1. Like welcoming two new recruits

After Saturday’s JLT Community Series win over Port Adelaide, Crows fans were left salivating having watched Brad Crouch and Brodie Smith dominate in the tricolours.

Crouch finished with 29 disposals, five clearances, five tackles, four inside 50s and a goal, playing a vital midfield role alongside his brother Matt and Crows co-captain Rory Sloane.

Meantime, Smith collected 27 disposals at 82 per cent efficiency to go with six rebound 50s, four inside 50s and six score involvements.

The running defender had nine touches in the first 10 minutes of the game and looked poised to be a huge beneficiary of the League’s new kick-in rules.

Crouch and Smith’s performances come after they spent the majority of last season in the grandstands due to injury, playing just two games between them as the Crows went from grand finalists to missing the top eight completely. 

If they can maintain their fitness and form, it will be equivalent to Don Pyke welcoming two new prized recruits to West Lakes in 2019. 

2. Four of the Betts

Never write off a champion.

After a 2018 campaign which was well below his own lofty standards, there were some who concluded perhaps Father Time had caught up with 32-year-old Eddie Betts.

But the 295-game veteran showed the benefits of an injury-free pre-season, kicking two goals in the opening quarter of Saturday’s clash and taking a high-flying mark to prove there is still some spring in his step.

Betts works hard, is clever with his positioning and knows where the goals are, meaning he only needs a sniff to hurt the opposition on the scoreboard. 

Two of his goals were from free kicks conceded by Port Adelaide co-captain Tom Jonas, a defender selected in last year’s 40-man All Australian squad, as a result of Betts’ bodywork.

His fourth goal of the afternoon came after Power defender Ryan Burton turned over the football, with Betts snapping truly on his left boot off a single step. 

3. Match committee faces plenty of selection dilemmas

The Crows have almost a full squad on the training track this pre-season, meaning there will be some difficult decisions to come at the selection table. 

Senior assistant Scott Camporeale said on Friday there were up to 32 players who deserved to be included in the 26-man squad for the JLT opener. 

Against the Power, there weren’t too many non-contributors and with the likes of Daniel Talia, Bryce Gibbs and Luke Brown all set to return from injury in the coming weeks, as well as talented youngsters like Jordan Gallucci, Ned McHenry and Tyson Stengle waiting in the wings, some very tough calls must be made. 

It’s a great problem for Don Pyke and the Crows match committee to have.

4. Keeping sun smart in the heat

40 minutes before the opening bounce of Saturday’s JLT Community Series clash in Port Pirie, the mercury hit 40 degrees for the first time. It did not drop below 39.5 degrees for the duration of the clash between the Crows and Power. 

It wasn’t just about keeping cool at Memorial Oval, however, but ensuring the extreme UV rating didn’t result in severe sunburns to those braving the extreme heat.

Co-captain Taylor Walker generously lathered on the sunscreen and zinc, but it was former Crows captain Mark Ricciuto who had the footy world talking by sporting a wide brim felt hat on Fox Footy’s coverage.

Fans on social media compared the Brownlow medallist to Indiana Jones, Jim from Jim's Mowing and Russell Coight, with the majority supportive of Roo’s new headwear. 

Whether we will ever see it grace our television screens again remains to be seen. 

5. A glimpse of the future

Adelaide opted for experience in their first JLT hit-out of 2019, with first-round draft picks Darcy Fogarty and Chayce Jones the only teenagers in the 26-man squad. 

While neither collected an enormous amount of touches, it was fitting they sealed the victory for the Crows after Port Adelaide slammed through five goals in seven minutes and threatened to steal the win. 

Adelaide’s lead was trimmed to five points with six minutes remaining, having led by 35 points at the seven-minute mark of the final quarter.

From there, Fogarty calmly slotted a set shot from 40 metres out, his second goal of the game, to steady the ship.

Jones then put the icing on the game with a classy goal on his left foot, having impressed earlier in his 35 per cent game time with his speed, forward pressure and attack on the ball.

From the fans...