ADELAIDE could sense it coming.
Despite still being among the youngest and most inexperienced teams in the competition on a weekly basis, the Crows could feel the build-up beginning to progress. They were aware this could be their breakout year.
Having used at least one first-round draft pick in every season dating back to 2013, the club had always taken a development-orientated focus to its ongoing list builds. This one, in particular, was no different.
Adelaide has now banked eight first-round picks in the last five years alone, setting up the core of the list that is now thriving under coach Matthew Nicks. The likes of Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Rachele, Max Michalanney, Chayce Jones and Ned McHenry are driving the side's improvement.
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The Crows have subsequently started the campaign at 4-4, establishing themselves as a genuine and legitimate finals contender. They have secured statement wins against potential September rivals like Port Adelaide and Carlton, while narrow defeats to the likes of Collingwood and Geelong have bolstered the belief that they're close to competing.
Last season might have been Adelaide's fifth straight campaign without finals, following its 2017 Grand Final loss to Richmond, but the steps to success were in place. Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable this week, the club's recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie said the uptick in form has long been on the radar.
"I did (see the improvement coming), because I'm always super on the positive side," Ogilvie said.
"It's been building and it's been a clear plan, there's no doubt about it. It's not been by accident. We'd planned it out. The coaches have done a fantastic job and the players have bought in.
"We're still probably the third or fourth youngest team every week, but they're really competitive. We've been in every game. That's been great. 'Nicksy' has done a fantastic job. He did the hard yards when he had to play the young boys early, but we played them and we played them and now they're coming through together.
"It's never linear, there will be ups and downs. It's not always going to be a Nick Daicos where you come in and everything is perfect, or a Gavin Brown where you get in and you never get dropped. It's very rare that you have that linear progression.
"There will be some ups and downs – and we're seeing a bit of that – but we're much more competitive. We're in games every week, we're challenging the best and that was what we wanted to do coming into the season."
The club's 2021 draft crop has been key to the side's success this season. Rachele, taken at pick No.6 that year, is averaging 18 disposals and 1.2 goals per game. Meanwhile Jake Soligo, claimed at pick No.36, has also become a senior regular.
Their immediate involvement in Nicks' plans has allowed Adelaide to take a stronger focus on securing ready-made talent recently, with the club exchanging first-round picks in successive Trade Periods to secure Jordan Dawson and Izak Rankine.
"What I love is the fact they're so tight, they are such a tight group," Ogilvie said.
"Those boys have come through together and they're best mates. You can add Luke Nankervis to that and Zac Taylor, who is unfortunately injured at the moment. They're a really tight group.
"You want to bring clusters through together. You get four from a draft, three from another draft, five from another draft. It's not always easy, but they've had some impact. It won't always be smooth, there will be ups and downs.
"Sometimes getting dropped or going back to the SANFL, which is a good competition at the moment and our SANFL team is doing really well … it can provide a really good platform for the boys to come in. When they come in, they're ready. It won't always be perfect and easy."
The club is also seeing a host of players begin to mature into leadership roles, with Darcy Fogarty – himself a first-round draft selection at pick No.12 in 2017 – relishing the mantle as the side's primary key forward option.
Fogarty played just 24 games in his first three seasons at the club, coming under significant scrutiny, but has since emerged as one of the competition's best young forwards and started this season with 13 goals from his first four matches.
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"When you think about talls across the competition and talls over history, it takes some time. We know the talls take a little bit of time, so we never lost faith. Darcy has worked really hard," Ogilvie said.
"It's not perfect, there are ups and downs with all of them. The King boys (Max at St Kilda and Ben at Gold Coast) have had injuries, and they're stars and top-10 talents. Everyone is different. The game doesn't know what pick you are."
