance at AAMI Stadium this season at 33,612 (a record low). It is a very grey storyline.

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But - to play on a promotional theme the Crows pinched from a song when this story all began in 1991 - the future on and off the field at the new Adelaide Oval is so bright, the Crows will be wearing shades as they reach the city.

The real story of Adelaide's 2013 season - that coach Brenton Sanderson had hoped would be a repeat of the Crows' breakthrough premiership in 1997 - is the promise of youth rather than the turmoil of sins dating back to 2009 or that black-cat curse in the medical rooms.

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Rising Star nominees Brad Crouch, Rory Laird and the uncontracted Sam Kerridge along with the hope delivered by raw forwards Tom Lynch and Lewis Johnston and young defenders Luke Brown and the rookie-listed Kyle Hartigan could ease the pain of the Tippett draft sanctions.

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And if Adelaide sneaks into an elimination final in a fortnight - as a wildcard entry should Essendon be eliminated by the AFL Commission tonight - that ambitious youth will be rewarded for their endeavour against the constant dark clouds at West Lakes this year. As experienced midfielder Scott Thompson noted - after his best-afield exit from AAMI Stadium on Saturday night - the pain of a disappointing season is cushioned by Adelaide having invested in young players.

"Half-a-dozen young guys have come in (this season) and shown they can perform at this level," said Thompson, 30. "Heading forward, the club has great depth. We're in a really good position ... I'd love to play in a grand final and win it - and I definitely think we have the list to do that."

It will not only be a new venue for Crows fans next season but a new-looking line-up to appreciate and a new game plan on the reshaped Adelaide Oval that is longer than AAMI Stadium but not as wide.

"We will change dramatically for round one next season," said Sanderson. "It could be a very different looking forward line. It could be six very new players lining up for us next season - that's all I will say about it."

While Adelaide is locked out of the first two rounds of the draft in November by the Tippett saga, Sanderson says the free-agent market still has options tempting him.

"We will explore every avenue to make our squad better," said Sanderson. "We understand we don't have the draft picks in rounds one or two but there are going to be opportunities for free agency and trading."