THIS is the year Adelaide's class of 2016 needs to show what it can do at senior level.

Jordan Gallucci, Myles Poholke, Elliott Himmelberg and Ben Davis have played a combined 47 games in their first three seasons at the Crows.

That's not completely unexpected as it usually takes players a few years to make the leap from junior football to the AFL.

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During that time under former coach Don Pyke, the Crows were also firmly in the premiership window.

Debutants were few and far between as the Crows backed their tried and true players to get the job done.

The Crows made the Grand Final in 2017 before falling way below expectations the following two years and missing the top eight.

A cleanout of the list at the end of last season, resulting in several experienced players leaving the club, along with the appointment of a new senior coach in Matthew Nicks, should open up opportunities for youngsters to make their mark.

Gallucci is the one who needs to be given an extended chance in the senior side, but not just as a half-forward, which is where he's played the majority of his 27 games. He has to be tried through the midfield.

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The 21-year-old was a first-round selection by the Crows in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft, and the 15th pick overall.

Poholke has also had limited opportunities having played only two senior games last year, taking his overall tally to 11 appearances.

The 44th overall pick in 2016, Poholke (pictured below with Gallucci) turned in some dominating performances in the SANFL last year as a goalkicking midfielder.

He's got the size and strength to excel at stoppages, and could push his case to be a part of the midfield rotation after the departures of Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Hugh Greenwood.

But with the Crouch brothers, Matt and Brad, along with Rory Sloane, holding a mortgage on midfield roles, adding Poholke to the mix slows down an onball unit that is already not blessed with leg speed.

Himmelberg – a 198cm tall forward who was the 51st pick in 2016 - showed promise in his seven games last year, but the addition of Billy Frampton from Port Adelaide has ramped up competition for that spot.

Whoever gets the position will also need to pinch-hit in the ruck to give Reilly O'Brien a rest.

Then there's Davis, who was always an unknown quantity, which is to be expected with the 75th pick.

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Having been in danger of being delisted, the 22-year-old half-forward worked hard to build his running capacity and deserved his debut last year.

However, he'll have to bide him time behind the reliable Tom Lynch while also competing with Shane McAdam and ex-Collingwood forward Ben Crocker, who was thrown a lifeline in the rookie draft.

Davis is the only one of the 2016 quartet who is contracted beyond this season, having signed a two-year extension until the end of 2021 last year.

For Gallucci, Poholke and Himmelberg, this is a crucial season to show they are in the Crows' long-term plans.

Adelaide's class of 2016

Pick 15: Jordan Gallucci. Games: 27. 2019: 10
Pick 44: Myles Poholke. Games: 11. 2019: 2
Pick 51: Elliott Himmelberg. Games: 8. 2019: 7
Pick 62: Matt Signorello. Games: 0. Delisted end of 2018
Pick 75: Ben Davis. Games: 1. 2019: 1