Welcome to our brand new Team Preview series.
This year we will be looking at every team and choosing a..
Lock
Dark horse
Breakout
Rookie watch
Not all SC relevant players will fit into this format, but it should provide a brief outline of each team and a space to discuss potential players from each side. 
The Lock
Jordon Dawson ( Mid ) $611.300
Jordon is a solid performer that you will want in your side at some point. He played all 23 games, and averaged 113 in 2025 ( 9th for midfielders). I don’t see too much changing this year, in fact I only see the Crows improving. They want the ball in Dawsons hands as much as possible, and he’s shown he can score in the midfield, behind or even in front of the ball. No early bye makes him a very viable staring pick in my eyes. These’s not a heap of value here, but you pay for what you get, and you’re getting quality.
The Dark Horse
Rory Laird (Def) $559.000
Rory laird has been a Premium Supercoach asset for close to a decade. Overlooked by many last year due to his move to defense in 2025, Laird took awhile to settle back into his backline role. All Australian HB in 2017 and 2018 Rory loves it down back and his end to 2025 showed just that. Unfortunately Laird only played 20 games last year, as he missed a few due to “soreness”. I do think Laird is hell bent on getting success at the Crows and will do everything to secure another AA blazer. The elevated price and a pretty hard draw to start may put a few folks off. I think his low ownership could be great assets to start the season. Certainly one to consider if you haven’t already.
The Breakout
Josh Rachele (Fwd) $369.600
Dan Curtain was my first choice for this spot , but injury has cursed him so Rachele it is. Josh’s 13 games for a 68.3 point average in 2025 certainly isn’t pretty reading. Trying to look past the injuries and inconstant form, the talent is there, it’s just a matter of if / when he begins to show some consistency. I’m not sure I’d have the balls to start him, but keep an eye on his role in the preseason games. I would bump him up your draft boards as well, as whatever happens I see improvement. It’s just a matter of how much.
Rookie Watch
Sid Draper ( Mid/Fwd ) $126.100
Pick 4 in the 2024 national draft, Draper promises to be a SC beast at some stage.. Not much worked out for Sid in 2025, he just couldn’t get either his body right, or break into a pretty stacked Crows line up. The few games he played ( mainly as Sub) he certainly showed glimpses. Now that we have finally scrapped the Sub rule, could we start to see the best of Draper in 2026. The bad news is Sid is yet to get back to full training and the Crows have said they want to play the long game and not rush the young fella back. Keep him watch listed as even if he doesn’t get up for round one, he could still be a viable downgrade option in 2026.
So who at Adelaide do you think can be SC relevant in 2026 ?
Feel free to comment below.
Cheers FT.