Adelaide young gun Will Hamill, one of the new breed upon whom the Crows will rely from now on. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

ADELAIDE
2020 record: 3 wins, 14 losses (18th)

THE INS
Jackson Hately (GWS), Mitch Hinge (Brisbane), Riley Thilthorpe (West Adelaide), Luke Pedlar (Glenelg), Brayden Cook (South Adelaide), Sam Berry (Gippsland Power), James Rowe (Woodville-West Torrens), Tariek Newchurch (North Adelaide), James Borlase (Sturt)

THE OUTS
Rory Atkins (Gold Coast), Brad Crouch (St Kilda), Kyle Hartigan (Hawthorn), Bryce Gibbs (retired – rookie listed for contractual reasons), Riley Knight (delisted), Ben Crocker (delisted), Jordan Gallucci (delisted), Myles Poholke (delisted), Patrick Wilson (delisted), Ayce Taylor (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
When you finish on the bottom of the ladder after losing your first 13 games, it would be fair to say that you don’t have too many strengths of which to speak. However, despite the train wreck that was their 2020 season, the Crows do have some positives to hang their hat on – most notably their crop of exciting youngsters. In Lachlan Sholl, Elliott Himmelberg, Darcy Fogarty, Andrew McPherson, Fischer McAsey, Harry Schoenberg, Chayce Jones, Will Hamill, Jackson Hately and Ned McHenry, Adelaide definitely has something to work with as it attempts to climb back up the ladder after “winning” its first ever wooden spoon. The Crows’ top draft pick Riley Thilthorpe is another source of optimism, and they will be hoping that he forms an effective partnership with newly-crowned best-and-fairest Reilly O’Brien in the ruck in the years to come. Established stars Rory Sloane, Rory Laird, Luke Brown, Matt Crouch and Brodie Smith are still dependable but they need help.

THE WEAKNESSES
Where do you begin? For starters, Adelaide just couldn’t get its hands on the ball last year. On differentials per game, not only were Matthew Nicks’ men ranked last in the competition for marks, but they were also second last for disposals. And when you throw in the fact that they were seventh for handballs despite having such little access to the pill, it’s little wonder that not much went right for them. But it got worse for the Crows. So ineffective was their midfield in 2020 that they were also ranked last for clearances and inside 50s, and then naturally marks inside 50 – the surest avenue to goal. The catastrophic result of that was Adelaide having both the worst attack and defence in the competition last year – quite simply it was the easiest side to play against. Half of the Crows’ 14 losses were by six goals or more, and most gallingly, their second-worst defeat (69 points) was against second-last North Melbourne. Each of Adelaide’s three wins came against bottom-10 teams, too. The Crows’ lack of intensity and pressure was also reflected by the fact that they were rock bottom in the competition for tackles. This side needs a dramatic overhaul and it probably won’t be for another three years before the benefits of that process start being reaped. The losses of 2017 grand final trio Atkins, Brad Crouch and Hartigan, as well as Gibbs, who admittedly didn’t get much game time, means that a decent chunk of experience has left the list. As a result, Adelaide’s youngsters will regularly get exposed to the big time in 2021, and in some instances perhaps earlier than they’re ready, but the rebuild has to start as soon as possible and if that means throwing the kids in the deep end, then so be it.

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ONE TO WATCH
Himmelberg has been a work in progress for four years now, but after showing more glimpses of his raw talent in 2020 than ever before, if he plays in a team that slightly improves on its dismal showing from last year and can somehow enhance the quality of its supply to the forward line, the 22-year-old could become the Crows’ No.1 key forward by the end of 2021. Only O’Brien took more contested marks than Himmelberg last year, and he was third in the Crows’ goalkicking with nine majors, but with 10 behinds to his credit as well, he should’ve split the big sticks a lot more.

UNDER THE PUMP
If Tyson Stengle manages to avoid having his contract torn up before the start of the season, the microscope will be on the former Tiger like he has never felt before in his short career. The goal sneak had a year he would rather forget as he found himself involved in no fewer than three off-field indiscretions, the last of which took place only last month. Stengle remains stood down by the club for that incident and will need to repay the Crows’ faith in spades if they decide to keep him on the list.

BEST 22
B: Jake Kelly, Daniel Talia, Luke Brown
HB: Wayne Milera, Tom Doedee, Brodie Smith
C: Rory Laird, Matt Crouch, Lachlan Sholl
HF: Tom Lynch, Elliott Himmelberg, Lachlan Murphy
F: Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty, Shane McAdam
R: Reilly O’Brien, Rory Sloane, Ben Keays
Inter: Andrew McPherson, Fischer McAsey, Harry Schoenberg, Chayce Jones
Emerg: Will Hamill, David Mackay, Jackson Hately, Paul Seedsman

Milera will hopefully make a welcome return to the line-up after a serious foot injury and subsequent surgery in round two ruined his 2020. Ordinarily, Stengle would probably be in the best 22, or at least be an emergency, but because his status as an Adelaide player is far from certain at the time of writing, he has been left out. Hately is on the outer for now, but the former Giant will undoubtedly get game time throughout the season. It would come as no surprise to see Thilthorpe break into the team at some stage, too.