While claiming the AFL minor premiership and a Club record 18-win season is quite an achievement and worthy of reflection, now is not the right time. Finals are like a new season so we are back at the start line, which means we have to lock in on the opportunity that lies ahead in September. We have achieved nothing yet. It’s a phrase we are often using at the moment.

From a players and coaches perspective, the pre-finals bye week has been a chance to reset and re-energise, before launching into a well-planned preparation for Thursday night’s Qualifying Final against Collingwood.

Momentum is building for that game, both on and off the field, and tickets sold out via Ticketek within a couple of hours of going on sale and prior to the general public having an opportunity to purchase. Unfortunately, finals ticketing often generates frustration and we acknowledge the disappointment felt by some of you over the past 24-hours.

The sale process presents some unavoidable challenges for a number of reasons. Put simply, Adelaide Oval only has a capacity of 53,500 and there is obviously far greater demand. Crows and the opposition’s game access members, in this instance Collingwood, also have the same opportunity and purchase window to buy tickets. However, rest assured far more of you have obtained tickets compared to the Magpies.

Thursday night’s game will be Taylor Walker’s 300th. He becomes just the fifth Crow to achieve such a milestone and it’s a remarkable achievement and testament to his resilience, work ethic and footballing talent and smarts. Alex Neal-Bullen will play his 200th AFL game and since arriving from Melbourne, his impact on-field and culturally has been significant. Congratulations to them both.

As you know, Izak Rankine won’t be playing due to his four-game suspension for making a homophobic remark the last time we played against Collingwood. We want to reiterate the language he used is totally unacceptable and it does not reflect our Club’s values. It is also worth noting the decision to allow him to travel overseas for a short break was based on welfare grounds and we are continuing to provide appropriate support to everyone who needs it.

Well done to Danielle Ponter for reaching the AFLW 75-game mark when we play GWS in Sydney this weekend. Danielle, along with Chelsea Randall, who reached the same number of games played last Sunday, have been outstanding contributors, role models and pioneers for women’s sport in this country. We are proud to call them Crows.

The women’s team is hoping to take the momentum from last week’s final quarter – in which we kicked an AFLW Club record 7-goals for the term – into our Round 3 game against the Giants. We know our best is good enough and consistency is the key.

And finally, our SANFL team is also kicking off its finals campaign and confidence is high after last week’s win over the previously undefeated Sturt. As a Club, we have been committed to building a winning culture over recent years and coach Matthew Wright and his group are to be commended for their efforts.

Thanks again for your support. Go Crows!

Tim