On Saturday Kelly will contest a grand final for Adelaide, a side that moves the ball by foot as efficiently, swiftly and precisely as any team in recent memory.

Kelly was selected by the Crows at pick 40 in the 2013 rookie draft and had to wait until early 2015 to make his AFL debut. He spent that time grinding away in the SANFL for Adelaide's reserves, coming into the club for extra kicking practice on his days off and listening to the advice of defensive coach James Podsiadly.

"I worked my butt off" to be a better kick, the 22-year-old defender said. "Now I want the ball in the my hands coming out of defence".

Kelly's story and attitude is indicative of many of the Adelaide 22 that will run onto the MCG on Saturday.

With only four first-round picks in the team (compared to Richmond's seven) and six rookie elevations (compared to Richmond's two), Kelly says the footy "rags-to-riches" story of many of these 2017 Crows has helped build a formidable side.

"It isn't something we talk about [being a side full of rookies, speculative/deep picks, trades and free agents], but for me personally and I know for others, we do look at it as individual motivation," he said.

"We have pride in what we have been able to do individually and as a team. We have had to work harder to get here. And when you run on that ground you feel that you've had a harder journey than some others.

"Obviously everyone has their challenges but we have come from a fair way back compared to some people. It gives me hunger.

"You realise that you might not be the most skilled player out on the ground, but you can be the hardest worker or the most competitive."

Kelly said the success of the Crows list is down to recruiters "picking players that have a desire to get better and the willingness to learn, above all else".

"You can talk about the development program and the club being very strong there - we have some incredible coaches who head up that part of the club - but first and foremost it all comes from our willingness to improve. It's picking those kinds of players."

After 10 AFL games in 2015 Kelly didn't play any in 2016, but in 2017 he's played 23 games, becoming an integral part of the Crows' formidable defensive unit.

Plenty has been made of who has left Adelaide recently - Bernie Vince, Patrick Dangerfield, Phil Davis and Kurt Tippett (who departed for free) being the biggest names.

Losing Davis resulted in the Crows giving GWS pick 11 and the first-round compensation pick they received for Davis. In return Adelaide were able to select Brad Crouch at pick two in the 2011 mini-draft and signed Luke Brown.

Brad Crouch has been a revelation, as has his brother Matt Crouch, who came to the club via pick 23 in the 2013 draft, a pick the Crows got from Melbourne in the Vince trade.

It was a smart bit of business that ultimately came about because of punishment.

The Crows were stripped of their first- and second-round picks in the 2013 draft as punishment for the Tippett contract breaches. They also voluntarily forfeited their first- and second-round picks in 2012.

And if getting Matt Crouch was smart, the way Eddie Betts (free agent), Sam Jacobs (trade for pick 34 and 67), Tom Lynch (three-way deal, sent Ivan Maric to Richmond) and captain Taylor Walker (pick 75 on NSW scholarship) came to the club was either extraordinarily lucky or shrewd.

Either way, almost every bit of business the Crows have done in the speculative world of trading, free agency or rookie drafting has paid off. Their strategies have been headed up by recruiting boss Hamish Ogilvie and list manager Justin Reid.

Even getting former Pie Paul Seedsman to the Adelaide Oval in a four-club mega trade for pick 32 has been crucial, with the long-kicking half-back flanker slotting into the side seamlessly from round 23 after his only previous game for 2017 was in round 19.

There is another special aspect of the Crows' list development that shouldn't be forgotten either, according to Kelly, and that is coach Don Pyke.

"He is enormous. He oozes calmness. I have never heard him raise his voice or get angry or agitated. He might have serious conversations with us but he has never, ever raised his voice.

"He knows exactly how we feel and what we need to focus on every week. He has created an environment that is relaxed but when we work we compete as hard as we can. That obviously is shown on game day."