Too much tweaking: Have Adelaide Crows robbed Peter to pay Paul on quest to improve?

The Crows tweaked with their set up in the off-season to fix their defence and find more polish in the midfield after being ranked first for points last year. Did they rob Peter to pay Paul?

Izak Rankine has spent more time outside forward 50 this season, which has coincided with the Crows’ decline in scoring. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Did Adelaide tweak too much?

It is a question that has been asked a lot of the Crows after their winless start to the season.

After being the highest scoring team in 2023, to make finals in 2024 it was accepted that the Crows would have to focus on more on their defence.

But given the way the Crows have started the season, especially offensively, the question is being asked.

From being ranked first when it came for points for in 2023 with 95.3 per game, in 2024 the Crows are ranked 17th with 55 per game.

Points from turnovers have gone from 53.9 per game, second in the competition, in 2023 to 26.3 which is 17th in 2024.

Score per inside 50 percentage has gone from the best in the competition last year (48 per cent) to the worst (18th).

And time in forward half has gome from the fifth best in the competition, +3:43, to 13th with -3:52.

Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks said the Crows did not rob Peter to pay Paul.

“No I don’t believe we have (tweaked things too much), we are not playing the same game we were playing last year,” he said.

Izak Rankine has spent more time outside forward 50 this season, which has coincided with the Crows’ decline in scoring. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

“Sometimes that can occur because you are putting effort into areas that aren’t needed, a little bit more pressure comes after you have loss after loss and guys go away from their individual roles so the system breaks down.

“And it can be such a fine line from being in a position where the team needs you and maybe having a crack at the footy.

“We have had a great week from a learning point of view, unfortunately small things are popping up every week.

“The difference between getting the job done and not getting the job done is really fine at times.”

Nicks also said the departure of forward coach James Rahilly back to Geelong – after he was named as the 2023 AFL Coaches’ Association assistant coach of the year – was also not to blame.

“I think there is always a turnover with staff at a football club like there is with players, so that is nothing new,” he said.

“We look to turn the coaching group over and bring in people with new ideas and new IP every year.

“So that isn’t something out of the ordinary.”

But something isn’t right at Adelaide.

Watch the Crows and the ball movement is slow, players are going wide with their kicks or just dumping it when they do win the ball in the midfield.

Nicks said it was skills and shape.

“It is not necessarily ball movement,” he said.

“Our skills are not at the standard we would like them to be and that comes off sometimes the shape on the ground.

“It is obvious on the TV screen that we are missing kicks that we would hit last year, there is more to that than just the execution.

“Sometimes that is about our shape so we need to work on that.”