The Crows won the minor premiership after finishing the regular season with 15 wins and a draw from 22 matches.

But they enter the finals on the back of two-straight losses.

The Crows lost at home to the white-hot Swans by three points in round 22, before losing to West Coast by 29 points in Perth yesterday.

The AFL has confirmed the finals series will start at Adelaide Oval on Thursday week when the Crows host Greater Western Sydney in the first qualifying final.

Geelong did not get their wish to host a final at Simonds Stadium, the Cats instead to be the home side at the MCG on the Friday night when they take on Richmond in the second qualifying final.

Sydney will take on Essendon at the SCG in the second elimination final on Saturday afternoon and Port Adelaide will host West Coast at Adelaide Oval that night, after thrashing Gold Coast to secure fifth spot.

Adelaide will welcome back skipper Taylor Walker (toe) and defender Daniel Talia (ankle) against the Giants.

Pyke conceded his team were a bit off against West Coast – no great surprise given the Crows had already locked up top spot heading into the match.

And he said the game against Sydney was played at a finals-like intensity, giving his players great preparation heading into September.

“The new season really starts now,” Pyke said.

“The disappointment of this game (against West Coast) and how we played is there.

“We understand at the top end there is a fine line between winning and losing and sometimes you are going be on the wrong side.

“I’m not worried about that.

“But the reality is across the body of evidence we put forward this season, we finished top.

“That’s a great achievement from a playing viewpoint.

“We now say goodbye to 10 teams and eight go forward, and now you are playing for keeps.”

The Crows thrashed GWS by 56 points at Adelaide Oval in the only match between the two sides this year.

But that game was played in round one, and Pyke said he would study some more recent vision of the Giants in order to prepare for them properly.

“There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then,” Pyke said.

“We’ll do normal opposition scouting on them and see what we can take and glean.

“But a fair focus will be on us and (making sure) we play the way we want to and play to our strengths.”

Pyke is confident the bye before the finals won’t be an issue for his side.

Meanwhile, West Coast’s retirement list has grown even longer after former North Melbourne stalwart Drew Petrie confirmed he will hang up the boots at the end of the AFL season.

The win over the Crows meant West Coast finished in eighth spot, just half a percentage point ahead of Melbourne, who cruelly lost their grip on a finals berth in the dying minutes of the season’s last game.

West Coast will now face Port Adelaide in an elimination final at Adelaide Oval on September 9.

Veteran Eagles midfielders Sam Mitchell and Matt Priddis have already confirmed they will retire at the end of the campaign.

Premiership defender Sam Butler, who is nursing a season-ending shoulder injury, is already done after announcing his retirement.

And Petrie confirmed after the win over Adelaide that he, too, will be heading into retirement once West Coast’s season is over.

Petrie thought his time in AFL ranks was over last year when he was axed as part of the Kangaroos’ cull.

But the Eagles handed him a lifeline via the rookie draft, and the 34-year-old has played a key role in getting West Coast into the finals.

With Nic Naitanui (knee) out for the season and Scott Lycett (shoulder) limited to just one game, Petrie has been forced to play as an undersized ruckman during his 14 games this year.

He also spent a stint as the club’s key forward while Josh Kennedy was missing through injury.

A broken hand in the season-opening win over his former side was a big setback, but Petrie has been a strong contributor ever since returning to the side in round 10.

“I think he’s been really embraced by our supporters,” Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.

“And I think they know him for who he is as a person as well. To do that in 12 months is a credit to him and his family.”

Naitanui hasn’t played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in round 22 last year.

The 27-year-old has looked sharp at training, but his chances of playing again this year appear extremely slim barring a magical run to the grand final from West Coast.

“He’ll keep training. If we keep advancing, you never know,” Simpson said.

“He’s looking really good at the moment. He’s super fit, healthy.

“He’s in a really good space. We’ll just keep him training.”

-AAP