AFL Rankings: Round 3 2024

Many people – including myself – expected the Adelaide Crows to move up the ladder in 2024, after narrowly missing out on the finals in 2023. The Crows finished tenth but had the fourth best percentage, with some dominant wins along with some close losses to top sides such as Collingwood (twice), Melbourne, and Sydney.

However Adelaide have had a disappointing start to the 2024 season, losing their first three matches to Gold Coast, Geelong, and Fremantle. Heavy rain at Carrara aside, the Crows have struggled to score – they have averaged the least scoring shots of any team so far, scoring on only 30 per cent of their inside 50s (league average 43 per cent).

Adelaide’s reduced offensive power has been in part due to a reduced ability to connect. The Crows have averaged only six marks inside 50 per game, and only five contested marks – again, affected by rain at Carrara, but still on average well below their opponents. They have averaged almost five more turnovers per game than any other team, with only bottom sides the Eagles and Kangaroos having higher turnover differentials. Adelaide’s kicking efficiency is the third-lowest in the league (64.6 per cent), which is even more hurtful given they have the fourth-highest kick-to-handball ratio. Captain Jordan Dawson – usually regarded as an excellent kick – has had a kicking efficiency of only 49 per cent so far this year, way down on his mark from last year of 65 per cent.

All that said, in terms of winning the ball and gaining territory the Crows have still been fairly sound. If they can clean up their disposal, they can still be an above average side, but they face a long road back to making the finals – particularly if they lose to Melbourne on Thursday night.