<p>Welcome to The Huddle’s AFL Finals previews!</p> <p>After a long season and one of the tightest races ever to secure a place in the September action, we are down to the final eight teams that will battle it out for this year's AFL Premiership.</p> <p>As we gear up for all the September action, it’s time to look at and preview all the teams that have qualified for the AFL Finals in 2025.</p> <p>From finishing 15th the previous year to claiming the minor premiership the following year, it’s been a sharp rise in a slow build for the Adelaide Crows. They return to the finals for the first time since 2017, and for the first time under Matthew Nicks.&nbsp;</p> <p>With one of the least experienced finals squads of the eight, the big question now is: can the Crows hold their nerve under finals pressure?</p> <p>For the latest news, analysis, picks, and betting tips, read our Adelaide Crows finals preview below!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Adelaide Crows Road to the AFL Finals</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Coming into 2025, there was real heat on Adelaide — and particularly on senior coach Matthew Nicks. But instead of buckling, the Crows came flying out of the blocks.</p> <p>Three big wins to start the season, with three big scores, were a sign that the Crows would be one of the highest-scoring teams this season. Combined with a defence that has become the best in the competition, with a growing and dynamic midfield group, Matthew Nicks had built a sustainable system.</p> <p>There was a slight wobble early. Three defeats in four weeks to fellow contenders would leave some supporters erring in thinking they had jumped the shark, but a string of impressive wins and strong performances, both home and away, leading into the bye, restored confidence that this team was going places.</p> <p>Indeed, they were. Nine consecutive wins after the bye to lock in top spot on the ladder, and secure their first finals appearance since their Grand Final year in 2017.&nbsp;</p> <p>It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The late-season suspension of superstar forward Izak Rankine looms large — he’ll miss the entire finals series (unless the Crows go the long way round to the Grand Final). His x-factor and creativity will be sorely missed, and how the Crows adapt without him could be the defining factor of their campaign.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Adelaide Crows Players to Watch</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Riley Thilthorpe</h3> <p>The Thrillseeker has delighted Crows fans all season long with his big frame and shaggy beard.</p> <p>Thilthorpe has become one of the elite and most damaging key forwards in the game this season. The 23-year-old hasn’t missed a game this year and has kicked 55 goals as the focal point of the Crows' three-pronged tall forward line that has scored points for fun all year.</p> <p>He looks poised and ready to rip the finals series apart.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Josh Worrell</h3> <p>Worrell is perhaps the most improved player in the competition in 2025.</p> <p>Recently rewarded with a new contract, which will see him extend his stay at West Lakes until 2033, Worrell’s ability to intercept the ball and distribute off halfback has made him a vital member of the Crows’ defensive unit.&nbsp;</p> <p>Expect teams to look to make him accountable for a man, rather than just let him be that extra man to intercept at will.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Jordan Dawson</h3> <p>The Crows' skipper has been one of the standout players in the competition this season. Some even have him winning the Brownlow Medal in a tight count, that’s how well he’s gone this year.</p> <p>As one of the few players in the Crows squad with Finals experience, his leadership will need to elevate yet again.&nbsp;</p> <p>Just as he has all season, He’ll put himself in the middle of the big moments to deliver for his team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Why can Adelaide win the AFL Premiership?</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A potent forward line that has been the envy of the competition, and a defensive profile that has risen over the season to become the competition's best.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Crows rank first for points against and are the best team at quelling and defending opposition ball movement.&nbsp;</p> <p>Add in their weapons and potency ahead of the ball, and different modes they possess to build the ball up from the back half, and they have become a team with layers.</p> <p><br /> &nbsp;</p> <h2>What will hold Adelaide back from the 2025 AFL Premiership?</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Finals are a different game — and the Crows are short on experience.</p> <p>They play arguably the most entertaining brand of footy in the comp and have the top-rated defence, but September rewards maturity, composure, and players who’ve been there before.</p> <p>Their ability to handle pressure early in their first final will be telling. Will they embrace the stage or be overawed by it?</p> <p>And then there’s the Rankine factor. Missing a player of his calibre — especially one who can turn a game in a moment — is a massive blow. His absence could be the difference in a tight final.</p> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong>Grand Finalists</p> <p><br /> &nbsp;</p> <h2>How many AFL Premierships does Adelaide have?</h2> <p>Two.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/afl/news/most-afl-premierships">The Crows won their only two premierships</a> in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998 under Malcom Blight. They have only returned to Grand Final day one time since then, when they were beaten by Richmond back in 2017.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Adelaide Crows Premiership Odds:</h2>