Could we be seeing the first instance of this in modern footy if the Crows get up?
I think so. This would be a first.
Quality thread. Amongst all the crap that's been posted in the negative overnight and today this is decent and meaningful.
I've personally never been a fan of the 'rebuild'. Bottoming out to recruit good picks. I think once you flatten out it's so much harder to get back up. Good teams like Adelaide, Richmond, Hawthorn, Geelong, and Sydney so one thing well; keep their core group and add and delete accordingly.
Adelaide is a great example. Since 2006 they've had the following results;
2006 - 2nd
2007 - 8th
2008 - 5th
2009 - 5th
2010 - 11th
2011 - 14th
2012 - 2nd
2013 - 11th
2014 - 10th
2015 - 7th
2016 - 5th
2017 - 1st
So in 12 seasons they've made finals 8 times. Definitely not bottoming out. To me that points to the fact that core group has been really strong, really secure. With a good culture and good coaching. Before 2006 Adelaide has always been around the mark, the club itself has always been relatively successful.
It goes to show that bottoming out is a fallacy and a myth, and any coach or administrator that wants to peddle it needs to be shown the door.
Richmond is very much the same since 2013. 3 years of finals, missed out in 2016, then back in 2017 and hosting a home preliminary final. Their core group has always been solid, they've just added and deleted as required.
Great to see two teams at the pointy end of the year who have followed this path rather than the opposite.