BOOKMAKERS are predicting the Crows will make a similar rise under new coach Phil Walsh to their preliminary final stunner in Brenton Sanderson’s first season in charge two years ago.

Online bookie Tab.com.au which opened finals and top-four betting yesterday had Adelaide at $3 to make the top-four — shorter than even Geelong at $3.50.

The Crows are also given an outside chance to at least challenge for the flag with the TAB and Tattsbet listing them eighth in the order of premiership betting.

Buoyed by the return of injured skipper Nathan van Berlo who missed the entire 2014 campaign, with more games into Taylor Walker in his comeback from a knee injury and a favourable draw, an air of external confidence is swirling around West Lakes.

“There always seems to be one team that rises from the pack and makes a bolt and that’s what Adelaide did in Sanderson’s first year, and perhaps that’s what will happen under Walsh’s tutelage,” Tab.com.au spokesman Trent Langskaill said.

“There is enough talent in that team with Walker, the midfield with Dangerfield and Sloane and although they’ll look a bit different with Ben Rutten retiring it’s still a good defence.

“I’m guessing the bookies are of the belief (that this year) the boys struggled at the start of the season and Taylor Walker took half a season to get re-acclimatised to the pace of AFL.

“But they’ve still got the nucleus of the side that was a kick away from making the 2012 grand final.”

Across town at Alberton and Port Adelaide is no longer flying under the radar after their preliminary final epic against Hawthorn confirmed they were no one-hit wonder under Ken Hinkley.

The Power opened at $26 to win this year’s premiership but are just $6 for next year’s flag which yesterday enticed one punter to lay $10,000 on them.

“They were in a similar situation to Adelaide in Ken Hinkley’s first year in that they rose up, were just in the eight, had that upset win over Collingwood and ran Geelong pretty close in their semi final (in 2013),” Langskaill said.

“Our bookies thought coming in to 2014 maybe they were a flash in the pan, could they play that well again?

“They certainly showed that in the first half of the season before their little flat patch they could. Then they tore Richmond apart in the elimination final, beat Fremantle and almost over-ran Hawthorn.

“There seems to be that natural progression that here’s a team that’s only getting better.

“Travis Boak is a fantastic captain, Ollie Wines continues to improve and Chad Wingard has had another season.”

Despite excitement surrounding the Power, they remain third in premiership betting behind Sydney and Hawthorn with the TAB but are ahead of the Swans according to Tattsbet.

“Hawthorn going for three in a row will they get jaded?” Langskaill said.

“Sydney has the bounce back factor and apart from that perhaps Fremantle is on the decline.

“With Hinkley at the helm for his third season now, they’ve had that bit of heartache and are they going to be the team that is so desperate to account for what happened.

“Particularly after grand final day they might think they could have done that to Sydney as well.”