Matt Crouch defends Adelaide’s under siege program but improvement needed

Star Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch says the system is not broken at West Lakes — but execution and confidence needs a bit of work to turn the season around.

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Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch says the players have full confidence in the system and program at West Lakes despite the season looking like slipping away and former greats imploring the club to start playing more attacking.

The Crows have fallen to 1-3 and are no certainties to turn it around against the improved Gold Coast on Sunday with the statistics showing a stagnant Adelaide that has dropped off both in scoring and contested ball.

A common theme among critics is that the Crows have to take off the shackles and begin taking more risks, rather than chipping the ball sideways and backwards to maintain possession.

But 2017 best and fairest Crouch said the game plan and the strategies were sound as news filtered through ruckman Sam Jacobs would miss at least another week to knee injury.

It was a matter of getting their hands on the ball first.

Matt Crouch of the Crows battles Clayton Oliver of the Demons last season. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

“I don’t think we’re playing the footy we expect to play,” Crouch said. “We have high standards of ourselves as well and we’re definitely not delivering on that.

“Everyone’s got some work to do and we realise that.

“At the moment everyone’s probably a bit low on confidence, which you see when we play.

“But if we train hard and get that confidence back I think it will take care of itself.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve been beaten in the contest and that’s where it really starts.

“If we get our contest work right, all around the ground — that’s in the midfield, in the air, on the ground, forward and back — that’s an area we’ll focus on this week.

“We’ve just been off in that area a bit and when you’re off in that area you get beaten pretty comfortably.

“It’s a key stat that all teams look at.”

Crouch had no doubt the Crows were heading in the right direction.

“I’ve got no doubt the way coaches coach we’re fine with,” Crouch said. “It’s just been fundamental things that have been breaking down.

“We’ve got a bit of work to do and hopefully we can fix it soon.

“We’re pretty clear on what we want.

Sauce will miss Sunday's clash with Gold Coast #weflyasone

— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) April 16, 2019

“It’s a balance but on the weekend we probably went sideways and didn’t kick enough to the contest.”

Jacobs’ injury leaves Reilly O’Brien to continue to head up the ruck for the Crows.

But Crouch was comfortable roving to him and the evidence suggested O’Brien was up to the task.

“I think ROB (O’Brien) has shown that he can play at the level,” Crouch said. “He’s a different ruckman to ‘Sauce’ (Jacobs) but he can definitely play at the level.

“He competes really well and his follow-up at ground level is pretty good as well.”