Crows coach Matthew Nicks has slapped down suggestions the media frenzy around Izak Rankine’s ban disrupted the side’s preparation after Adelaide became the first minor premiers to leave the finals in straight sets in 42 years. While it also appears Jack Gunston and Jack Ginnivan were taken off the field as a precautions after hamstring complaints against the Crows.
Hawthorn were brutal in their drubbing of the minor premiers at Adelaide Oval with the Crows slumping to a 14.17 (101) to 10.7 (67) loss. Nicks’ side was outplayed in nearly every department with Gunston kicking five goals to continue his career resurgence at the Hawks. But it was the lacklustre effort in front of a boisterous home crowd that raised concerns for the Crows faithful heading into next year.
Eddie McGuire (pictured left) predicted Izak Rankine would become an unwanted talking point no matter the results in the finals, while Jack Ginnivan (pictured right) was only taken off as a precaution over his troublesome hamstring injury. (Images: Getty Images/Fox Sports)
And one of the biggest talking points after the two straight losses was the absence of Rankine. The Crows player was banned for four games for an on-field homophobic slur. There was hope from Adelaide fans Rankine would be back for the AFL grand final.
The loss to Collingwood in the first round of AFL finals meant his ban would be up if the Crows went all the way. Although in a twist, Rankine will now serve his ban in the first round of next year with the saga continuing.
But in a telling moment, coach Nicks slapped down suggestions the media frenzy around Rankine impacted his side. When the coach was questioned about whether their preparation was hampered by the saga, Nicks claimed it was Rankine’s physical presence that was missed in the defeat.
“What it did do, it changed the dynamic of our group,” Nicks said. “I mean, Izak is – and this is my opinion – he’s one of the best players in the game. So I think if any team lose their best player, then it becomes quite a challenge to replace that.
“Some of our guys, our younger guys, stepped up and showed that they can play at the level. But the challenge we had was sort of filling that void that Izak’s had there for us all year. That’s purely on-field.”
Izak Rankine (pictured) will miss the first game of the 2026 season.
Eddie McGuire claim about Izak Rankine haunts Crows
Eddie McGuire predicted Rankine would become an unwanted talking point no matter the results in the finals. Speaking on Channel 9 last week, Crows great Rory Sloane said the Rankine controversy would all be forgotten once the game against Collingwood last Thursday. Although that was proven wrong with Rankine a talking point after the Crows’ ugly defeat.
Former Collingwood boss McGuire rejected the initial suggestion and predicted Rankine would remain a talking point all throughout the finals, which he has. “If they lose, the story is ‘he’s back in town for a final’,” McGuire said. “If they get beaten in the second week, he’ll cop the blame for going out in straight sets.” And Nicks being pressed on Rankine after the loss in straight sets has shown the Crows star’s ban will continue to be a talking point even heading into the 2026 season.
Adelaide Crows crash out in straight sets
The Crows struggled against Collingwood and Hawthorn in their two finals games and didn’t look like the side that finished top of the table. And Nicks admitted the Crows struggled to handle the pressure when it mattered.
“Just the way we played our footy in those finals was, not surprising, probably most disappointing in that we weren’t quite able to handle that pressure or that environment,” he said. “It’s a number of things. It’s what your opposition are bringing; it’s maybe some of the expectation that lands on you when you are minor premiers – disappointed that we weren’t quite able to handle that.”
Jack Gunston and Jack Ginnivan update
While there was plenty of attention handed to Ginnivan upon his arrival in Adelaide, all eyes were on Gunston after the 33-year-old star scored just 21 seconds into the clash. He then added four more in a remarkable career resurgence from the former Lions ace.
But both Gunston and Ginnivan were afforded time off at the end of the game with the victory sealed. While Sam Mitchell greeted both players on the bench, there were concerns about the players with Ginnivan reportedly battling a hamstring injury entering the match.
Hawthorn will take to the field against Geelong in seven days with concerns around both Gunston and Ginnivan. But Channel 7 reported both may not even need scans with the images of the players on the bench not a major concern. And Dale Thomas claimed Ginnivan told him it was only a precaution and he would be right to go next week.