Adelaide Crows coach Matthew Nicks admitted his team had regressed and struggled to cope with the weight of expectation so far this season.
But it seems he will retain the current team and resist significant changes ahead of the upcoming match against the winless North Melbourne in Hobart.
“We’ve dropped off in an area that we’ve prided ourselves on for years,” Nicks said.
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“We were hard to play against, we were a competitive scrappy team.”
He said the pursuit of more polished performances was likely where his players lost their edge.
“There’s no doubt it’s a mental issue. It’s one we’ve got to get right.
“It does become tough for a younger group to get that balance right and we haven’t quite done that this year.”
Nicks also backed Josh Rachele to rebound after he made several marking mistakes last game.
“He’s gone about it exactly the right way. He’s acknowledged it. He knows he needs to be better than that,” Nicks said.
“Right now we’re looking for our players to go out and fight and really bring a contest. And so that’s what we’re encouraging our players to do.”
Sam Berry has been ruled out for Saturday’s game, while Brodie Smith is in serious doubt after he missed the main training session.
Matt Crouch will return from suspension on Saturday, but Dan Curtin and Billy Dowling may have to wait longer for their debuts.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
