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Adelaide's AFLW coach Matthew Clarke says star player Erin Phillips won't return from a knee injury against Geelong on Sunday.

The AFLW's best player, Erin Phillips, has been ruled out of returning from a serious knee injury in Adelaide's away match against Geelong on Sunday.

The competition's dual best and fairest hasn't played since damaging a knee in the Crows' grand-final win last season.

"She's progressing really well but not fully cleared yet so Erin watch will have to go on for another week," Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke told reporters on Thursday.

Phillips was doing most of Adelaide's training as she pressed to return from a left knee reconstruction.

"It's just continuity ... there's certain boxes that need to be ticked from the medical point of view," Clarke said.

"And they need to see that done not just once but a couple of times and get some continuity.

"Once she's cleared, I will pick her."

The defending premiers banked their first victory in round two last weekend with a final-quarter surge, kicking four goals in the last 10 minutes to overcome St Kilda by 13 points.

"Most important, it (the win) gets us on the scoreboard," Clarke said.

"It's an eight-week season so you can't afford to drop too many at the front end.

"The competition is close ... so what it does is just build a little bit of belief, probably for new players in the team that hadn't necessarily experienced that.

"For them to get their first win and to contribute to the win was probably the more important - they weren't just passengers, they were actively involved in us getting that win."