Crows determined to play to their capabililty: O’Brien

Adelaide ruckman Reilly O’Brien says the Crows cannot afford to let another game slip as they aim to rediscover their winning ways in Cairns.

Adelaide ruckman Reilly O’Brien says the Crows cannot afford to let another game slip as they aim to rediscover their winning ways in Cairns.

The Crows sit in 15th spot on the ladder with a 4-7 record, which is surprising given some of the results they’ve been able to produce this season.

Adelaide defeated third-placed Geelong in the opening round before claiming an almighty scalp in ladder leader Melbourne last month, and was also competitive in recent encounters against top-eight sides Richmond and West Coast.

Still, the Crows find themselves in the bottom four at the season’s halfway point, and O’Brien said the underachieving side was determined to play to its capability, starting with Saturday’s clash against St Kilda in Cairns.

Reilly O'Brien of the Crows and Max Lynch of the Magpies during the 2021 AFL Round 12 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Collingwood Magpies at Adelaide Oval on June 5, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It’s a huge game for us,” he said.

“We’ve obviously let a couple slip; we let last week slip (against Collingwood) and we let a couple early in the year slip, so we’re really keen to get the win.

“We’re really looking to come out and play our footy for four quarters and get the win. We really feel like we’re capable of doing that, we just want to put our best foot forward and get it done.”

The club’s reigning best and fairest said he was glad to be in the Far North after Saturday’s clash against St Kilda at Cazalys Stadium was in doubt earlier in the week.

The Crows touched down in Cairns on Friday and hosted an open training session at Cazalys Stadium in the afternoon.

“There were a lot of little Crows fans hanging around after school,” O’Brien said.

“I didn’t think we’d have that many to be honest, but it’s been awesome to have the fans come out and support us.”

Josh Worrell at Adelaide Crows training. Picture Mark Brake

Young gun Josh Worrell will make his debut for Adelaide in Cairns, and O’Brien was eager to see how the 20-year-old could make an impact.

“He’s got a mean mullet,” O’Brien said.

“He’s a ripping guy, everyone loves him. He’s a good character, pretty laid-back, a bit of a hippie we call him. He’s got the long hair and the mullet, but as a player he’s got a switch that flicks on when he gets on the field.

“He’s very competitive, got really silky skills and he’s a really good intercept defender, so looking forward to what he can bring in terms of his competitiveness, his marking and his ball use.”

Originally published as Crows determined to play to their capabililty: O’Brien