as relayed by Fox Footy\u2019s experts<\/a>. That can\u2019t be understated in all of this.<\/p>\nNicks said the drawn out Rankine saga didn\u2019t affect his team\u2019s preparation off-field.<\/p>\n
But from a footy perspective, the Crows coach conceded it \u201cchanged the dynamic of the group\u201d given Rankine is \u201cone of the best players in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think if any team lose their best player, then it becomes quite challenging to replace that,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s all ancient history now though.<\/p>\n
So where to here for the Crows? What areas does the club need to address to ensure it\u2019s better prepared for a flag tilt in 2026?<\/p>\n
MIDFIELD A \u2018WEAKNESS\u2019<\/p>\n
Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown believes Adelaide\u2019s midfield is a \u201cweakness\u201d and an area it needs to find a way to improve.<\/p>\n
Star skipper and Brownlow contender Jordan Dawson was down on his brilliant best form, while none of Adelaide\u2019s other on-ballers relished the finals atmosphere, nor looked capable of ripping up a game.<\/p>\n
And so the Crows\u2019 midfield was overwhelmed by Hawthorn\u2019s after also lowering its colours against Collingwood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got my doubts about the strength of the (Adelaide) midfield \u2013 Rankine especially when he wasn\u2019t there, Dawson when he\u2019s held \u2014 below his best \u2026 he needed to be flying,\u201d Brown said on Friday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsaac Cumming, James Peatling, Sam Berry, Jake Soligo \u2014 these guys well beaten tonight. You only needed to watch the first 10 minutes of the game to show the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean the Crows necessarily have to go to market to add another midfielder. <\/p>\n
Boosting that engine room could come through internal development or personnel and structural changes.<\/p>\n
Panel react to Mitchell-Merrett question | 01:01<\/p>\n
TRIPLE-HEADED MONSTER QUESTIONS AS TEX WEIGHS UP FUTURE<\/p>\n
The forward line was also an issue in finals, which is intrinsically linked to the midfield in many ways given Adelaide\u2019s attack wasn\u2019t getting premium service.<\/p>\n
But respected broadcaster Gerard Whateley noted it was \u201csort of Riley Thilthorpe or bust\u201d for a Crows forward line \u201cfeared\u201d during the season, lamenting how Darcy Fogarty \u201cdidn\u2019t have an impact in the finals series.\u201d<\/p>\n
That ominous 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 for opposition. You felt like it could\u2019ve helped drag them over the line in a big final.<\/p>\n
Yet Adelaide kicked eight goals and 10 goals respectively across their two finals. <\/p>\n
Of course, the downside of having a taller forward line generally means less threats at ground level \u2014 where finals are generally won and lost \u2014 and general speed. <\/p>\n
Though the Crows were missing both of their best hybrid small forwards, Rankine and Josh Rachele, for the majority of the finals.<\/p>\n
If they can land Brisbane\u2019s Callum Ah Chee, he\u2019ll certainly help and make Nicks\u2019 forward line more dynamic, even if the veteran isn\u2019t a needle mover.<\/p>\n
Ricciuto bemoaned the work further up the ground setting a harder task for Adelaide\u2019s forward line.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way the ball was coming down there didn\u2019t help either,\u201d the Crows great added.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir conversion going inside 50 has been off the last few weeks, it\u2019s been one of their strong points. I agree, the midfield has to get better.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe forward line and backline is good \u2013 they\u2019ve been one of the best defences all year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker is weighing up his future (Photo by James Wiltshire\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
However Walker\u2019s playing future remains uncertain, with the 35-year old currently uncontracted for 2026.<\/p>\n
The Crows veteran was held goalless by the Hawks for seven disposals after being arguably his side\u2019s best against Collingwood (2.3 from 18 disposals) the week prior. <\/p>\n
The evergreen Walker\u2019s body and form held up as well as ever in 2025, with the ex-skipper bagging 39 goals to play a key role in the club\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
