This year: 9 wins, 13 losses, 94.28 percentage
This year's grade (A-F): C
Positives from this year: The Crows blooded some young stars who promise to lead the club in years to come. Phil Davis, Rory Sloane, Matthew Jaensch, Ricky Henderson, David Mackay, Patrick Dangerfield and to a lesser extent Brodie Martin all starred at some point during the year showing plenty of talent and with more games under their belt will come on in leaps and bounds. Davis earned a rising star nomination in Round 16 for his performance in the win against Geelong while Sloane was applauded as a third-gamer for rallying his team-mates at three-quarter-time in Tyson Edwards' farewell match. Martin returned after seriously injuring his knee in only his second game last year and coach Neil Craig said his comeback game was SANFL-ish. The 21 year-old was dropped before turning in a best on ground performance in Round 22 when he was recalled by Craig, earning himself a contract extension. Taylor Walker was given more opportunity this season in the forward line and did enough to suggest he will be one of the Crows' leading forwards. 2010 Club Champion Richard Douglas also established himself as a ball magnet, capable of propelling Adelaide forward.
Negatives from this year: An injury crippled pre-season ensured the Crows endured their worst ever start to a campaign losing its opening six matches before posting a win against the Tigers in the 'battle for the wooden spoon' match. Adelaide had far too many injuries to back up as a genuine title contender after a promising season last year and missed the finals for the first time under the tutelage of Craig. The club also loses over 1300 games and 50 years of combined experience with four retiring veterans, a star defender defecting to the Gold Coast and an unfulfilled talent also drawing a close on his career. The Crows also suffered three losses to cross-town rival Port Adelaide, from which the club will still be smarting.
Likely departures: Tyson Edwards, Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin, Brett Burton, Trent Hentschel (all retired), Nathan Bock (Gold Coast), Jarrhn Jacky (Delisted), Brian Donnelly (returned home to Ireland), Jonathon Griffin (looking to return to WA)
Next year:
Type of Players needed:Coach Craig has already noted he would like to add some hard running midfielders to his impressive crop of tough ball getters, like Scott Thompson. Adelaide will also be in the hunt for another ruckman with Griffin likely to be traded home to Western Australia. The Crows may also need to recruit some experienced, seasoned campaigners to cover the loss of three dual premiership players and their other retirees.
Likely improvement:With more game time this season for the likes of Walker, Dangerfield, Sloane and co. and the emergence of Davis, Jaensch and Martin the Crows should bounce back from their horrid season. Adelaide have a wealth of talent with players between the 10-50 games mark ready to break free and stand out in 2011. In a situation similar to the likes of Melbourne and Richmond, its Adelaide's second and third year players who will determine how successful the club next year.
Finals next year? With Adelaide recording their worst ever start to a season, failing to make the finals for the first time under Craig's reign and losing three times in one season to cross-town rival Port Adelaide, the Crows will no doubt look to put the season behind them. They have the crop of young and exciting players to return the side to glory but a lot will depend on how they hold up and whether they suffer the curse of the second year blues. The more experienced players such as Thompson, Graham Johncock, Ben Rutten and Nathan van Berlo, who is expected to be named captain, will have to guide the young stars as well as replicating their own solid seasons. An injury free pre-season will also go a long way in ensuring the Crows will be competitive from Round 1.