2020 AFLW

Games Won 2

Premiership position: 6th in Conference A (2 wins, 4 losses).

Coach: Matthew Clarke

Captains: Erin Phillips and Chelsea Randall

Adelaide was not going to win the 2020 AFLW premiership but in the end there was no premiership to be won.

The fourth season of the AFLW competition introduced four new teams – Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast and Gold Coast – and was to feature an eight-round home-and-away season followed by a finals series.

But life changed quickly after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Six of the round six matches, on March 14, were played without crowds. The AFL then cut the remaining two rounds and rushed to finals but the season was abandoned on March 22 after governments moved to shut down non-essential activity and borders started closing.

No premiership was awarded.

Adelaide’s off-season was far from ideal. Erin Phillips, Chloe Scheer and Rhiannon Metcalfe were in rehab from knee reconstructions and then Hannah Martin and Chelsea Randall also tore their ACLs. Martin injured her right knee playing for NT Thunder in the VWFL but it did not stop her getting married later in 2019 (and changing her name to Hannah Button). Randall was injured at the Crows’ first pre-season training session.

Adelaide’s continued to turn over its list, with eight new players in the squad photo in 2020. Recruits included experienced Courtney Gum, who was an All Australian in 2018 while playing for GWS, and first draft pick Montana McKinnon.

Seven Crows made their AFLW debut for the club in round one, when Adelaide lost to Brisbane by 13 points. This group included Rachelle Martin, the sister of Hannah Button, added as an injury replacement player.

Adelaide won its next two games against St Kilda and Geelong but despite the return of Phillips and Metcalfe for round four, dropped the next three games. When the season was cut short, the Crows were ranked sixth in Conference A.

Several players had positive seasons, however, with Anne Hatchard and Sarah Allan both selected in the All Australian side. Hatchard polled votes in every game to win the Crows Club Champion award and also received the Players’ Player award, as voted by teammates. Ebony Marinoff was Club Champion runner-up and Justine Mules finished third.

Season gallery

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 15: Sarah Allan of the Crows marks the ball under pressure from Jacinda Barclay of the Giants during the 2020 AFLW Round 06 match between the Adelaide Crows and the GWS Giants at Hisense Stadium on March 15, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 01: Danielle Ponter of the Crows and Natalie Plane of the Blues compete for the ball during the 2020 AFLW Round 04 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Carlton Blues at Hisense Stadium on March 1, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 01: during the 2020 AFLW Round 04 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Carlton Blues at Hisense Stadium on March 1, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 01: Rhiannon Metcalfe of the Crows is tackled by Charlotte Wilson of the Blues during the 2020 AFLW Round 04 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Carlton Blues at Hisense Stadium on March 1, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

HOBART, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 07: Sophie Li of the crows looks for a mark during the round five AFLW match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Adelaide Crows at North Hobart Oval on March 07, 2020 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 01: Sarah Hosking of the Blues is tackled by Erin Phillips of the Crows during the 2020 AFLW Round 04 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Carlton Blues at Hisense Stadium on March 1, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 15: Crows players run out ato an empty stadium during the 2020 AFLW Round 06 match between the Adelaide Crows and the GWS Giants at Hisense Stadium on March 15, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 08: Rachelle Martin competes during the round one AFLW match between the Brisbane Lions and the Adelaide Crows at Hickey Park on February 08, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 23: The Adelaide Crows sing the team song during the 2020 AFLW Round 03 match between the Geelong Cats and the Adelaide Crows at GMHBA Stadium on February 23, 2020 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 16: Anne Hatchard of the Crows marks the ball over Kate Shierlaw of the Saints during the 2020 AFLW Round 02 match between the Adelaide Crows and the St Kilda Saints at Richmond Oval on February 16, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 16: Madison Newman of the Crows celebrates a goal with team mate Anne Hatchard during the 2020 AFLW Round 02 match between the Adelaide Crows and the St Kilda Saints at Richmond Oval on February 16, 2020 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/AFL Photos)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 22: Pick number 14 Montana McKinnon of the Crows and Chelsea Randall of the Crows pose for a photo during the 2019 NAB AFLW Draft at the Melbourne Showgrounds on October 22, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

Awards and Achievements

All Australians: Sarah Allan, Anne Hatchard.

Players’ Player Award: Anne Hatchard

Leading goalkicker: Danielle Ponter

Best Defensive Player: Justine Mules

List changes

In: Montana McKinnon (South Adelaide), Najwa Allen (Canberra/Norwood), Nicole Campbell (South Adelaide), Jaimi Tabb (Woodville-West Torrens), Caitlin Gould (Glenelg), Courtney Gum (South Adelaide/GWS Giants), Madison Newman (West Adelaide), Chelsea BiddelI (West Adelaide), Rachelle Martin (West Adelaide, injury replacement).

Out: Jess Sedunary, Sally Riley, Sarah Perkins, Jenna McCormick, Jasmyn Hewett., Rheanne Lugg, Katelyn Rosenzweig. Inactive list: Hannah Button, Maisie Nankivell

First game players

Najwa Allen, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (debut order 41)

Chelsea Biddell, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (42)

Nicole Campbell, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (43)

Courtney Gum, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (44)

Rachelle Martin, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (45)

Madison Newman, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (46)

Jaimi Tabb, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 8/2/20 (47)

Caitlin Gould, v St Kilda at Richmond Oval, 16/2/20 (48)

Montana McKinnon, v North Melbourne at North Hobart Oval, 7/3/20 (49)

The 2020 squad

Back Row (L-R): Nicole Campbell (20), Courtney Gum (5), Najwa Allen (8), Deni Varnhagen (9), Sarah Allan (39), Caitlin Gould (1), Marijana Rajcic (32), Stevie-Lee Thompson (14), Madison Newman (17). Middle Row: Chloe Scheer (4), Renee Forth (27), Jaimi Tabb (28), Chelsea Biddell (12), Jessica Foley (24), Rhiannon Metcalfe (11), Montana McKinnon (21), Anne Hatchard (33), Ruth Wallace (8), Ailish Considine (16), Nikki Gore (7). Front Row: Justine Mules (23), Dayna Cox (31), Ebony Marinoff (10), Courtney Cramey (22), Chelsea Randall (26), Matthew Clarke (Senior Coach), Erin Phillips (13), Angela Foley (3), Eloise Jones (2), Danielle Ponter (15), Sophie Li (19)

2020 jumpers

The Northern Territory flag was removed from above the number after the end of the Club’s arrangement with AFLNT. The AFLW logo returned to the back and the Crows continued to wear the Indigenous guernsey in away games. As in 2018, the front AFL logo had a background colour of gold to recognise the club as reigning premiers.