YET another dominant season from Adelaide has seen the side boast the first AFLW dynasty, winning its third premiership in six years.

Along the way, the Crows looked different to previous premiership iterations, relying more heavily on a number of role players who stepped up to the plate this season.

Over the next few weeks, womens.afl will look at each of the seasons of the 14 AFLW teams in reverse ladder order.

Coach: Matthew Clarke

Leadership group: Chelsea Randall (captain), Angela Foley (vice-captain), Stevie-Lee Thompson, Ebony Marinoff, Sarah Allan, Eloise Jones

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 09: Chelsea Randall of the Crows and Matthew Clarke, Senior Coach of the Crows lift up the premiership cup during the 2022 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval on April 09, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

2022 home and away finishing position: First, nine wins and one loss, 216.6 per cent. Premiers.

Best team performance: After losing its first final in club history in last year's Grand Final, Adelaide faced victors Brisbane in round one. From the jump, the Crows looked like they were ready to prove a point with their intense pressure and impressive spread from the contest. Holding Brisbane goalless across the first three quarters for the first time in the club's history, Adelaide got its season off to the strongest start possible.

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Best individual performance: Anne Hatchard's round two performance in her side's 13 point win over North Melbourne was remarkable. The midfielder broke the AFLW record for marks with 14 to go with her 29 disposals, six score involvements, eight intercepts and 480 metres gained. Elite fitness saw Hatchard cover the ground impressively both in attack and defence and helped her find separation from her direct opponent to become an option for teammates with the ball.

Anne Hatchard attempts to gather the ball during round two, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

NAB AFLW Rising Star nominations: Montana McKinnon, Teah Charlton

Debutants: Abbie Ballard, Zoe Prowse, Jasmine Simmons, Brooke Tonon (AFLW debut), McKenzie Dowrick (club debut)

Retirees: Yet to be announced

Delistings: Yet to be announced

Most improved: Montana McKinnon had played just two games in two seasons coming into this year, in line behind a few more experienced rucks. This season, however, the 20-year-old put her stamp on the competition. Across her 10 games McKinnon was strong in the ruck, but it was her positioning around the ground and intercepting that really cemented her in the side.

Adelaide's Montana McKinnon battles in the ruck with Melbourne's Lauren Pearce during round four, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

Star recruit: Jasmyn Hewett's return to the Crows this season might have seen her slot in behind both Caitlin Gould and McKinnon, but when the team needed her to step up, she absolutely did. On Grand Final day, with McKinnon out due to suspension, Hewett opened the scoring after taking a strong contested mark. She may have played just the three games for the season, but Hewett's role was important, and she ends the season with a premiership medallion.

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Unsung hero: Drafted as a forward, Chelsea Biddell had to adapt in order to consistently break into Adelaide's best 21. Playing all 12 games this season in defence, Biddell registered the most rebounds and second-most intercepts for the club and played an important role for the Crows' game style.

Ebony Marinoff (left) and Chelsea Biddell celebrate winning the 2022 NAB AFLW Grand Final. Picture: AFL Photos

What worked:

  • From the first moment of round one, the Crows' pressure game was evident - and frightening. With evident fitness, Adelaide suffocated sides by closing down space and worrying poor disposal out of its opponents. It was this pressure game that saw the Crows claim victory against some of the better teams in the competition this season.
  • The Crows have always boasted an impressive backline, and that has only improved as seasons have gone on. With Sarah Allan and Marijana Rajcic leading their defence, Chelsea Biddell's switch to the backline alongside Najwa Allen's reliability made them almost impenetrable. The side led the competition for intercepts, averaging 61.2 per game, and had the whole team buying in to this strategy.
  • Any side would be better with a player of Chelsea Randall's calibre in the side, but in the past Adelaide has been guilty of relying too much on their captain to pull them over the line. This season, however, Randall played just six of a possible 12 games, but the side still managed to win all but one of those.
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AFLW Match Highlights: Adelaide v Melbourne

The Crows and Demons clash in the AFLW Grand Final

What needs improvement:

  • The only chink in Adelaide's armour this season was its accuracy at goal, converting at the second-lowest rate in the competition. Impressively, they had the highest shot efficiency in the league, but simply didn't put opponents to the sword the way they might have in the past.

Early call for next season: Facing its first real exposure to expansion since the competition began, Adelaide will be tested for depth and system. While they will no doubt remain competitive, it is unlikely they be the dominant side of recent years in season seven.

Season rating: 10/10