But where\u2019s Walker\u2019s mind at?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t actually know. We\u2019ll work through that over the coming weeks,\u201d Nicks said of Walker\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll sit down with \u2018Tex\u2019, and a few others, and just talk through what that looks like.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love \u2018The Texan\u2019. I think there\u2019s different things that \u2018Tex\u2019 brings to the footy field that aren\u2019t necessarily just kicks, marks and handballs. There\u2019s a leadership component to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be a decision he\u2019ll have to (make as well). We\u2019ll lick our wounds at the moment and then sit down and talk about what that looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
LACK OF ELITE BALL USERS ACROSS HALF BACK<\/p>\n
Clearly, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera would make every single side better. <\/p>\n
But you could argue the silky star would\u2019ve been the perfect garnish to a Crows team lacking classy and polished ball users across half back. <\/p>\n
As stingy as that Adelaide back six was, the need for an elite kick coming out of defence was exposed over the last two weeks. Mark Keane at times found himself as the designated kicker in a move that played into the opposition\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 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\u2019s never been more important in the modern game.<\/p>\n
Think Jarman Impey. Josh Daicos. Dayne Zorko. All the best sides have them.<\/p>\n
Buckley misses out as Demons coach | 02:08<\/p>\n
\u201cA user that can come off half back would be important as well. Someone who can change angles,\u201d former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said. <\/p>\n
\u201cJarman 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\u2019s so dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you put a Wanganeen-Milera in Adelaide\u2019s side, he\u2019d probably get tagged every week and it would be a little bit different. He\u2019d help, he\u2019d help anyone!<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the reality is it\u2019s shared traits across a group that can get it done. Which is why Hawthorn look very damaging.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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,\u201d the Brisbane champion added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure, as competitors, they will go back and it will spur them on throughout the pre-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWin, lose or draw, they\u2019re going to be better for this experience next September, if they can get back here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adelaide\u2019s epic season will bring a much harder draw in 2026 too. So in another 12 month\u2019s time, we\u2019ll have a much clearer picture on how close this club really is to its next piece of silverware after two vastly different seasons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s the two words a top four team never wants to hear: Straight sets. Let alone a minor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":139429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[9126,638,41556,95431,64,63,689,55,639,17994,684,95437,95434,25297,95445,95433,65436,95440,95438,39189,87577,13213,95446,61,2105,7492,24575,2527,95435,12160,2522,33693,19052,3514,69830,95430,31708,16712,95444,26511,95432,677,68984,668,95443,12154,12936,95436,60604,95442,95441,85,79260,16702,95439,25581],"class_list":{"0":"post-139428","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-adelaide-crows","9":"tag-afl","10":"tag-agency-market","11":"tag-ancient-history","12":"tag-au","13":"tag-australia","14":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","15":"tag-australian-football-league","16":"tag-australianfootballleague","17":"tag-ball-users","18":"tag-ben-cotton","19":"tag-bitter-ending","20":"tag-club-ensure","21":"tag-coaching-role","22":"tag-consecutive-finals","23":"tag-crows-player-ratings","24":"tag-defining-moment","25":"tag-dreaded-club","26":"tag-elite-ball-users","27":"tag-engine-room","28":"tag-finals-fails","29":"tag-finals-series","30":"tag-footy-perspective","31":"tag-gerard-whateley","32":"tag-getty-images-inc","33":"tag-hawthorn-hawks","34":"tag-home-crowd","35":"tag-isaac-cumming","36":"tag-jacob-weddle","37":"tag-jake-soligo","38":"tag-james-peatling","39":"tag-james-wiltshire","40":"tag-jonathan-brown","41":"tag-jordan-dawson","42":"tag-karl-amon","43":"tag-leadership-component","44":"tag-mark-ricciuto","45":"tag-matthew-nicks","46":"tag-minor-premier","47":"tag-nathan-buckley","48":"tag-nightmare-matchup","49":"tag-oceania","50":"tag-polished-ball-users","51":"tag-press-conference","52":"tag-real-final","53":"tag-sam-berry","54":"tag-sam-mitchell","55":"tag-second-successive-finals-loss","56":"tag-semi-final-loss","57":"tag-sheer-finals-experience","58":"tag-single-side","59":"tag-sports","60":"tag-steven-king","61":"tag-taylor-walker","62":"tag-triple-headed-monster","63":"tag-zach-merrett"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}