ST KILDA made the AFLW world sit up and take notice when it defeated Adelaide in round one this year, but a lot has changed since then. 

The Saints have lost player after player to injury, while the Crows' spluttering season has ticked up at the right time after earlier capitulations to lower-ranked sides.

The two sides will meet again this weekend, this time in an elimination final.

Will the plucky Saints' season continue, or will the finals experience of the Crows come to fore? 

We take a look at the changes that matter.

FINALS EXPERIENCE

The most successful team in AFLW history, Adelaide's finals experience is hard to match.

Out of their selected side of 21 for Sunday's elimination final, the Crows have 16 players with finals experience.

The Saints' finals acumen pales in comparison, with only five players having played in a final. 

For the Crows, Ebony Marinoff, Anne Hatchard and Sarah Allan have each played in 16 finals, Danielle Ponter 15, Chelsea Randall 14, and both Teah Charlton and Caitlin Gould 13.

For the Saints, Jesse Wardlaw has played in the most finals with eight, while Jaimee Lambert has appeared in six, Nicola Stevens three and Amber Clarke two. 

Adelaide has only missed out on playing finals twice - 2018 and 2020.

The Crows have made finals for the last six seasons, and as a result the majority of their list have experience in the high-pressure, high-stakes world of finals footy.

WHO PLAYED IN ROUND ONE?

Despite plenty of injuries for both sides, only five players from the Saints and four from the Crows didn't play in their round one clash. 

They are Alana Gee, Rene Caris, Nicola Barr, Liv Vesely and Charlotte Simpson for the Saints, with Ariana Clarke (omitted), Molly McDonald (injured), Bec Ott (injured), Nat Plane (omitted) and Ash Richards (injured) not listed for Sunday's game.

For the Crows, Kiera Mueller, Amy Boyle-Carr, Keeley Kustermann and Chelsea Randall all didn't feature in round one but have been named for Sunday's clash. Hannah Ewings (omitted), Rachelle Martin (omitted), Hannah Munyard (injured) and Brooke Tonon (omitted) all played in round one but haven't been named for the elimination final.

INJURY-HIT SAINTS

The Saints have been badly hit by long-term injuries this season, with six players on St Kilda's list who have been ruled out of the rest of the season.

Ruck Bec Ott tore her Achilles in round 10, speedy winger Molly McDonald a leg injury in round six, as did key forward Ash Richards in round seven and experienced defender Bianca Jakobsson in round eight, Nicola Xenos an ACL in round 10, and Emmelie Fielder an ACL in the pre-season. 

The Saints withdrew Nic Barr and Paige Trudgeon ahead of round 12's match, but the two have been named for the elimination final while Liv Vesely has recovered from a calf injury in time for Sunday, easing the injury burden somewhat.

In contrast, Adelaide has just one injury on their list, a season-ending ACL injury to youngster Georgia McKee.

HOME-AND-AWAY RECORD

But in 2025 the Crows haven’t been the dominant force to which we've all grown accustomed.

The normally ever-consistent Adelaide has lost five games this year, its most losses ever in a home and away season.

Adelaide's first loss of the season was of course in round one against the Saints, but losses to 18th-placed Richmond and cross-town rival Port Adelaide followed, putting some serious question marks over Adelaide's ability to contend in finals.

ROUND 12 PERFORMANCES

How much of a role momentum plays in footy is debatable, but the Saints and Crows' round 12 performances could not be further apart.

With finals on the line, the Crows dug deep when it mattered, showing a glimmer of the Adelaide of old and grinding out a win in slog-fest against fellow finals aspirant Fremantle.

The Saints on the other hand already had a finals spot booked in ahead of round 12, and produced a rather insipid performance against the Western Bulldogs. 

While the Saints took no chances with players ahead of finals, withdrawing injury-prone Nic Barr and important defender Paige Trudgeon ahead of the clash, their lacklustre performance raised questions around what sort of performance they'd be able to produce in finals.

Whether Adelaide is back in business remains to be seen, but the Crows are certainly up and about while the Saints limped across the home-and-away finish line.

SIX-SEVEN

No, I don't mean the online trend baffling Boomers around the world - the Crows and Saints finished sixth and seventh on the ladder respectively, with the higher-placed side to host the final. 

Heading into round 12, the Saints had a home final in the bag, just needing to bank a win over the 13th-placed Bulldogs on their home deck of RSEA Park.

Instead, the Saints were outclassed to the tune of 45 points, with Adelaide's win over Fremantle later that day causing the Crows to leapfrog the Saints on the ladder and snatch the right to a home final.

As a result, the Crows will avoid travel and play on the familiar deck of Norwood Oval, and earning them the home crowd advantage.

TRACK RECORD

The Saints' win in round one was the first time in their history that they have beaten the Crows.

The two sides have met on six occasions since the Saints entered the competition in 2020, with Adelaide winning the first five.

Prior to this year, the closest the Saints have come to beating the Crows was in 2024 at Norwood Oval where they lost by four points.