The club
Formed: 1990
Joined AFL: 1991
Premierships: Two - 1997 and 1998
Last finals appearance: 2006, preliminary final

2007 to date:

It’s difficult to get a read on the Crows’ season – such has been the prevalence of injuries and their inconsistency. Adelaide suffered a shock loss to Essendon in round one, won three of its next four and then carried on to be 8-6 after 14 rounds. Three consecutive losses then had the Crows back on the brink, before victories in two of their next three outings lifted Neil Craig’s men back into contention.

With 10 wins and 10 losses, Adelaide sits 10th on percentage behind the Lions. The Crows have beaten most of their fellow finals contenders, including cross-town rivals Port Adelaide (twice), the Lions, the Kangaroos, Hawthorn and Sydney.

Last time they met the Lions:

Simon Goodwin was in superb form, accumulating 30 possessions as the Crows celebrated Tyson Edwards’ 250th game with a 31-point win over the Lions. The Lions had plenty of the ball but could manage only 1.5 for the third term – a quarter in which Adelaide broke the game open with four goals in the first 10 minutes.

Missing in action:

Crows skipper Mark Ricciuto is being tipped as a surprise selection and is officially listed for a test on his injured ankle. If “Roo” and Michael Doughty (hip – also a test) return, Adelaide will only be missing All-Australian defender Nathan Bassett (ankle – three weeks) and underrated small forward Matthew Bode (knee – two weeks). Forward Trent Hentschel and ruckman Rhett Biglands won’t return until 2008 but neither has been available all season.

The coach

Neil Craig proved his doubters wrong with a 35-14 record in his first two seasons in charge, but his next challenge – getting Adelaide into the 2007 finals – looms as his biggest. A veteran of 321 SANFL games with Norwood, Sturt and North Adelaide, the former State-of-Origin captain is hugely popular with Crows fans and rated one of the most tactically astute coaches in the AFL

The gun

Simon Goodwin seems unlikely to match the whopping 639 disposals he amassed in 24 games last year, but, with an average of a tad more than 24 a game, he won’t be far off it. The likely captain-in-waiting is one of the best attacking midfielders in the competition, as Lions fans would attest after his brilliant round seven display at the Gabba. Has the ability to ghost into space around stoppages and break clear with the ball.

The bolter

Injuries have resulted in increased opportunities and responsibility for Nathan van Berlo and the 21-year-old has responded with increased output. Selected in the honorary WA State-of-Origin side for the first time, van Berlo has lifted his possessions-per-game from 13 to 18 and become an indispensable part of Craig’s midfield rotation. A touch more poise in front of goal (6.11 for the season) and he will be even more of an attacking threat.

Strengths

The Crows experienced runners are out of the top drawer – of Goodwin, Andrew McLeod, Edwards, Brett Burton and Ricciuto (if available), only Burton and Edwards have never been All-Australian. And that pair can consider themselves unlucky to have missed team-of-the-year selection. The creativity of Adelaide’s midfield matches its discipline, which in turn is replicated in a defence marshalled by All-Australian Ben Rutten – who has had success on Jonathan Brown in the past. Ben Hudson is a tough competitor in the ruck, Scott Thompson and van Berlo are much improved in the midfield and Graham Johncock is capable at either end of the ground. Ricciuto’s impending retirement is sure to motivate the Crows to try to give their skipper a deserving September send-off.

Weaknesses

As expected, the Crows have struggled for goals in 2007 without Hentschel and with Ricciuto, who pinch-hit as a forward last year, so often unavailable. The Crows have surpassed 100 points in a game only six times this season and are averaging only 85 points per game – down from 103 a year ago. As much as Adelaide remains capable of stifling opposing sides at the other end – conceding only 78 points per game – goals win matches. Injuries have denied the Crows continuity and Hudson is the only big man with genuine claims to being “established.”

The Queensland factor

Native Queenslander Hudson travelled a roundabout route to AFL success with the Crows - leaving Mt Gravatt to play at Werribee, before eventually being drafted by Adelaide in 2003. Kurt Tippett, the Crows' second pick in last year's National Draft and out for the year with shoulder problems, hails from Southport and is the brother of Lions rookie Joel Tippett.