The 2020 season was a struggle for the Adelaide Football Club.
The Crows won just three matches last year, finishing on the bottom of the ladder, and a similar fate has been forecast for 2021 as they strive to navigate a tricky rebuild phase.
Veteran defender Daniel Talia has touched on the difficulties he and the older players at the club have faced over the past few years, coinciding with the Crows’ free fall from Grand Finalists in 2017 to wooden spooners in 2020.
“I’m not going to lie, as a senior player it’s been really hard to go through competing for a premiership and then a couple of years later, every mistake you could make as a club you probably have,” Talia said on SEN SA Drive.
“We’re in a complete rebuild stage now. We’ve got 20 guys under 20 and it’s just a completely different spot to be in.
“It has been really hard for the older portion of the group adjusting to that. It’s difficult but in saying that, we’ve got a job to do now.
“That’s where guys like me, ‘Tex’ (Taylor Walker), ‘Lynchy’ (Tom Lynch), and that sit. It is difficult compared to 2017 and 2018 when we were right up there flying.
“Every club goes through that period and we (this group of older guys) are still here. From a fans’ point of view, we’re doing a lot of work with these young guys to usher in the next generation.
“I think everyone knows where we’re at.
“Hopefully the club can be more competitive and build their way up from bottom to competing in three or four years.”
Talia is not expecting to play until at least Round 2 as he struggles to overcome a knee issue.
The 29-year-old underwent minor surgery on his left knee for the fourth time in his career back in September and six months later is yet to return to full training.
He says he is taking a cautious approach with the injury and will need to get some weeks of training under his belt before he even contemplates playing at senior level.
“It’s a bit frustrating to be honest,” he said of his troublesome knee.
“It’s been slower off the rehab than I’d like.
“I had my left lateral meniscus restitched. It’s the fourth one on this side and a bit of the old arthritis, bone-on-bone stuff cleaned up through there.
“I’ve had this surgery four times now and each time I’ve been able to get back in 12 weeks. This one is a bit different, a bit sorer, a bit stiffer.
“I think it’s been six months since the surgery and I’m just getting back running. It’s been a completely different reaction and very frustrating, but finally there’s light at the end of the tunnel. There’s still a lot of boxes to tick.
“I’d say three to four weeks of training and integrating with the main group. I have been changing direction and starting to jump but I’ve got to build that conditioning back up, the touch and speed.
“So three to four weeks is best case. That’s looking at around Round 2 or 3, which was always sort of the goal. If there are any setbacks it will be a bit longer.
“We’re taking a bit of a slower approach this time.”
The Crows meet Geelong at the Adelaide Oval in Round 1 next Saturday but will have to take on the likes of Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron without their best key defender.