Adelaide: Did they blow their golden chance?

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Sep 13, 2015
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Yeah except Hawthorn blew it right before a 3 peat. So really until you know, you dont know.

All signs point to Adelaide being up top somewhere again. We wont know different until we are shown different
Dude. Chill. The OP's creating a discussion. There's many examples of teams losing Grand Finals and never getting another chance. Theres also many examples of teams losing Grand Finals and making amends for it soon after. So the question is, which category do you THINK Adelaide will slot into, and why? This sort of discussion and prediction is exactly what bigfooty exists for.
 

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CrowsFlag2018

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Dude. Chill. The OP's creating a discussion. There's many examples of teams losing Grand Finals and never getting another chance. Theres also many examples of teams losing Grand Finals and making amends for it soon after. So the question is, which category do you THINK Adelaide will slot into, and why? This sort of discussion and prediction is exactly what bigfooty exists for.

Ugh there are a million threads
 
Apr 18, 2005
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Adelaide are good enough to win the next two flags. As are Richmond and GWS in my opinion. As long as Adelaide understand what went wrong on GF day last year, they can respond. Hawthorn did it with aplomb and it’s been mentioned how many sides responded after losing a flag.

I agree that some losses will be felt, I.e Lever and Smith, but it’s not like others can’t step into the breach. If you make a GF you’ve got depth.

Let’s wait and see.
 
Apr 18, 2005
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Dude. Chill. The OP's creating a discussion. There's many examples of teams losing Grand Finals and never getting another chance. Theres also many examples of teams losing Grand Finals and making amends for it soon after. So the question is, which category do you THINK Adelaide will slot into, and why? This sort of discussion and prediction is exactly what bigfooty exists for.
On the point you raise, and the good one at that, I think they’re good enough to slot into the ‘can win a flag’ category. Good list, good depth, good midfield, forward line and defence, and definitely got the attacking flair to be able to savage sides whilst also defending strongly.

On GF day they looked slow and lost. Also void of energy. I think perhaps their weakness is they may be too predictable with their forward set up, and if you can get a side with an elite defence in between them in the forward line, you can hurt them.

Sloane struggled with a tag so interesting to see if he gets chased around this year, and maybe their backline last year was a bit immobile to counter an energetic and mobile forward line.
 

gavaniacono

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Crows will be in the mix.
Team looks the goods.
I'd question the coach though, unprepared prematch, a hand warmer during the match.
 

blitzer

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They blew a golden chance but I'm not sure they are done just yet. Adelaide to their credit has had a habit of improving over the last few years against expectations. Gibbs adds some much needed class to an improving midfield unit. Shame they will be without Smith for the year (not sure if there is any medical chance of him returning later in the season).

They still have a top notch forward line (slightly worse without Cameron) I don't know their list well enough to know who replaces him (Atkins??? Milera???), an increasingly deep midfield and a quality defense albeit without Lever and for 2018 Smith. Their defense is the area that is hurt the most from what they had available in 2017.

Sometimes losing a grand final can be the impetus to take a team a step further as it was for Hawthorn in 2012 and sometimes a loss is just a blown chance never to re-occur eg Dockers 2013.
 
Jun 14, 2015
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Ahhhhhh I'm still not over it, what a bunch of dickheads.

We've seen in the past teams lose in grand finals and never get back there with that list. Fremantle and St Kilda being recent examples.
Since the introduction of the final eight no one has lost a grand final by five goals or more and made it to the grand final the following year.

Not only did Adelaide get absolutely thrashed in the grand final, they bought unnecessary and unwanted attention to themselves with a cringeworthy intimidation tactic that looked daft, generated negative press, and completely failed on the biggest stage of all. I think that will leave a few scars.

And apparently they're s**t at the MCG which might be a problem.

I think the Crows will be right in the hunt this year, but I can't help but wonder if that was their best chance last season.
They're behind Sydney, Geelong, GWS & Richmond for mine.
 
Apr 25, 2011
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Gibbs, Sloane, Betts, Jacobs and Jenkins are all 28 or older. Walker is almost 28. Obviously they're not all going to turn to s**t the moment they turn 30, but you'd have to imagine their best footy has already been played or they're close to beginning their declines. A player like Gibbs may last well into his 30s but in a different role.

Thoughts?

28 is a sweet spot for AFL - if injury doesn't foobar things. Endurance, strength and experience - those pesky 23 and under younglings are in for a rough ride against you, and the 24-25 year olds are only going to best you if they are at the top of their game. You aren't in the competition at 28 unless you are good, resilient to injury and are beyond your off field issues as the club will have let you go while they roll the dice and try to get and develop a better draftee.

Age is rapid onset, but 30+ and while they don't lose competitiveness, they start to be 2nd to the ball instead of first at it.

The guys you mention are in their prime for a GF.
 

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Oct 3, 2007
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The crows will be strong again and better for the experience. As already said they are hard to get into Grand finals so all things being equal they are as good a shot as anyone.
 
I think it will be an Adelaide vs Western Sydney Grand Final this year.

The Crows have maybe another 2 or 3 years before their Premiership window starts to shut.

The biggest issue will be who replaces Jacobs when he retires? He’s arguably Adelaide’s most important player.
 
Oct 4, 2005
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St Kilda made back to back grand finals, so it's not as if the first one scarred them too badly.

And we've seen Hawthorn lose a grand final and then go on to three-peat, Geelong lose a grand final and then go onto win two of the next three, Sydney get smashed in a grand final yet go on to at least get back there two seasons later (notwithstanding the fact they lost - they were still able to rebound to get there). North lost a grand final they really shouldn't have lost in 1998 and won the premiership the following year.

These were great teams of an era. Adelaide have not fitted that mould yet, but might if they keep improving.

Also, Adelaide didn't just lose in the grand final, they were smashed. The question is how much should we read into that and play down the rest of their season (though their late season form was a bit shaky too). Was it just a really bad day or something fundamental? It usually takes a great team to win a grand final, not just a very good one.
 
Aug 31, 2008
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Last year was their best chance.

Now Richmond have had a taste and know that they can do it. Geelong have added GAJ, Sydney (who have a better list IMO) have another pre-season to get everyone fit (Parker and Hannebery struggled last year) and another pre-season into Heeney. GWS will surely have had their share of disappointment (last two seasons) now and I imagine they will respond with all the talent they have.

Unfortunately Adelaide lost Lever, who is a great young player. They could still do it, but it's a tougher prospect than last year.

Edit: forgot about Gibbs - quality inclusion
 

Final Siren

Mr Squiggle
Aug 18, 2009
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Hard to say they blew it when they were beaten comprehensively. The only recent team I can think of that blew it was St Kilda in 09, they had us beaten early in fourth and just couldn't take their chances up forward.
Fremantle 2013? Shocking kicking for goal had them at 1.6 at halftime and they only lost by 15 points.
 

Final Siren

Mr Squiggle
Aug 18, 2009
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Yeah I did think about them but I don't know you can conclude they should have won against that Hawks side. They should have led the game at some point though.
It's actually the only GF that Champion Data have said was won by the poorer side on the day (source). It felt like a comfortable Hawks victory because Fremantle botched it so badly in Q1, but the Dockers would have won if they'd kicked for goal with anything like average accuracy.
 

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