ADELAIDE star Patrick Dangerfield is happy to cop a hard tag week in week out as long as the Crows keep winning.

Dangerfield averaged 27 possessions, two goals, four tackles and eight clearances leading into last Saturday's game against Melbourne but was largely bullied out of the contest at Adelaide Oval by former teammate Bernie Vince.

He was kept goalless and to just two clearances and 16 disposals.

Vince's needling and rough tactics, although nothing new, incited a three-quarter time push and shove which led to nine players being fined by the AFL Tribunal.

While visibly annoyed throughout the game, Dangerfield told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa that he was annoyed with his poor performance rather than the hard tag.

"It's frustrating, but you're not really frustrated in Bernie or what Bernie is doing - it's more frustrated in yourself that you're not playing the way you know that you can," he said.

"That was disappointing for me on the weekend. I want to play better than that but at the same time I'll take that every week if we win by five goals."

Earlier in the week, teammate Scott Thompson believed Adelaide had to help Dangerfield beat any future tag but that the players' primary focus – as instructed by Walsh – was to win the football and the game.

"It's part and parcel of the game ... Paddy's a big boy," he said.

"Can we help him? Yes we can, but within the rules.

"You definitely want to fly the flag for the club, there's no doubt about that, but if you make that too much of a focus you go away from what you want to do."