Crows leader Reilly O’Brien reflects on disappointing 2024 at Adelaide

The Crows say they will remain united as a group, even after the disappointment that was the 2024 season. After hopes were high, they took a step backwards.

Adelaide's Jordan Dawson and Ben Keays leave the field during the AFL Round 24 match between the Sydney Swans and Adelaide Crows at the SCG on August 24, 2024. Photo by Phil Hillyard (Image Supplied for Editorial Use only – **NO ON SALES** – ©Phil Hillyard )

Adelaide leadership group member Reilly O’Brien says the Crows will remain a united front as they enter an off-season copping an increasing amount of heat from fans about the trajectory of the club and whether the people at West Lakes are the right ones.

What the Crows hoped would be a season in which they returned to finals ended with them yet again being spectators in September, with Adelaide going down to minor premiers Sydney in its final home and away game of 2024.

“I think they were just a bit too good for us in the end, we had some good patches during the game but they were just a class above, they punished us off turnover,” O’Brien said.

The 15th place finish from the Crows came after the message from West Lakes during pre-season was that they were ready to embrace the higher expectations that are coming their way.

But instead it was a big step backwards by the Crows.

The Crows went down to the Swans in their final game of 2024. Picture: Jason McCawley/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

“Yeah disappointing and frustrating are the two words that come to mind. We had high expectations coming into the year to make finals and still be playing over the next couple of weeks,” O’Brien said.

“We think we have the team to do it but we weren’t able to do that with the way we played and being too inconsistent over the year. So really disappointing year.”

This, and the controversial decision to drop young forward Josh Rachele for the clash against the Swans, has resulted in what had largely been a patient and supportive fan base rage at the club and senior coach Matthew Nicks.

O’Brien said he hoped fans would stick with the Crows, and backed in Nicks to lead a bounce-back in 2025.

“We are disappointed, frustrated, I can imagine the fans would be very disappointed and frustrated also,” he said.

The Crows had high hopes coming into the season. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“We are a very proud club and we want to be in finals, not spectators at this time of the year so I am sure they are frustrated.

“We have reviews in the next couple of days but probably we just didn’t play well enough for long enough, we had patches and games where we played quite well but we just didn’t consistently perform from week to week.

“There’s a lot of things that go into that, it is not just one or two things, so we will work out what we can do better and how we can rectify this next year.

“Elite sport is a pretty hard thing and it is really frustrating when you aren’t playing the way you want, getting the wins you want and playing in finals so that is the message, stick with us, come on the journey and hopefully there are some big things to come next year and the years beyond.

“Absolutely, we are 100 per cent united behind him at the club.”

O’Brien said the club was behind Josh Rachele. Picture: Dean Martin

O’Brien said there was no player unrest at West Lakes, and predicted Rachele to be a big player for the Crows despite being dropped for putting himself before the team too many times this year.

“I’ve spoken to Josh a fair bit, more from a support point of view and throwing the arm around him. We love Josh and he is going to be a huge part of the club going forward,” he said.

“He is going to be a great player and person so full support around Josh.”

Instead of playing at the SCG on Saturday night, Rachele was lining up at Unley Oval after his much publicised couple of weeks.

While he didn’t kick a goal against Sturt, during the match he did the little things – both during and after the match – that pleased stand-in Adelaide state-league coach Matt Wright.

O’Brien said the signs showed by young guns Riley Thilthorpe and Jake Soligo would be positives for the Crows from 2024.

Originally published as Crows leader Reilly O’Brien reflects on disappointing 2024 at Adelaide