Crows defender Jake Kelly says his team is not hiding from the reality of where they sit in the premiership race

THE external view of injury-hit Adelaide was the month leading into the bye would reveal where they are at in the finals race. And at 0-2 with Fremantle and Hawthorn to come, Jake Kelly says there is nowhere to hide as the Crows turn to a fourth captain.

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THE external view of injury-hit Adelaide was the month leading into the bye would reveal where they are at in the race for finals and at 0-2 with Fremantle and Hawthorn to come, Jake Kelly says there is nowhere to hide.

Kelly is a realist and as much as he might like to put a positive spin on the last fortnight’s losses to Melbourne and GWS, he knows the Crows are now outside the top eight ahead of a trip to Perth this weekend.

Crows players huddle before the start of the third quarter against the Giants. Jake Kelly says the side is preparing for a tought trip to Perth. Picture Sarah Reed

“We haven’t won the games so that’s where we’re at — that’s reality,” Kelly said after the 16-point loss to the Giants on Sunday.

“It was a hard block, we knew that coming in, four solid games, we haven’t won the first two but now we’ve got to go to Perth to play Fremantle which is a great side over there and then a six-day break into Hawthorn at the MCG which is tough.

“We don’t panic, we just get back to work on Monday and go again, that’s what you’ve got to do, it’s a grind and it’s not easy but we just get back into it.”

The Crows won contested ball, had more disposals, more inside 50s and won clearances yet could only come frustratingly close to clicking and putting it on the scoreboard when they went forward on Sunday night.

Jake Kelly looks for an option against GWS. Picture: Sarah Reed

“They (GWS) obviously played a seventh (defender) for periods of the game so it made it frustrating when we would kick the ball forward they would use that really well and we weren’t able to even it up,” Kelly said.

“We were aware (of how dangerous GWS can be) and we said yesterday ‘these guys have the ability to turn it on’, a preliminary finalist last year they’re a good side and came to play tonight so credit to them.”

Still, Kelly said the positive was it was an improvement on the previous week’s disaster against Melbourne in Alice Springs.

“We just spoke about it then — the effort was there, definitely, it was just the fundamentals of the game, holding the ground balls, not coughing the ball up, skill errors, ball movement, all the stuff we usually do quite well wasn’t there to night but the effort was.

“For periods of the game they (GWS) were able to get some real good ball movement off half-back and come in quite cleanly and we (defence) held up for large periods.

“But the one thing we need to work on is aerially, get the ball out of bounds, to ground, but for large portions of the game when it was quite hot, the defence held up.”

Matt Crouch looks set to captain the Crows against Fremantle on Sunday. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Midfielder Matt Crouch is set to become Adelaide’s fourth captain this AFL season as injuries continue to strike the club’s leadership group.

Stand-in skipper Tom Lynch is expected to miss at least Sunday’s trip to Fremantle because of a side strain, his exact prognosis to be released on Tuesday.

With captain Taylor Walker (back/glute), vice-captain Rory Sloane (foot) and now Lynch sidelined, Crouch is the only member of the club’s leadership group still fit.

“Obviously as the leader Tom is, and the run that he provides, it was a miss for the forwards and the midfield to link through him,” first-year forward Darcy Fogarty said on Monday.

“But we have got enough people there that can fill his spot.

“Everyone knows what they need to do - it doesn’t really matter who does the coin toss.

“We have got plenty of leaders out there to bounce off.”

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