ADELAIDE has appointed SANFL general manager of football Adam Kelly as its new head of football.

Kelly fills the role that was left vacant after Brett Burton was sacked in the wake of the club's external review at the end of last season.

The 45-year-old will start with the Crows in the new year.

He will be part of the Crows' executive management team and oversee all aspects of the club's football operations.

Kelly has spent the past five years with the SANFL having previously served as the chief executive of the East Fremantle Football Club, as well as CEO of Country Racing Victoria's Murray Mallee Racing.

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"The further I went into the recruitment process the eagerness grew as a result of being able to interact with numerous people, all of whom impressed me with their passion, drive and desire to take the club forward," Kelly said.

Kelly said new senior coach Matthew Nicks was heavily involved in his appointment, with the pair catching up for a lengthy chat last week.

"It was great to sit down with him for a number of hours and talk broadly about what's happening at the club, but also get to build a bit of a rapport with him," Kelly said.

"He's a very relatable guy and it was great to sit down and start that personal connection.

"I can see we're going to forge a strong relationship and support each other in our capacity at the club."

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Kelly will have a say who the Crows appoint for the new leadership and culture position, with that role expected to be finalised in the new year.

As far as what supporters can expect on the field in 2020, after the Crows undertook significant change to their playing list in the off-season along with changing the senior coach, Kelly said it was about playing a style of game the fans wanted to see.

"The expectation will be about playing that brand of footy that the supporters can be proud of," he said.

"There's a lot to be positive about for next year."

Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan said Kelly was the standout candidate after a lengthy recruitment and due diligence process.

"Adam is a values-driven leader who has clearly demonstrated that he can positively influence large teams of people in both a club and governing body environment," Fagan said.

"This was critically important to us.

"We were also impressed with his long-term commitment to learning and personal development, which he has demonstrated through the completion of a Master of Business Administration and attendance at Harvard University.

"Importantly, we feel his combination of personal qualities, skills, qualifications and experiences are well suited to the football program and environment we are developing under a new senior coach."