Keays: Adelaide Crows ‘hadn’t changed much’ before Blues upset

The Adelaide Crows flipped the script on their slow start to 2024, but midfielder Ben Keays said the club hadn’t made sweeping changes to their game style before the win.

Ben Keays and Izak Rankine celebrate a goal during the Crows’ win over Carlton. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

What Adelaide produced against Carlton and what the Crows rolled out for the first four games of the season seemed like chalk and cheese.

But Crows leadership group member Ben Keays says Matthew Nicks’ side haven’t “changed a whole lot”, rather the famous win over the Blues was one they had been building towards.

Adelaide’s style of play came under the microscope following the Crows poor start to the season.

The Crows’ midfield was described as “vanilla” and the ball movement considered to be too safe and slow to trouble opponents as Nicks’ side went 0-4 to start the season.

But against Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, the Crows were fast in their ball movement, and the attacking flair that they had in 2023 was back as they caused an almighty upset.

Ben Keays and Izak Rankine celebrate a goal during the Crows’ win over Carlton. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Keays said not a lot had actually changed against the Blues.

“I wouldn’t say we changed a whole lot, we have probably been building to this over a couple of weeks,” he said.

“There have probably been areas that we have been coached on for I would say the past three weeks that shined through on the weekend, so it has been a bit of a process over the first four to five weeks.

“But hopefully you got to see some of what we are about on the weekend.”

Some observers might not agree with Keays’ assessment of the Crows to start this season., but while they were 0-4, and the performances against Gold Coast and Fremantle were downright ugly, the Crows were getting a lot right statistically.

Before the Carlton game the Crows were ranked sixth by Champion Data for points against from turnovers and midfield intercepts.

They were rated fourth for defensive 50 to inside 50 percentage.

Jake Soligo was a revelation in mixing the midfield group up for the Crows on the weekend. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

But the issue was that the Crows could not punish their opponents when they went forward.

They were ranked last in the competition for chain to score percentage and second worst for score per inside 50 percentage, shot at goal accuracy percentage and points from forward half intercepts.

Keays said the work the Crows had done on their offence had come to the fore against the Blues.

“It has been a bit of a slow build over a couple of weeks and it shined through on the weekend,” he said.

“We were able to show it off on Saturday but we have been training to that for a long time.”

Keays said the Crows were still confident despite the winless start to the season and there was still plenty of the campaign to play out.

“We felt like we played some good footy against Melbourne last week,” he said.

“While we didn’t get the result we felt like we were in that game so it has been a build over the past couple of weeks.

Jordan Butts could miss up to three weeks for the Crows. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“I think the group always believes, even when we went 0-4 there was a lot of optimism that we were good enough, we just weren’t showing it over those first four weeks.

“There is plenty of time to make up for that early season slump.”

The Crows will be looking for their second win of the year when they take on Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

They will be without key defender Jordon Butts, after he suffered a low-grade hamstring strain against the Blues.

The Crows said Butts will miss at least a week and could be out for as long as three.

After starting the season as a key forward, Chris Burgess was playing in defence at training on Tuesday along with James Borlase – who has played two games this season.

Patrick Parnell underwent surgery on his shoulder on Tuesday and will miss the rest of the season, while in good news for the Crows Harry Schoenberg is expected to make his return to footy in the SANFL this weekend after he suffered an Achilles rupture in the last home and away game of 2023.

Super-sub Sam Berry is expected to come into the 22 for the suspended Matt Crouch.

Originally published as Keays: Adelaide Crows ‘hadn’t changed much’ before Blues upset