'Real lost opportunity': Sobering reality for most brutal AFL ...

Dual premiership Kangaroo David King believes the 2023 season will go down as a wasted year for Adelaide, despite one of the AFL’s youngest and most inexperienced lists showing ample promising signs.

Adelaide on Sunday fell agonisingly short of toppling Melbourne at the MCG in another reminder of its horrendous away record. The Crows rallied twice in the last quarter against the Demons but couldn’t land a knockout blow as they went down by four points.

It’s been a rollercoaster 2023 campaign for the Crows, who’d finished among the bottom five clubs in the previous three consecutive seasons and entered 2023 with the third-youngest and second-least experienced list in the competition.

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They’ve won eight of their 18 games so far this season – including victories against Carlton, Brisbane and Port Adelaide – and sit 13th on the ladder with a percentage of 113.5.

But five of the Crows’ 10 losses have been by 16 points or less – and they were either in front of, or level with, their opponent in all five of those matches.

Inaccuracy has also hurt the Crows during those five losses, booting 7.16 and 11.14 against Collingwood (Rounds 7 and 15), 13.15 against Melbourne (Round 19) and 12.18 and 8.9 against the Giants (Rounds 1 and 18).

Ben Keays of the Crows while Jake Lever and Trent Rivers of the Demons celebrate. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

They’ve also won just one of their seven games away from Adelaide Oval.

“It’s what could’ve been, really,” dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“They will (miss finals), but I’m OK with that. Next year I think they’re coming with a rush. It sets up for them to be able to take the next step to win away from home, to add some little layers to their game – I think they’re a threat next year.

“This year might just slip away from them, but boy watch out (in 2024).”

But King disagreed.

“I think it’s a bit of a waste, to be honest,” King told First Crack.

“They’ve got Tex in really good (form), but Tex is not going to be there for 10 more years. So I think that this was an opportunity this year while they were rolling. They should’ve won some of those games, so I think it’s a real lost opportunity.

“You just don’t keep getting them year on year. They may lose a couple of players just through age, who’ve been so good for them. Then you’re back to the pack a little bit and you’ve got to go again.

“Is Darcy Fogarty ready to take over that role (from Walker)? Is (Riley) Thilthorpe the man? I guess those questions then become an issue for you as a football club.”

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said he was “disappointed, but not shattered” about the last-gasp loss to Melbourne.

But he admitted the loss “sort of summed up our year a bit” to this point.

“That’s been our season, we’re right there and for whatever reason just not quite getting the job done at this point,” he said.

Wayne Milera of the Crows. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

“So we’ve got to be better … (but) we just never give up and we kept coming.

“Execution in the end is what’s cost us the game.”

Despite now being more than a game outside the eight with five matches remaining, Nicks was not willing to concede the season.

“We’re still fighting … we’re confident we can still win every game we go into,” he said.

“So we’ve got five to go … we like to think we’re in it the next five weeks.”

— with NCA NewsWire