AFL 2024: All the latest Adelaide Crows news ahead of Good Friday clash against Fremantle

Adelaide is on its way to Perth for a crunch clash with Fremantle on Good Friday – and coach Matthew Nicks had something to say before the Crows took off.

Adelaide needs to start winning games, and quickly if it wants to keep its finals hopes alive.

But Crows senior coach Matthew Nicks says his side can’t afford to look beyond “each moment in the game”, rather than thinking about the bigger picture.

The Crows are 0-2 after going down to Gold Coast in round 1 and Geelong in round 2.

Since the 18-team era began in 2012, just three sides who have started 0-3 have made the top eight.

To avoid a 0-3 start, the Crows must do something they have never done under Nicks, beat a top eight side on the road, as they take on the fifth-place Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Friday.

As well as hitting back at the labelling of his midfield as “vanilla” by David King, Nicks said the Crows had focused a lot on mindset ahead of the clash against the Dockers.

Matthew Nicks says the Crows have focused on mindset this week. Picture: Mark Brake

“For us it is more about the process than anything, we might be getting stuck in the bigger picture of looking at outcome at the moment,” he said.

“Our guys, through no lack of effort, sometimes that shows you are trying too hard, you are thinking how do we win this game of footy rather than the process of each moment in the game.

“So we have done some work around that, it is more of a mindset piece. There is no lack of effort there, it is just about us having to build a game, start the game well even if it is nil all at quarter time.

“So that will be our work-on.

“That is the work-on, to not look at that outcome of the bigger season, the game as a whole, it is about breaking it down into those moments, the key moments, the first couple of minutes of the game, how important it is to start well or at least to win half of the contests.

“We did that on the weekend, we kicked the first goal and then Geelong went and kicked the next four. There is a period of time there from around three or four minutes in the first quarter to the 10th minute where we dropped off.

“We have addressed it, it is now a mental issue for us. It is through no lack of effort or contest, sometimes that it is that you are maybe trying a little bit too far in that moment.”

Jordon Butts won’t play against the Dockers on Friday night. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

The Crows have lost key defender Jordon Butts for the clash after he hurt his ankle against the Cats last week and couldn’t prove his fitness.

James Borlase comes in after being dropped in round 2 and Nicks said Butts’ ankle would now be something the Crows would monitor.

“It is a like for like but for Buttsy it is unfortunate and something we have to keep an eye on now. Hopefully it is a short term,” he said.

“We are hoping it is a week and a pinched ankle but we have to keep an eye on it.”

The Crows midfield was labelled “vanilla” by North Melbourne premiership player King midweek.

Nicks said it wasn’t in the midfield where the Crows went down to the Cats, it was Geelong’s ability behind the ball.

“We are constantly looking at the midfield and I guess how we change the dynamic and support what is already in there,” he said.

“Matty Crouch I would say is in career best form, for the first two rounds of this season he has been a standout.

“We now need to put some players around that might give us a little bit more explosive outside game and we are doing that, we have done that in the first two rounds.

“It will just be a balance, getting that mix right.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no-one is wrong, it is just about what your story is and how you are looking at the game.

“I thought it was a great midfield battle… I thought it was reasonably even throughout the day, where they beat us was behind the ball.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: All the latest Adelaide Crows news ahead of Good Friday clash against Fremantle