From 15th to 1st… to AFL’s most dreaded club: How 42-year low exposed hidden Crows flaws

It’s the two words no top four team ever wants to hear: Straight sets.

Let alone a minor premier.

The Crows became the first minor premier to lose two consecutive finals since 1983 as Friday night’s defeat to Hawthorn marked a straight-sets September exit for Matthew Nicks’ side.

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It’d otherwise been such a successful year in a meteoric rise from 15th to first. Where it felt like nothing went wrong until last week — though perhaps more specifically, that fateful Round 23 clash with Collingwood.

But it’s a painful reminder that whatever happens in the home and away season is largely irrelevant. For the eighth-seeded Hawks booked their ticket to the real final four, while the one seed’s campaign is finished.

You could dig into the X’s and O’s of specifically what went wrong for Adelaide this finals series, and no doubt Nicks and his team will over a long summer.

But the cold hard reality is the Crows just didn’t rise to the elevated stage and intensity that is September footy, which presents an entirely new challenge.

That was apparent over the last fortnight, despite both games being played at their Adelaide Oval fortress — a venue the Crows had previously lost just once at in 2025 back in Round 5 to Geelong.

Learning how to be better prepared for the finals stage is the biggest lesson the Crows could take.

And the fact the club was playing in its first September campaign since 2017 always made Adelaide something of an enigma in this year’s race, despite, in theory, sitting in pole position.

In fact, the Crows didn’t win a single quarter in its two finals as minor premiers. They barely threw any punches.

“They were really disappointing, the last two games haven’t gone to plan – probably their worst two games for the season … they’ve been a bit flat for about a month and they’ll be really disappointed with how they’ve finished up,” Crows legend Mark Ricciuto told Fox Footy post-match.

The loss of Izak Rankine’s due to a suspension clearly played a key part, as relayed by Fox Footy’s experts.

Nicks said post-match the drawn out Rankine saga didn’t affect his team’s preparation off-field.

But from a footy perspective, the Crows coach conceded it “changed the dynamic of the group” given Rankine is “one of the best players in the game.”

“So I think if any team lose their best player, then it becomes quite challenging to replace that,” he said.

That’s all ancient history now though.

So where to here for the Crows? How can the club ensure it’s better prepared for a flag tilt in 2026?

MIDFIELD A ‘WEAKNESS’

Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown believes Adelaide’s midfield is a “weakness” in an area it needs to find a way to improve.

“I’ve got my doubts about the strength of the (Adelaide) midfield – Rankine especially when he wasn’t there, Dawson when he’s held — below his best … he needed to be flying,” Brown said on Friday night.

“Isaac Cumming, James Peatling, Sam Berry, Jake Soligo — these guys well beaten tonight. You only needed to watch the first 10 minutes of the game to show the difference.

“I just think if Adelaide are going to go all the way to the top, they need to improve their midfield. For me, that would be a concern as to how far they could climb with that midfield.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Crows necessarily have to go to market to add another midfielder.

Boosting that engine room could come through internal development, personnel or structural changes.

TRIPLE-HEADED MONSTER QUESTIONS AS TEX WEIGHS UP FUTURE

The forward line was also an issue in finals, which is intrinsically linked to the midfield in many ways given Adelaide’s attack wasn’t getting premium service.

But respected broadcaster Gerard Whateley noted it was “sort of Riley Thilthorpe or bust” for a Crows forward line “feared” during the season, pointing out Darcy Fogarty “didn’t have an impact in the finals series.”

That triple-headed monster of Thilthorpe, Fogarty and Taylor Walker was a potent point of difference for the majority of 2025 and presented a nightmare matchup of opposition.

Yet Adelaide kicked seven goals and 10 goals respectively across their two finals.

Of course, having a taller forward line would generally mean less threats at ground level and general speed. Though the Crows were missing both of their best hybrid small forwards, Rankine and Rachele, for the majority of the finals.

“The way the ball was coming down there didn’t help either,” Ricciuton noted.

“Their conversion going inside 50 has been off the last few weeks, it’s been one of their strong points. I agree, the midfield has to get better.

“The forward line and backline is good – they’ve been one of the best defences all year.”

And Walker’s playing future remains uncertain, with the 35-year old uncontracted for 2026.

The Crows veteran was held goalless by the Hawks for seven disposals after being arguably his side’s best against Collingwood (2.3 from 18 disposals) the week prior.

The evergreen Walker’s body and form has held up as well as ever in 2025, with the ex-skipper bagging 39 goals to play a key role in the club’s success.

But where’s Walker’s mind at?

“We don’t actually know. We’ll work through that over the coming weeks,” Nicks said during his press conference.

“We’ll sit down with ‘Tex’, and a few others, and just talk through what that looks like.

“I love ‘The Texan’. I think there’s different things that ‘Tex’ brings to the footy field that aren’t necessarily just kicks, marks and handballs. There’s a leadership component to it.

“It’ll be a decision he’ll have to (make as well). We’ll lick our wounds at the moment and then sit down and talk about what that looks like.”

NEED FOR ELITE BALL USERS ACROSS HALF BACK

Clearly, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera would make every single side better.

But you could argue the silky star would’ve been the perfect garnish to a Crows side lacking classy and polished ball users across half back.

As stingy as that Adelaide back six was, the need for an elite kick in defence was exposed as Mark Keane at times found himself as the designated kicker in a move that played into the opposition’s hands.

That’s a role the club could scour the trade and free agency market for, but 17 other clubs would be doing the same in a position that’s never been more important in the modern game.

Think Jarman Impey. Josh Daicos. Dayne Zorko. All the best sides have them.

“A user that can come off half back would be important as well. Someone who can change angles,” former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said.

“Jarman Impey is just so important for Hawthorn. He can do his damage because he has Karl Amon and Jacob Weddle there who come back, the three of them together is where it’s so dangerous.

“If you put a Wanganeen-Milera in Adelaide’s side, he’d probably get tagged every week and it would be a little bit different. He’d help, he’d help anyone!

“But the reality is it’s shared traits across a group that can get it done. Which is why Hawthorn look very damaging.”

As much of a bitter ending to the season that it was for the Crows, Jonathan Brown thinks the sheer finals experience will hold them in better stead moving forward.

“They have now experienced the cauldron of finals. Yes, it was in front of their home crowd. Yes, it was disappointing. But now they know what it feels like,” the Brisbane champion added.

“I’m sure, as competitors, they will go back and it will spur them on throughout the pre-season.

“Win, lose or draw, they’re going to be better for this experience next September, if they can get back here.”

Adelaide’s epic season will bring a much harder draw in 2026 too. So in another 12 month’s time, we’ll have a much clearer picture of how close this club is to its next piece of silverware.