Excuses are over for Adelaide Crows in make or break AFL season 2025 | Andrew Capel

The time for excuses is gone, Adelaide’s time to snap a long finals drought has come, writes Andrew Capel.

Reilly O’Brien hit the nail on the head.

It’s time for the Crows to “walk the walk’’.

After seven years in the finals wilderness, Adelaide has run out of excuses.

Not only has it not played in the major round since its infamous 2017 grand final flop but it, damningly, hasn’t even finished in single figures on the AFL premiership table.

The Crows’ ladder positions since their eight-goal grand final loss to Richmond read 12th, 11th, 18th (the club’s first wooden spoon), 15th, 14th, 10th and 15th.

It is a remarkable fall from grace for a proud club that had previously not missed the finals for more than three consecutive seasons.

Since a Don Pyke-led outfit stormed to the 2017 minor premiership with a 15-6-1 home-and-away record and won two of three finals, Adelaide has won just 59 of its 151 games - a woeful winning percentage of 39.

Current coach Matthew Nicks’ winning record in six years at the helm is even worse (35 per cent), with only 37 victories from 107 games.

The club has been extremely patient with Nicks, who, in fairness, was forced to rebuild a team in decline.

But the rebuild has been slow and tested the patience of fans.

Crows coach Matthew Nicks addresses his players at pre-season training. Picture: Mark Brake

Now - with key recruits arriving in the off-season, young players having gained invaluable experience and a healthy list - it must deliver.

“It’s time to walk the walk, finally be a good team and make finals,’’ said O’Brien, Adelaide’s No. 1 ruckman and a member of its five-man leadership group.

“We have flirted with it in the past couple of years and haven’t done it, so we know that’s our challenge now.

“We know our best is good enough but it’s a matter of doing it (more often).’’

In putting the Crows’ expectations on the line, O’Brien, speaking on radio FIVEaa, slightly broke ranks.

Adelaide has gone to great lengths this off-season not to mention the F-word (finals) as it lowers its eyes to Round 1 and a first-up match-up, which it should win, against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

The Crows believe they last year erred in publicly declaring that anything less than a finals berth would be a failure.

A pre-season, long-term injury to star key forward Riley Thilthorpe was a blow they never recovered from.

But this year appears different.

The cavalry arrived in the form of three key recruits - Melbourne premiership utility Alex Neal-Bullen and talented Greater Western Sydney pair James Peatling and Isaac Cumming.

Key Crows recruit James Peatling celebrates kicking a goal for the Giants against Brisbane during last year’s finals. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Neal-Bullen is a Mr Fixit who can play a variety of roles for Adelaide while his leadership is first-class.

It was no surprise that he was put straight into the Crows’ new leadership brigade.

Peatling is an emerging, hard-running midfielder who is a tackling machine while the classy, 188cm Cumming can play in defence or on a wing and gives the team more flexibility.

Throw in the addition of South Australia’s best 2024 draftee, South Adelaide product Sid Draper - who Adelaide rightfully selected at pick 4 at last year’s draft - and the club’s class factor has risen considerably.

An electrifying onballer, Draper, who will no doubt experience some growing pains, will be a star and add some much-needed X-factor to the team.

The Crows’ midfield now runs deeper than it has in years, with inspirational captain Jordan Dawson, the classy Jake Soligo and Izak Rankine and mainstays Ben Keays, Matt Crouch and Rory Laird given some support.

There have also been a couple of key off-field additions.

In securing new coaching director Murray Davis from Brisbane, Adelaide not only provided some valuable support to Nicks - who, like the club, is facing a make or break year, despite being contracted until the end of 2026 - but brought some key flag-winning intel from last year’s premier.

Adelaide recruit Alex Neal-Bullen at the club’s West Lakes headquarters. Picture: Keryn Stevens

It also - after a long pursuit - finally landed the man with the Midas touch, Neil Balme, to join its board as football director.

The 73-year-old has a long history of success as a player, coach and administrator at the top level.

He played in two VFL premierships for Richmond (1973-74) and coached Norwood to a pair of SANFL flags (1982 and 1984) while he was an influential figure in AFL premiership-winning football departments at Geelong (2007, 2009 and 2011) and Richmond (2017, 2019 and 2020).

“Neil has seen and done it all in football for over five decades and has a proven track record of shaping and overseeing leading football departments. Success follows him,’’ noted Crows chairman John Olsen.

Davis, who has taken on a newly-created role at Adelaide, also brings a wealth of experience, having spent 13 years with the Lions and helping the club rise from rock-bottom in 2017 (Adelaide’s last grand final appearance) to top last year.

“I can see a lot of potential in the (Crows) list and with three players (recruits) coming in and a high draft pick in Sid, I’m really excited by what we’re trying to build,’’ Davis told ABC Grandstand.

“I was at Brisbane when we won a wooden spoon as well and Adelaide is doing a lot of similar things in regards to how they are building their list.

Star Crow Izak Rankine in action during the club’s AFL Community Series victory against Brisbane last month. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“I think it’s really important to have a deep midfield so you can rotate a number of guys through there and we’ve added to that depth, along with the fact we’re getting more guys who can play multiple positions, which is really handy.’’

Davis has been heavily involved in the Crows’ desire not to talk a big off-season game and instead “focus clearly on Round 1’’.

“I think when you focus on the big picture or get caught up in looking too far ahead it can be dangerous and you can lose your way a little bit,’’ he said.

“Our experience at Brisbane was to really narrow the focus and that’s one thing that Nicksy has done a great job of, making sure we just focus on the session in front of us, then Round 1, and then you can reset, reload and go again.

“We’ve had a strong emphasis on that and just making sure the players are looking to get better every day.’’

But with key recruits on board, two strong trial game wins against Port Adelaide and Brisbane and a healthy list, Crows fans have every right to dream big this season.

It’s a case of finals or bust!

NUMBERS GAME

3

Goals for rising Hawthorn star, Croweater Will Day, against Sydney - a career-high.

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Milestone game for Port Adelaide’s Darcy Byrne-Jones against Collingwood in Round 1.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“I was having a bit of fun with ‘Kingers’, an old mate of mine. I was just stirring.” - Collingwood coach Craig McRae on his boundary-side exchange with GWS coach Adam Kingsley on Sunday, which resulted in an official warning from the AFL.

“Whoever offered him ($17m) didn’t offer him enough, did they?’’ - St Kilda coach Ross Lyon on reports of the Saints’ monster offer for Giant Finn Callaghan, who had 33 disposals and kicked two goals in Opening Round against Collingwood.

Originally published as Excuses are over for Adelaide Crows in make or break AFL season 2025 | Andrew Capel