The Crows will set foot on hallowed turf this weekend when they take on Collingwood at the MCG, many for the first time.
Adelaide’s young list will look to expand on its goalkicking breadth on Saturday after a one-point loss to Fremantle in the season opener.
Assistant Coach James Rahilly said while the Crows were disappointed by last weekend’s result, they were now raring to take on the big stage.
“We were definitely flat and the young group was flat for a couple of days (after the loss), but today the energy was back,” Rahilly told the media on Wednesday.
“A few guys played (at the MCG) last year in the Melbourne game but there’s not many of us that have played there… so the boys are pumped, the young guys, to play on that ground where a lot of finals are played.”
A lacklustre first half from Adelaide put the heat on their third quarter charge to the finish line, ultimately letting the side down at the final siren.
“Unfortunately in all facets of the (first half of) the game we did not see (what we’d been working on in pre-season), which was really, really disappointing,” Rahilly said.
“After half time, our contest was good in some ways and how we defended and stopped Fremantle was good to see as well.”
One thing the Crows would look to take to the MCG and beyond was the breadth of goalkickers in the squad.
Rahilly said last weekend’s performance - which hosted six individual goalkickers in Josh Rachele, Darcy Fogarty, James Rowe, Jordan Dawson, Brodie Smith and Riley Thilthorpe - was what Adelaide hoped to build on.
“It was pleasing to have an array of goalkickers… we had two defenders kick a goal, so that was pleasing for me that we had a better spread of goal kicking,” Rahilly said.
“The mids need to jump in and have a shot as well, not just the forwards all the time.
Rahilly particularly praised Brodie Smith’s left foot bomb in the Fremantle game.
“Everyone in the box couldn't believe it was a left foot goal… it was a great goal, but what was really pleasing was how we worked the ball out of D 50 and Brodie found the end of that,” Rahilly said.
“All the forwards did was pull back and let him go to work and they’re the type of goals we’re looking to get more of.”
Adelaide takes on Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday, March 26, with first bounce at 1:10pm ACDT (1:40pm AEDT).
