In movies, rain is often used as a metaphor for grief or loss. On Sunday it threatened all day. As the game wore on, even those of us watching on the small screen could sense that the sky, like our moods, was bruising and darkening. We saw the Crows bungle charge after charge, miss easy shots, make poor decisions and get beaten continually for the ball. We saw Richmond uplifted, as if drawing energy from the approaching storm. When finally the rain hit, it symbolised the Crows’ bleak fate.

The hail was a nice touch. Those bouncing hail stones were like icy bullets, piercing the hearts of Crow fans everywhere.

There are four games to go in the minor round, and technically the Crows can still make the finals. But it seems unlikely now and, anyway, they are not yet credible finals’ material. It’s over. The season peaked in the game against Geelong and now it’s done. The last two games have shown us how much more work is needed and how much better the Crows must become.

We don’t want another year like this one. It started to go wrong in the preseason - about when Andy Otten did his knee. There were signs in the NAB Cup, when the Crows were out-pressured by lesser teams. As the director of this movie, Craigy made a bomb. In the next preseason he needs a better script.

Improve the goal-kicking: Craigy called Sunday’s kicking for goal amateurish and pledged to do something about it. A midfielder who busts his gut to get the ball to a forward is demoralised when the shot misses its mark - and it’s even worse when it goes out on the full. It’s a problem that has to be fixed.

Keep building leadership: For months, Graham Cornes has been calling on the club to appoint a full-time kicking coach. They should do it, if only to shut him up.

It will be no magic bullet, though, because Sunday’s loss was about more than poor goal-kicking. The Crows never looked assured. In the first quarter they over-handballed - no one seemed prepared to make hard decisions, such as to carry the ball or to be the man who finished the play. Even in the second quarter, which was the only one in which the Crows were dominant, poor decision-making combined with shoddy finishing meant that a dozen or more viable opportunities were squandered.

I think it’s a question of leadership. The Crows have a talented squad with many potential leaders, but few led by example on Sunday. It is no coincidence that Goodwin, the club’s biggest A-lister, has missed the last two weeks. When the skies darkened on Sunday he was not there to show, by word and deed, that the game could still be won.

Porplyzia did his best when he took a big mark in the third quarter and kicked a goal from it. In so doing he made amends for his earlier shank and showed that he could bend a game to his will. Rutten was another, but few others followed.

If he gets the gig, van Berlo will be a good skipper. Some people say he isn’t playing well enough, but they forget that he had no preseason and missed the first month of footy. That can’t happen again: he must be ready to go next March.

But no matter who is captain, every player must accept responsibility for shaping a game, especially in the grimmest scenes. Each player must take a leading role.

Add power to the midfield: Against Richmond the Crows’ midfield was outgunned in the second half. We didn’t get enough from Vince, Mackay, Sloane, van Berlo, Dangerfield or Douglas. All those blokes have improved over their journeys, but they all need to do more next year if they are to drive the Crows forward. It’s time to spin potential into champion.

In recent years the Crows have recruited a bunch of tallish lads capable of holding key positions. I think they could now do with a couple more players with midfield zip. Let’s hope for a good draft.

Fill the backline void: On Sunday the Crows missed the dash and drive of Goodwin, McLeod and Johncock in the backline. Who will do the mopping up next year? Goodwin will soon be gone for good and Johncock can’t do it on his own.

I reckon Petrenko can fill some of the void; he should be groomed to do so. The little I have seen of Shaw makes me think that one day he might fill Goodwin’s boots.

Recovery and triumph: In any B-grade movie, the rain arrives at about the half-way point to mark the hero’s emotional low-point. The skies clear later as he rebuilds towards triumph.

But no B-grade script will do for the Crows. We need something that will inspire us and give us hope for the future, which requires daring and fresh thinking and the courage to be different.

In the better movies, unlikely heroes discover inner strength that surprises not only them but also the viewing public. Craigy is both a director and an actor in this drama. Against the odds, I still think he has what it takes to deliver an A-grade finale. But more of the same will not be enough.