After an extended period of mediocrity, it appears the Adelaide Crows are finally poised to be a September threat once again.
The Crows last played finals in 2017, dismantled by a rampant Richmond in a grand final demolition that seemingly set the club back years.
The infamous camp following that defeat cost the Crows significantly on and off the field – only three years after their grand final appearance, the club was forced into a full scale rebuild.
Between 2020 and 2024, the Crows finished outside the bottom five just once -10th in 2023.
But that all looks set to change in 2025. The Crows sit third with five home and away matches remaining and, with a reasonably favourable draw to come, could well host a qualifying final at Adelaide Oval.
Some pundits remain sceptical, while others are optimistic. But the question remains: do they have the weapons to take them all the way?
The rise of the Crows hasn’t been accidental – savvy trading and clever recruiting has seen them skyrocket into premiership contention.
Although some coaching and list management decisions have been questioned and criticised in recent years, a closer look reveals a textbook blueprint for a rebuilding club.
It is no secret the Crows made a number of big blunders at the draft between 2016 and 2020. Fischer McAsey, Ned McHenry, Chayce Jones and Jordan Gallucci were all first round picks that failed to have the impact hoped for when chosen. Three are no longer at the club, while Jones has played 94 games as a fringe player. Given Zak Butters was taken after Jones, this was a big miss.
But list manager Justin Reid and national recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie have redeemed themselves in the last half-decade. Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Rachele, Jake Soligo, Max Michalanney and Daniel Curtin are all playing crucial roles in a team that could yet win the minor premiership.
Thilthorpe sits sixth in the Coleman race, while Curtin is now the Rising Star favourite, further highlighting how impressive Adelaide’s youth is. This young core should ensure the Crows remain a contender for years to come.
The List management team’s work at the trade table has been even better – there’s an argument they have been the best in the AFL across recent years. Jordan Dawson and Izak Rankine are the obvious star recruits, but 2024 trade coups Alex Neal-Bullen, James Peatling and Isaac Cumming are also playing important roles.
When the Crows acquired Dawson in the 2021 trade period in exchange for pick 18, he was considered one of the best half-back-cum-wings in the AFL. However, the Crows didn’t realise they were recruiting a future captain and elite inside midfielder capable of hitting the scoreboard.
Dawson, second favourite for the Brownlow Medal, has led the Crows superbly in 2025 and looks made for finals footy.
Rankine is as classy as they come, and although slightly down on his 2024 form, he remains a game-breaker. Alongside Rachele, he’s added much needed speed and class – exactly what Adelaide lacked early in the rebuild. The Crows essentially traded pick 5 for Rankine and he’s been worth every cent.
At the time of his arrival, fitness boss Darren Burgess was considered a huge get for the Crows. And rightly so – the Crows have one of the smallest injury lists in the AFL and, barring any major injury in the last five home and away rounds, will have almost a full squad to pick from in September.
The Crows forward line is seriously damaging. They sit third for points scored. Often it is the three keys that get the accolades, but Adelaide’s small brigade is one of the best in recent memory. Rankine, Rachele, Neal-Bullen and Keays present issues for most defensive units. Rankine and Rachele provide the class, while the gut running of Keays and Neal-Bullen is crucial to the Crows system.
Thilthorpe, Fogarty and Walker will stretch any defence, often forcing an opposition defender to play taller than they usually would. It is almost impossible to stop all three. Thilthorpe sits sixth in the Coleman, while Fogarty is 12th.
Considered a weakness at the start of the season, the Crows defence has proven anything but. The Crows sit second for points against. Key defenders Mark Keane, Nick Murray and Jordon Butts have been exceptional in curtailing the opposition’s best big men, but it is the hybrid and smaller defenders that have proven a point of difference for the Crows.
Josh Worrell is a star. In and out of the team across his first three seasons, he has enjoyed a career best season as an intercept defender and may yet be in calculations for the All-Australian squad. Michalanney looks like he has played 200 games in defence, while Rory Laird has had an ultra-consistent season in a familiar half-back role where he was All-Australian in 2017 and 2018.
However, for all that, there are still several question marks surrounding the Crows heading into their first finals series in eight years.
There is no doubt the Crows can be a threat in September, but could that lack of finals experience haunt them in a big game? The question remains as to whether the young brigade can rise to the occasion come September. Inexperience doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t ready, but navigating a high pressure interstate final is something many of them have never had to cope with.
Adelaide celebrate their thrilling win over Brisbane. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
For all Burgess has achieved in keeping the Crows fit this season, their depth has been relatively untested. The SANFL team has performed well and boasts a 10-3 record, but many of the youngsters have not been required much at AFL level this year due to the lack of injuries. Would it be too big of an ask to call on players such as Sid Draper, Billy Dowling and Luke Nankervis in September to fill a hole if an injury strikes? You just get the feeling that a blow to one of their prime movers may prove too much to overcome.
While their forward line is dominant and the backline vastly improved, the Crows’ midfield may lack the star power other September-bound teams have. Looking at Brisbane’s 2024 premiership midfield of Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Will Ashcroft, you have to wonder if the Crows would be able to match them on the inside in a big final. A midfield consisting of Dawson, Soligo, Sam Berry and Peatling is certainly serviceable, but can they measure up against the elite on-ball groups come September?
Then there’s trouble on the road: a 4-4 record away from the Adelaide Oval suggests they have struggled slightly when travelling. This was also the case when making a finals push in 2023 – a 9-4 record at home and 2-8 record away.
Despite their flaws, the Crows are fast, fearless and flying under the radar – and that could prove the most dangerous combination of all come September.
