While the Adelaide Crows won't forget Patrick Dangerfield, they have proven they can cope without him. Having been awarded the Malcolm Blight Medal as the club's best and fairest, the midfielder took the decision to end his eight-year stay in Adelaide. He agreed a deal with the Geelong Cats that didn't come as a massive surprise after such a long-winded saga. The loss of their best player had convinced some that the Crows wouldn't be able to repeat their success of last year, when they made the finals after a two-year absence. With the new season under way, though, Adelaide have shown they are more than capable of making the top eight without the presence of Dangerfield.

Adelaide knew for a long time that 2015 was probably going to be the midfielder's last season with the Crows and that gave them time to plan for life without the three-time All Australian. Under the guidance of new head coach Don Pyke, Adelaide have more than just survived without their player of last season. They have started the new campaign in very encouraging fashion. Currently eighth in the ladder with three wins and two defeats, the Crows have looked solid, especially in a midfield that had been tipped to struggle without Dangerfield.



"Goodbye #32?" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by mikecogh

Having assembled an exciting forward line and an intimidating defence, Pyke has looked on as his midfield has silenced those critics and really stepped up to the plate. While Dangerfield's contribution to the team was clear to anyone who watched any of his 150-plus appearances for the club, the Crows midfield were guilty of sometimes relying on their star man to get them out of trouble. Without that big name player, the whole Adelaide midfield have been forced to share the load. This is something they have done very well.

The likes of Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson might have made most of the headlines during the early stages of the season, but Matt and Brad Crouch, Richard Douglas, David Mackay and the rest of this Adelaide midfield group have caught the eye this year. When this article was produced, the Crows had odds of 11/1 to win the Grand Final in 2016, and there could well be a few bettors who feel Pyke's men may be potential dark horses this year. Currently scoring an average of 21.5 points a game, the foundations certainly exist.

With veteran Thompson continuing to perform at the highest level, and with Jarryd Lyons and Sloane both ranking in the top 10 for loose ball gets, it's not as if Dangerfield leaving left Adelaide without talent. Douglas and Mackay might not get the same level of plaudits as many of their team-mates, but both have done enough this season to warrant extended runs in the side. With Wayne Milera from the draft and Troy Menzel and Dean Gore as part of the deal that saw Dangerfield leave, you could be forgiven for thinking this squad is now even stronger than the one with the star midfielder.