If they beat Adelaide this weekend they can climb another spot - or two - on the ladder.
The Lions and Crows meet for the only Sunday game at the Gabba this season after the Lions snapped an eight-game losing streak thanks to Jonathan Brown’s game winning goal with five seconds left.
Adelaide have had an up-and-down season of their own and lost a heap of experience due to retirements and injury.
Despite being out of the finals race, Neil Craig’s men showed they had not thrown the towel in for the season with an eight-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
Forward scout: Adelaide Crows
2010 to date
Despite being knocked out of the 2009 finals by Collingwood, Adelaide finished last season as one of the hottest teams in the league. They were fast, young and exciting and looked a team of the future.
But the Crows started disastrously with six straight losses this season, and after finding some better form in the latter half, have again slumped with three straight losses to sit on 7-12 and out of the finals race.
The retirements of legends Simon Goodwin, who will play out the season, and Tyson Edwards and a long-term injury to Andrew McLeod have also had an effect.
The coach
From the outside he’s a no-frills coach but Neil Craig has fashioned an enormously successful career with the Crows. He took over from Gary Ayres in 2004 and has made the finals every year since - until this season.
After making his name as a defence-first coach, Craig changed his strategy last season to take advantage of his side's attacking prowess. With player retirements and indifferent form on the field, this season has undoubtedly been his toughest, but the unflappable Craig has not changed his demeanour.
The gun
Like many of his team-mates, Bernie Vince has been up and down this season. The tough-as-nails midfielder had a stellar 2009, winning the club’s best and fairest and announcing himself as an elite player of the competition. He wins the contested ball and has good skills to match. Vince has racked up 25-plus touches in four of his last five matches.
The sleeper
There is no doubt Kurt Tippet t is one of the most exciting forwards in the competition. Recruited from the Gold Coast, the 23-year-old has a terrific leap and strong hands. His goalkicking is a question mark, but Tippett announced himself to the league last year with some sensational performances as a strong marking full forward.
He hasn't been as productive this season, but he has still kicked 38 goals from 19 starts. Fellow Gold Coast native Daniel Merrett will get the job on the 201cm, 100kg Tippett.
The bolter
Taylor Walker is just 20 but has already shown glimpses of his undoubted talent. He starred for Adelaide early last year with his quick leading and good hands up forward. But after a drop off in form, Craig sent him back to the SANFL to improve the defensive side of his game.
Walker has bounced back and played 16 games this season and kicked 30 goals, including a match-winning four against Geelong just a month ago. Might be another job for Ash McGrath after his strong showing on Mark LeCras last week.
Strengths
One thing that has characterised Craig’s team during his tenure is their hard work at the contest. When playing well, Adelaide is unrelenting and physical over the ball. The Crows will be without the experience of the injured pair Goodwin and McLeod, but the core of the midfield is hard at it. The Crows are also good with their defensive pressure, as shown against the Bulldogs and the Lions will need to be hard and clean when they get the ball.
Weaknesses
While they developed an attacking flair to match any team in the competition last year, things have been different for the Crows in 2010. Tippett and Walker have provided steady targets up front but the Crows have struggled to find scoreboard help. They have only topped the 100-point mark five times this year - winning each of those games - but the lack of goals has proved a problem.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
