Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and in the world of football we as fans tend to get caught up in the events of days gone past.
Every footy fanatic has that one player that they long to see take the field, however long gone their days of handling a Sherrin may be.
Whether it be Daicos or Doull, Ricciuto or Richardson, fans can usually point to a single figure that captured their imagination during their formative years of watching AFL football.
Similar to our 'If your club could steal one player...' series, this trio of pieces will go through all 18 teams in the league, pointing at the weak spots in their best 22 and picking one of four past players to slot into their lineup and remedy their club's ailments.
We start off today with the first six teams of the competition based on alphabetical order.
Adelaideย
Option 1: Tony Modra
Adelaide's lineup needs attention in several areas, however plinking "Godra" into any side's attacking-50 guarantees breathtaking marks, goals and perhaps more goals.
Modra is a certified legend of the game, and is pure royalty at West Lakes for his return of 440 goals in just 118 games between 1992 and 1998. His final goal tally included his stunning second season of AFL where he booted 119 goals during the home-and-away season.
The marks that he pulled off were out of this world, claiming Mark of the Year a record three times in his ten years of AFL football. The McLaren Vale-native won the Coleman Medal in 1997 with a haul of 81 goals and finished as the Crows' top goal-kicker in five of the seven years he called Adelaide home.
Despite being traded to the Dockers for the 1999 season, Modra would go down as one of the, if not the, greatest Crow to ever kick a Sherrin.
Option 2: Mark Ricciuto
Mark Ricciuto was an awe-inspiring player at his best, lighting up Football Park with his unbridled finesse and vision.
'Roo' possesses one of the most impressive collection of honours the game has ever seen, with the 46-year-old having made the All-Australian side a whopping eight times over the course of his career as well as winning a Brownlow Medal in 2003 and a premiership in 1998. Late on in his career, Ricciuto was deployed down forward and finished as the Crows' top goal-scorer in 2006 with 44 goals to his name.
Retiring at the end of season 2007 with a final tally of 292 goals in 312 games, Ricciuto and the aforementioned Modra are regularly mentioned in the same breath - and for good reason too.
Option 3: Eddie Betts
Eddie Betts' stint at West Lakes was impressive considering the output he had in the six years he called Adelaide home.
The Port Lincoln-born forward played on 132 occasions for the Crows, however, managed a staggering 310 goals for the club.
So good was his time in South Australia that a pocket of the Adelaide Oval is now known as "Eddie's Pocket" as a result of the mind-boggling goals that he managed to kick from that section of the ground.
Mirroring Modra with his Mark of the Year achievements, Betts somehow won Goal of the Year on three separate occasions during his time at Adelaide and earned an All-Australian blazer in three consecutive seasons. There is no doubting that based on his abilities and achievements, Betts is the best small forward to ever grace West Lakes.
Option 4: Andrew McLeodย
This dual Norm Smith medallist was the face of Adelaide's premiership sides of 1997/98. Often deployed in midfield however equally at home across halfback, McLeod is revered by the Adelaide faithful.
The Darwin-born legend spent 15 years at the Crows, chalking up a club record 340 games as well as booting 275 goals.
It was his poise with the ball in hand and ability to beat his man that had his coaches - Malcolm Blight included - stunned at what he could do on the field.
McLeod won five All-Australian blazers throughout his career as well as the club's best-and-fairest on three occasions as well, securing his status in Adelaide folklore as one of the very best to pull on the blue, yellow and red.
Verdictย
With the current state of Adelaide's side, the area that needs addressing the most is their attack. With the unpredictability and flair that he brings, it'd be a disservice to pick anyone else other than Tony Modra.
His marking ability and eye for goal is something the Crows don't wield enough of at this point in time. There is no doubt that Modra would win games off his own boot should he magically step back into Matthew Nicks' Adelaide side, inspiring his relatively young teammates.
