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Tex backs off-season AFL review for Crows

3 minute read

Adelaide's finals hopes hang by a thread ahead of a must-win clash with the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat in the final round of the AFL regular season.

DON PYKE, Senior Coach of the Crows addresses his players during the 2017 AFL First Preliminary Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia.
DON PYKE, Senior Coach of the Crows addresses his players during the 2017 AFL First Preliminary Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

The winds of change look set to sweep through West Lakes after another AFL season of disappointment for Adelaide.

Saturday's meek loss to Collingwood has left the Crows' finals hopes hanging by a thread with one round remaining in the home-and-away season.

Don Pyke's men travel to Ballarat on Sunday to face the in-form Western Bulldogs, who can secure eighth spot and knock Adelaide out of finals contention with victory.

Another year without September action would be a hefty blow for the Crows, who finished 12th last season after losing to Richmond in the 2017 grand final.

Coach Don Pyke said after the Magpies loss that the club would look at every aspect of its football program during the off-season, a position backed by skipper Taylor Walker.

"There needs to be a review," he told reporters.

"I'd love to win a few more games. But we're just going to have to get to this weekend and put our best foot forward.

"Hopefully a few results go our way and we can get into finals.

"We took the reigning premiers to 10 points last week so I still believe that we're good enough. We're just not, right now, playing the way we want to play."

After a 2018 season dominated by the fallout from a disastrous pre-season camp, there were high hopes things would turn around for Adelaide.

But there has been little cause for cheer at West Lakes with poor on-field results, questionable selection decisions, rumours of a rift between Pyke and his charges and talk of players seeking trades, all making headlines.

Walker said Pyke, who is contracted through 2021, had his full support and he hadn't given any thought to relinquishing the captaincy that he shares with Rory Sloane.

The Crows must upset the Bulldogs by about four goals and hope other results go their way to finish in the top eight.

"I hope blokes are ready to roll their sleeves up because we're still a chance to play finals," Walker said.

"We need to play with a bit of heart and a bit of passion, play for each other and play for the guernsey."

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