Adelaide’s only AFL premiership captain, Mark Bickley, senses a similarity between his flag winners and the current Crows crop.
Now an Adelaide assistant coach, Bickley says it’s the presence of a similar “youthful exuberance” which underpinned Adelaide’s 1997-98 premierships.
“In that time, we had some younger guys who were just bursting onto the stage,” Bickley said on Wednesday, citing the likes of Andrew McLeod, Mark Ricciuto, Simon Goodwin and Kane Johnson.
“Those guys had a mentality of youthful exuberance, they didn’t have a lot of fear, they just went out and wanted to play well.
“And if you look at some of the guys who have been really good for us this year, they’re in that same age bracket,” he said, naming Taylor Walker, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane and Sam Jacobs.
“That is probably the only similarity, that you have got this up and coming young group of players who have really put their mark on the team this year.”
Bickley said key forward Walker trained strongly at a closed session on Wednesday to confirm his return from a hip injury, with midfielder Bernie Vince also set for recall from a knee injury.
And he dismissed a perceived soft draw as reason for Adelaide’s second spot and associated two home finals and double chance.
“We have worked all year, played 23 rounds and had 17 wins – we have earned that right to play at home,” Bickley said.
“If look at the odds, we start as favourites and we have handled that pretty well for most of the year.
“You don’t generally do that by being a one-trick pony.
“You need to have lots of contributors, good structures and systems that have been able to stand up over the duration of the season – I think we have got that.”