Adelaide’s recent AFL prelim final losses

Since winning the 1998 AFL premiership, Adelaide has played in four preliminary finals – and lost them all.

* 2012: Hawthorn 13.19 (97) bt Adelaide 14.8 (92) at the MCG.

The Crows were pipped in an epic – though Hawthorn’s inaccurate goalkicking kept them in the hunt. Adelaide trailed by 16 points at three quarter-time but produced a late charge and when Graham Johncock goaled in the 21st minute of the last term, they hit the front. But star Hawks Cyril Rioli and Lance Franklin replied to defeat the Crows, despite four goals each to Taylor Walker and Kurt Tippett, in his last game in Adelaide colours.

* 2006: West Coast 11.19 (85) bt Adelaide 11.9 (75) at Football Park.

Still rated by the Crows as the one that got away. Adelaide were in control at halftime with a 23-point lead on home turf after allowing the Eagles just two goals in the opening half. Ben Cousins and Chris Judd led a second-half Eagles revival, though Adelaide still held an eight-point advantage at three quarter-time. West Coast kicked five goals to three in the last quarter to prevail.

* 2005: West Coast: 14.9 (93) bt Adelaide 11.11 (77) at Subiaco Oval.

The Crows made a promising start on foreign turf and were only seven points down at halftime. But they were blitzed in the third term – the Eagles scored 5.3 to 1.2 to sap Adelaide’s spirit. The Crows staged a belated final-quarter fightback but paid a price for being unable to grasp their attacking chances – Adelaide led the inside 50 count 57-46 but had less scoring shots than their opponent.

* 2002: Collingwood 13.13 (91) bt Adelaide 9.9 (63) at the MCG.

Adelaide fans maintain this final swung when Collingwood’s Jason Cloke knocked out Adelaide midfielder Tyson Edwards with a crude blow in the second quarter. Cloke was suspended for two games and missed the grand final, but the damage on Adelaide was done: the Crows led by one goal at halftime but without Edwards were over-run by the Magpies, who booted eight goals to three in the second half.

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