Adelaide's newfound mindset heading into 2025 has been about staying present and focused on the job at hand, and Saturday's contest against Gold Coast presented the perfect "challenge".
Crows forward Izak Rankine was denied a shot at goal to put the visitors in front with just over a minute to go, with both claims he marked the ball inside 50 or was interfered with by Suns defender Sam Collins.
The AFL came out following the one-point Adelaide loss, conceding that the umpire made the wrong call.
But recruit and leader Alex Neal-Bullen refused to suggest that it was the determining factor on the match despite its significance.
"It wasn't the sole moment that cost us the game," Neal-Bullen said on Monday.
"There were other key moments that we could've done a bit better as a team. And that moment in particular was out of our control.
The AFL has admitted star midfielder Izak Rankine should have been paid either a mark or a free kick in the dying minutes of yesterday's one-point loss against the Suns. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/N6tFioAUmH
โ 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) April 6, 2025
"For us, we got to continue to play the game. It's been a theme of our footy club this pre-season, which is our ability to stay in the moment.
"And whatever is thrown at us, our ability to deal with challenges and momentum swings, and I walk off that field, having time to reflect, really proud of what the group put in.
Rankine's non-call is the fourth occasion that the Crows have been whacked with the unlucky stick as a case can be mounted for a curse that has been placed upon them.
In 2023, Adelaide was denied a chance to defeat Collingwood at the death after an umpire missed a high-contact free kick on Jordan Dawson inside forward 50. Later that year, Ben Keays was denied a goal, and subsequent place in the finals, against Sydney as an incorrect goal review took place. And last year, the Crows weren't rewarded a free-kick inside 50 against Essendon after Sam Draper blatantly jumped on the ball.
"How has it not gone to a score review? That is a debacle...if (the score review process) doesn't change off the back of that, something is wrong".@cleary_mitch and @Nat_Edwards unpack the decision to not review Ben Keays' shot at goal. pic.twitter.com/fAVIdnoNSt
โ 7AFL (@7AFL) August 19, 2023
Neal-Bullen hasn't shared the pain of his new teammates, but understands the reality of the situation, and will not dwell on what is now in the past.
"Given that I am new, I don't have that attachment to the previous decisions," Neal-Bullen said.
"(Chief executive) Tim Silvers summed it up very well yesterday with the statement he made: there's not much the AFL can do.
"Us now, as a footy team we have just got to move on.
"Our ability now is to put energy into the upcoming game because if we look too far back, you often find you drop the ball a bit."
Neal-Bullen also dismissed any suggestion that the league could introduce a captain's challenge or system similar to soccer's video assistant referee (VAR), saying more delays to the game would not be ideal.
The entire competition will descend unto South Australia for the AFL's Gather Round.
Adelaide will host Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
โโIt wasnโt the sole moment that cost us the game,โ Neal-Bullen said on Monday.โ
No โ it wasnโtโฆ.. there were numerous โholding the ballโ moments that were called one way for one team โ and not for the otherโฆโฆ lots of other โsuspectโ calls too.
Yes โ the Crows did make mistakes โ often (and the players cannot say anything elseโฆ.. for fear of penalties handed downโฆ.).
But the fact remains โ even with al the mistakes they made โ if the umpiring was not so biased, theyโd have won by 4 to 5 goals.
The other fact is that in years past, despicable and biased umpiring would cause the players to โsecond guess themselvesโ for fear of giving away a free (for who knows what!)โฆ.. the Crows need to play in a manner that โremoves the umpires from the gameโ โ in order to get a โfairer dealโโฆโฆ.
We only then have to deal with shit timeslots, crooked goal umpiring and, if we make the finals, opponents with a home ground advantage whether they โearned itโ or not.