Adelaide had been waiting eight years for this moment. They thought they knew what to expect. But the lift in intensity and pressure still came as a shock in the Crows’ first AFL final since 2017.
The long journey back to the finals was capped off by sealing their spot as minor premiers. But after being outplayed – and arguably outsmarted – by Collingwood in their qualifying final, Adelaide are at risk of becoming the first team for 42 years to finish on top of the ladder then be bundled out in straight sets.
