TonyK
CibbuanoNo hope for top four: Craig
August 24th 2008 21:28
ADELAIDE coach Neil Craig has admitted his side's top-four hopes are all but over after Sunday's 48-point loss to St Kilda at Telstra Dome.
The Crows kicked the first three goals of the match but managed just a further three majors from that moment on.
The result leaves Adelaide half a game adrift of fourth-placed North Melbourne, who look set to secure the double chance given that they play 13th placed Port Adelaide at the MCG in round 22.
Craig's attention has turned to ensuring his team beats the Bulldogs at AAMI Stadium so that Adelaide remains in at least sixth place and gives itself home ground advantage in the first week of the finals.
"It (ensuring a home elimination final) is an important prize now," Craig said.
"I still think home ground exists in the competition - it's becoming less but it still exists - so there is that (advantage to getting a home final) plus it will be great for us to be able to get it for our supporter base if it all falls that way."
But Craig said his side would need to improve considerably if they are going to beat the third-placed Western Bulldogs.
"We have to step up a lot of areas from where we were today," he said.
"In the end we just got bulldozed in all areas (and) it's one of our poorest performances in a long time."
The Crows were missing forwards Brett Burton, Jason Porplyzia and Trent Hentschel but Craig said that was no excuse.
"Personnel are important but personnel wasn't our issue today - please believe me," he said.
"It was more the way we went about and our whole play around the whole ground and after quarter time we were really poor."
The Crows kicked the first three goals of the match but managed just a further three majors from that moment on.
The result leaves Adelaide half a game adrift of fourth-placed North Melbourne, who look set to secure the double chance given that they play 13th placed Port Adelaide at the MCG in round 22.
Craig's attention has turned to ensuring his team beats the Bulldogs at AAMI Stadium so that Adelaide remains in at least sixth place and gives itself home ground advantage in the first week of the finals.
"It (ensuring a home elimination final) is an important prize now," Craig said.
"I still think home ground exists in the competition - it's becoming less but it still exists - so there is that (advantage to getting a home final) plus it will be great for us to be able to get it for our supporter base if it all falls that way."
But Craig said his side would need to improve considerably if they are going to beat the third-placed Western Bulldogs.
"We have to step up a lot of areas from where we were today," he said.
"In the end we just got bulldozed in all areas (and) it's one of our poorest performances in a long time."
The Crows were missing forwards Brett Burton, Jason Porplyzia and Trent Hentschel but Craig said that was no excuse.
"Personnel are important but personnel wasn't our issue today - please believe me," he said.
"It was more the way we went about and our whole play around the whole ground and after quarter time we were really poor."
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