Editing Adelaide Football Club (section)

===2020–present: Matthew Nicks era===
====2020–2021: COVID-affected seasons====
Former Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney assistant coach [[Matthew Nicks]] was appointed as Adelaide's senior coach on 15 October 2019, replacing the outgoing Pyke. Under new coach Nicks, the Crows lost the first 13 matches of the [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus-affected]] [[2020 AFL season]] and ultimately claimed their first wooden spoon in club history. However, the Crows' disastrous season did end with some optimism, as the Crows broke the drought in round 15 against {{AFL Haw}} and won three matches in a row towards the season's conclusion. The Crows received their highest-ever draft pick at the [[2020 AFL draft]], used to draft [[Riley Thilthorpe]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afc.com.au/news/842086/pick-2-riley-thilthorpe | title=Pick 2: Riley Thilthorpe | date=9 December 2020 }}</ref>

The Crows won their first game of the [[2021 AFL season]], beating the reigning Grand Finalists [[Geelong Football Club|Geelong]] in an upset victory. The Crows improved slightly over their disastrous 2020 campaign, losing only one of their first four games.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.zerohanger.com/afl/2021-afl-ladder/ | title=2021 AFL Ladder | date=16 August 2023 }}</ref>  Walker was banned from the AFL for six games between the 2021 and [[2022 AFL season]]s due to racist comments directed towards [[Robbie Young (Australian footballer)|Robbie Young]] of {{SANFL NA}} during a [[South Australian Football League|SANFL]] match.<ref>{{cite web|website=ABC News|date=6 August 2021|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-06/adelaide-crows-taylor-walker-banned-by-afl-for-six-games/100355276|title=Adelaide Crows forward Taylor Walker suspended by AFL for six matches over racist comment|first1=Daniel|last1=Keane|first2=Matthew|last2=Smith|language=en}}</ref> After requesting a move home to South Australia and subsequently nominating the Crows, high-value [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]] wingman [[Jordan Dawson]] was traded to Adelaide in the [[2021 AFL draft|2021 trade period]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/1025111/swans-finalise-trade-deal-for-jordan-dawson | title=Swans finalise trade deal for Jordan Dawson | date=13 October 2021 }}</ref> The trade would prove influential in Adelaide's rise out of the bottom four in 2022.

====2022–present: Post-COVID era====
[[File:Matthew Nicks, Ade vs. GWS 2022 (52396645580) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Matthew Nicks]] coaching in [[2022 AFL season|2022]].]]
The Crows hosted the first-ever Friday night [[Showdown (AFL)|Showdown]] in Round 3, and claimed one of their best-ever wins via an after-the-siren bending kick from the recruit Dawson, who received best-on-ground honours.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afc.com.au/news/1092152/showdown-medal-voting | title=Showdown Medal voting | date=April 2022 }}</ref> Captain [[Rory Sloane]] ruptured his [[anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]] in round 5.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afc.com.au/news/1105707/injury-update-rory-sloane | title=Injury Update: Rory Sloane | date=17 April 2022 }}</ref> In his absence, the role of captain rotated between [[Reilly O'Brien]], [[Ben Keays]], [[Brodie Smith (footballer)|Brodie Smith]], and [[Tom Doedee]] for the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afc.com.au/news/1107519/crows-to-share-captaincy#:~:text=Adelaide's%20senior%20leadership%20group%20will,the%20Western%20Bulldogs%20this%20weekend | title=Crows to share captaincy | date=20 April 2022 }}</ref> Adelaide traded in [[Izak Rankine]] at a high price, leaving them no first-round draft picks in the [[2022 AFL draft]] until they matched the bid for [[Max Michalanney]], son of [[Jim Michalanney|Jim]] as the club's first [[father–son rule|father–son]] pick.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crows' draft historic father–son pick|url=https://indaily.com.au/news/2022/11/29/crows-draft-historic-father-son-pick/|website=InDaily|date=November 29, 2022}}</ref>

The Crows headlined the first-ever [[Gather Round]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Inside Gather Round: A Festival of Footy|url=https://www.afl.com.au/gather-round|access-date=28 August 2023|website=AFL.com.au}}</ref> as they had a return to form, defeating multiple top-eight teams. Some controversial finishes, including one in round 23 against {{AFL Syd}}, when a [[Ben Keays]] goal was mistakenly disallowed, cost the Crows their first [[AFL finals series]] in seven years.<ref>{{cite web|first=Riley|last=Beveridge|title=Meet ARC: AFL's new review hub gets 'extreme' makeover for finals|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/37686/meet-arc-afls-new-review-hub-gets-extreme-makeover-for-finals|website=AFL.com.au|date=3 September 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Peter|last1=Ryan|first2=Andrew|last2=Wu|first3=Roy|last3=Ward|title='Inexplicable': McLachlan admits goal umpiring blunder but defends review system|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/worst-nightmare-possible-afl-umpire-error-might-have-cost-crows-a-finals-spot-20230819-p5dxvm.html|website=theage.com|publisher=[[The Age]]|date=20 August 2023}}</ref> Adelaide finished 2023 in 10th on the ladder, their best position since [[2017 AFL season|2017]], in part due to the leadership of their new captain [[Jordan Dawson]]. Despite high expectations,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/01/25/josh-jenkins-extended-2024-ladder-prediction-6-to-1/|website=sen.com.au|publisher=[[SEN 1116]]|title=Josh Jenkins' extended 2024 ladder prediction - 6 to 1|first=Josh|last=Jenkins|date=25 January 2024}}</ref> [[2024 Adelaide Football Club season|2024]] was another disappointing year for the club,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/1100509/well-never-give-up-matthew-nicks-remains-bullish-on-winless-adelaide-crows|title='We'll never give up': Nicks remains bullish on winless Crows|first=Riley|last=Beveridge|website=afl.com.au|date=4 April 2024|location=[[Adelaide Oval]]}}</ref> with a lack of on-field performance resulting in questions being raised around Nicks' coaching,<ref>{{cite web|title='Career on a knife's edge': Coach in strife as Crows higher-ups 'must ask themselves the question'|publisher=[[Fox Footy]]|date=12 June 2024|first=Will|last=Faulkner|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/career-on-a-knifes-edge-coach-in-strife-as-crows-higherups-must-ask-themselves-the-question/news-story/5c5f853a0c3c0f41192d9ce4a8f98f6f}}</ref> particularly amid the choice to drop young forward [[Josh Rachele]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/adelaide-crows/afl-2024-matthew-nicks-reveals-why-josh-rachele-was-dropped-team-selection-for-adelaide-game-against-sydney-latest-news/news-story/61c2a0c175c7bd7be6ca0acd5fc6a34e|first=Ben|last=Cotton|publisher=[[Fox Footy]]|title='I'll always have Josh's back': Nicks opens up on Rachele's surprise axing|date=23 August 2024|access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref>