The Adelaide Crows are the older of the two Australian Football League clubs from the port city of Adelaide, about two hours from Melbourne. In 2015, the Crows missed the eight-team playoffs by a game, losing a couple of very winnable games against comparable foes (in particular, a six-point loss to the North Melbourne Kangaroos that they led late in Week 22 stands out). With the loss of their superstar, Patrick Dangerfield, to free agency and Geelong, following the aftermath of the murder of their beloved coach Phil Walsh a year ago, the Crows weren't expected to do much this year.
Instead, the Crows were up in the top four all season, and finished 2016 with a 16-6 season that put them as one of the favorites for the premiership. They hosted the Kangaroos in their (almost) brand new stadium, the Adelaide Oval, built just three years ago, and won before losing to Sydney in the second round in 2016. The future looks promising.
Their American counterpart: The Minnesota Vikings
Similarly, when quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down in the pre-season for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, gloom and doom set in for the forecasters despite the brand new stadium (above) they opened this fall (2016). Instead, the Vikings started the season 5-0 and were the last undefeated team left in the league. Their outcome is still in question as we write (in October 2016), but they would probably take a similar season to the Crows right now if it was offered. The Crows and the Vikings both have bright outlooks for the future, even if they're not going to be favored to win it all.
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