Former Crow and Blue Bryce Gibbs has voiced his concerns about Adelaide as the 2023 season rapidly approaches.
The Crows underwent plenty of change over the off-season, recruiting Izak Rankine as their star for the future and naming Jordan Dawson as the new captain, with the club setting their sights on a finals berth.
While Gibbs believes that Adelaide are coming to the end of the rebuild they have been going through for several seasons, he isn’t convinced that the final product is a finals team.
“It’s sort of now or never for the Crows I think, we have heard about this rebuild for a couple of years now,” he said SEN WA Breakfast.
“What’d they win last year, about eight games, so you’d hope they would improve on that, but I’m worried… they’ve been quoted in saying they want to push for finals.
“The top 10, 11 teams are extremely competitive and they’re going to have to improve pretty significantly to push for a top eight side.”
With Adelaide set to look quite different to last year, Gibbs says the club are still in the process of finalising their best 22.
“The Crows have still got some decisions to make, we’ve seen a few guys put their hand up over the pre-season,” he said.
“Luke Peddler, Harry Schoenberg, obviously (Izak) Rankine coming in, where do all these guys fit in their team, I think the Crows are still working things out.
“Nathan Van Berlo said they’re actually not quite sure what their best 22 looks like so they’re trying to still work that out and work what that mix and dynamics look like.”
Should the Crows fall short of their finals hopes, Gibbs believes there could be considerable pressure facing the club.
“There’s going to be that pressure to improve and win more games than they did last year,” he said.
“I dare say if things don’t go to plan for either (South Australian) side this year, they’re going to come under a bit of pressure… more so here in Adelaide because they’re watched so closely.”
“That rebuild phase, that’s just about gone I reckon and it’s time for the Crows to start winning games and making finals.”
The Crows will face another side that is looking to make a climb up the ladder in their season opener, travelling interstate to face GWS on March 19.