ADELAIDE stalwart Anne Hatchard says the truncated AFLW pre-season has worked in favour of the Crows' flag defence.
Hatchard and her reigning premiers open their campaign with a Grand Final rematch against Melbourne on Friday night.
Adelaide's third premiership was won on April 9, and the late August start date for the fresh season - as league bosses moved the competition to spring - was only announced on July 4.
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It meant triple premiership star Hatchard and her Crows teammates had little time to dwell on their recent glory.
"With less break, you kept your fitness a bit more so it helped getting into the pre-season," she said.
"But definitely for the expansion clubs, they have had less time to bond together as a group so that will be interesting coming into the season."
Essendon, Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide have been added to the competition for the new season as Hatchard's Crows plot to extend their dynasty.
The Crows have won three of five premierships and were beaten grand finalists in 2021.
But megastar forward Erin Phillips has left the Crows, taking fellow premiership heroes Ange Foley and Justine Mules with her to Port Adelaide.
"There are some key players who have gone, but there's girls stepping up this pre-season," said Hatchard, who was best afield in Adelaide's grand final win over the Demons in April.
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"I think we will be right.
"We have built such a good culture here, it showed with how many girls we have still got here.
"It's really exciting to have most of our group together and bring through some new girls as well. It's exciting keeping it fresh."
While Hatchard has lost high-profile teammates to Port, she believes the Power's entrance will be another boost for AFLW in South Australia.
"To have two South Australian teams in the competition now is super exciting," she said.
"With all that talent that is coming through in South Australia, it had meant a lot of the girls had to go interstate to play."
