Adelaide had a quieter off-season compared to recent years gone by, with Matthew Nicks looking to refine his squad rather than bolster it off the back of a minor premiership-winning 2025 campaign.
The Crows' sole trade period play saw them acquire seven-gamer Finnbar Maley from North Melbourne before two-time premiership Lion Callum Ah Chee walked to West Lakes via the Pre-Season Draft.
The draft saw the South Australian club further add to its attacking options with two target forwards, which would prove to be its only two selections of the talent intake.
With a number of players set to enter their prime and other Crows keen to break into the best 23, we take a look at Adelaide's best lineup for 2026.
Forwards
The spear may only be sharper this year, with the Crows securing the aforementioned Ah Chee for nothing over the off-season.
The ex-Lion and Sun brings a point of difference to a front third that has plenty of firepower at ground level, with Rankine and Rachele still set to feature prominently.
Alex Neal-Bullen adds a defensive edge to the attacking mix, while Ben Keays had the best goal return of any Crows small last year, kicking 36 majors from 25 games.
The setup of Nicks' small forwards could leave Luke Pedlar at the reserves level, with the hard-nosed goalkicker potentially needing to reshape his game to get a good look at senior action in 2026.
The talls just about pick themselves, with Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty set to form a lethal combination once again, having kicked 101 goals between them in 2025.
Veteran sharpshooter Taylor Walker is the one to watch coming into his 19th season. The club's all-time leading goalkicker still managed 39 goals last year, but was a weakness at times as the Crows looked a touch too tall forward of the football.
That's where Maley comes into the conversation, with his aggression and leap at the ball set to have Walker facing some heat, while he could also act as the backup ruck option to alleviate Thilthorpe from those duties.
First-round draft pick Mitch Marsh might need some time to develop before a debut, but he looks like an ideal match for the Crows' forward line given his 192cm frame and ability to be just as damaging at ground level as he is in the air.
Adelaide also selected Sandringham Dragons gun Archie Ludowyke at last year's draft, with the high-flying tall joining the likes of Tyler Welsh and Toby Murray as depth key forwards.
