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Matthew Nicks' Saturday started with key forward Taylor Walker withdrawing from Saturday's AFL game against North Melbourne and it didn't get much better.

When Matthew Nicks' phone rang at 5.30am on Saturday, the Adelaide coach probably should've just gone back to bed.

The early call informed him key forward Taylor Walker was suffering a bout of gastro and wouldn't be flying to the Gold Coast for the round nine clash with North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium.

The loss of the Crows' ex-captain meant Nicks' winless team would travel to Queensland without Walker, regular skipper Rory Sloane (broken hand) or stand-in captain Tom Doedee (hamstring).

"We don't want to lose Tex on the morning of a game and at 5.30 in the morning when you get a phone call with gastro you don't have a smile as a coach on your face," Nicks said.

"He'd been in some pretty good form too, coming back for a couple of solid games so it challenged us."

The day didn't get much better for Nicks as his Crows team, facing a Kangaroos outfit sitting second-last after a six-game losing run, was belted by 69 points in a defeat as humiliating as the margin suggested.

There will be little time for Nicks and his team to dwell on their loss, however, with a match against Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval looming on Wednesday.

Nicks is hopeful Doedee will return for the game against a Demons outfit also hurting after a 51-point hiding by Port Adelaide at the Gabba on Thursday.

With the Crows' club record losing streak now out to 12 matches, Nicks is hopeful the short turnaround will work in his team's favour.

"Normally, you've got to wait seven days before you get to show yourself again, especially off a performance like we just put out as a group," Nicks said.

"Coaches, staff, players, we can't wait to get back out and play and redeem ourselves.

"We've made so many positive steps forward, and then to have such a big step back today. It was really disappointing, really disappointing."