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Premiership Crow's biggest concern ahead of must-win semi-final
SEN • September 12th, 2025 7:24 pm
Tonight, Adelaide and Hawthorn have everything to play for, however for the Crows, it’s a case of everything to lose.
Entering September as the minor premiers and a favourite to win the premiership, the Crows finds themselves staring down the barrel of a straight-sets exit following a rather disappointing performance against Collingwood.
Failing to meet the intensity of finals football, Adelaide were stunned by the experienced Magpies in their own backyard, and now, face the raging Hawks in an elimination bout that holds all the potential of marking a disastrous campaign for 2025’s top dogs.
Behind the brute force of Jai Newcombe, a stellar defensive set-up and blistering pace, the Hawks will prove no easy feat despite what’s expected to be a rowdy home crowd at Adelaide Oval.
Ahead of the do-or-die battle, Crows premiership captain Mark Bickley has called on the club’s All-Australian talent to step up in light of the circumstances.
“This week there was disappointment replaced a couple of days later by anticipation, waiting to see whether some of the players that have performed so well throughout the year can respond tonight,” Bickley told SEN Afternoons.
“I’m looking at Jordan Dawson and Riley Thilthorpe, the two All-Australians for Adelaide.
“They were both down a little bit last week with a couple of others, and they really need to stand up.
“One is the leader and had an unbelievable year in Dawson, and Thilthorpe is the future. He had a breakout year this year, first All-Australian and is such a weapon for Adelaide, so he’s got to perform when his team needs him.”
Beyond the Crows’ stars, Bickley also has concerns within the side’s engine room, citing a lack of depth beyond their captain.
“In a broader sense, I’m most worried about Adelaide’s midfield. The last month has been poor for them,” he said.
“When you look at Adelaide, it’s Jordan Dawson as your number one A-grade midfielder, and then there’s a fair bit of blue collar – Sam Berry, Jake Soligo, James Peatling, Rory Laird was introduced in the second half (last week).
“They’re all rock-solid citizens, but there’s no A-graders amongst them. If someone like Conor Nash plays on Jordan Dawson and is able to quell him, do you have enough firepower with those other players to be able to get enough ball through the middle of the ground and provide some opportunities for your forwards?
“Conor Nash on Dawson, if that’s the way they go, is going to be really interesting. That’s what happened last week – they didn’t get much drive out of Dawson and not much out of those other guys and that was one of the driving factors, particularly early in the third quarter when Collingwood got about four centre clearances in a row and kicked three goals for them. That was the difference in the end.
“I just felt like last week, Collingwood had the ability to bring in (Jordan) De Goey into the midfield, (Scott) Pendlebury came in in the second half as well amongst others. They had a long batting order.
“When Adelaide don’t do well through the middle, there’s not really too many players they can introduce, and that’s a bit of a worry for me.”
The Crows will take on the Hawks at Adelaide Oval at 7:40pm AEST, 7:10 local time.
