How do the Adelaide Crows jump from being a Semi Final team to a genuine contender?

The Crows did not recruit any new players in the trade period, preferring to rely on in-house improvement from the likes of Dan Curtin, Sid Draper and others.

But if Matthew Nicks’ outfit is to truly compete at the pointy end in 2027, they need more than the few A-graders they currently have, according to two-time premiership captain Mark Bickley.

He has skipper Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine and Wayne Milera as the current top echelon of Crows.

But how do they go from sixth to a flag fancy? Bickley has outlined which players MUST step up and become A-graders next year.

“I’m going to go with the here and now because that's how we're judging them,” Bickley said on SEN SA Breakfast.

“So Riley Thilthorpe, for example, was an A-grader two seasons ago, but he's not an A-grader now because last season he didn't produce.

“It’s sort of judged on your last 18 to 20 games, really. That's the way I judge it.

“So I've got Adelaide with three - Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine and Wayne Milera.

“You have to be All-Australian or right on the cusp. And that's where Izak Rankine is, right on the cusp. His last half of the season was quite spectacular.

“So then how do they find let's say another four or five A-graders?

“These are the players that I've got from Adelaide that need to become an A-grader (for the Crows to genuinely contend).”

Riley Thilthorpe

“He has to get back to where he was (in 2025). This is not such a stretch because he's proven that he's been able to do it before.

“He looked hampered all year this year. He's the number one player who is the most likely to become an A-grader. So that makes it four.”

Josh Worrell

“The next one is Josh Worrell. I think the year before he should have been All-Australian. He just missed out, but he was in that squad.

“He had a solid year (in 2026), but nowhere near the level of where he was the year before. We saw in that final where he had 19 intercepts. I think it was almost an AFL record.

“He is more than capable and he's done it for a whole season, but wasn't quite able to reach the same heights.

“He’s another one I think can get there.”

Mark Keane

“The third one and it's a similar story (to Worrell) is Mark Keane.

“Mark Keane this year was a shadow of the player that he was the year before. He also was in the All-Australian squad of 44.

“He had a horrific broken leg in the pre-season, missed a lot of footy, came back, but we only saw glimpses of what he was capable of in the last half of this year compared to where he was last year.

“He’s the third player that needs to step up.”

Josh Rachele

“Number four is Josh Rachele.

“Right now he has clearly had it defined to him he is going to be Adelaide's number one small forward. They're not going to worry about trying to develop him into a full-time or any sort of midfielder. I'm sure he might squirt in for a centre bounce every now and then.

“But his whole pre-season is working on craft of becoming the best small forward that he can be. He kicked 42 goals this year. He needs to improve and get something in the 50s and the high 50s, I suspect, is where he needs to be to become an A-grader.

“So that's the challenge for him.”

Dan Curtin

“At five I've got Dan Curtin.

“The raving reviews from the pre-season last year was that he was going to be a phenomenon through the midfield. Then dislocated his kneecap, missed three months minimum, and then came back.

“We saw him in the midfield and we saw glimpses again, but he needs to go to the next level.

“He's got A-grade potential. He's probably a B and needs to get to an A.

“That's what has to happen for Adelaide to have success. This is the blueprint for Adelaide. If they're going to get eight A-graders, he's got to be one of them because he's one of the more talented players on their list. He's got a uniqueness about him. He's going to get opportunity.”

The smokeys

Bickley also named two smokeys who have the potential to push right into the top mix of Crows.

Lachlan McAndrew

“He was runner-up in the Crows' best and fairest this year in his first real introduction to AFL footy.

“I think he was the fourth or fifth ranked ruckman in the competition.

“If he continues to improve or improves at a rapid rate over the pre-season like he did last year, I think he can be in the top couple of ruckmen in the competition.

“But that's a big stretch for him. I like the pun. His nickname is Stretch.”

Brayden Cook

“And the other one is Brayden Cook, who I think is one of the most talented players.

“The penny dropped last year and he became a good player. But he has the potential to just jump up and be an even more exciting player, Ollie Dempsey style.”