'No easy fix' for timid Crows' issues

Actually, I recommend doing nothing quickly, there is still plenty of time in this season. Go forward with less haste and get it right. But I suspect that the real problem is not the coaching or the players but the culture. Their history on changes since Pyke has been at the wheel have all seemed to push the club backwards.

Hi PtS. At the core of it was not the personal development training, but the half baked people that put it in place. And, subsequently a dynamic that turned the players against each other. Look at how they respond to anyone wanting to leave. Contrast this with the way Beams went to Brisbane and then back to Collingwood. All involved have managed the process professionally and all still publicly speak highly of the way the process was undertaken. Beams is like Brisbane's Victorian ambassador. But from the Crows it is venomous and none of the players that have left seem to have much to say in their favour (at least not that I hae seen.)

I notice that Caroline Wilson is reporting that there are mutterings with in the Crows playing group and that all is not forgiven or forgotten from earlier seasons. I suspect that Adelaide is desperate for some wins and that may make things seem a bit better, but a lot of the stuff that comes out about the organisational side of the club seems to point to cultural issues.

Pyke has created a team where players are more worried about making a mistake than taking the game on. Teams going backwards and forwards across the half back line are to a greater or lesser extent all the same. Buckley commented that the Pies were too careful with their ball movement. Collingwood only really broke the game open when it was able to get past the one on ones and more the ball quickly. I feel the Kangers were the same.

It is never going to be as simple as just having a head coach at ground level. It will change as to what extent the head coach is involved in strategy over tactics. Tactics is fine from the ground as players come on and off, but strategy is best from the stands. It will come down to the structure and individual strengths of individuals in the coaching panel. Your answer is not to be found here. In previous years, Pike and his leadership team(s) have failed to develop a culture that supports a champion team. Think about how they have responded to players leaving to go to their home state and how they were deliberately isolated within the organisation, in a professional league it is the mark of childishness and ignores that there will be players who will look to return to SA. What I see in the Crows is a team that has heaps of talent and individuals who do not do anything that might produce an error to catch the coaches eye or ire. What is the point of keeping a team in so long after the game? Any base level organisational psychologist will tell you they are not capable of learning, they are completely distracted by what happened during the game. The only possible reason to keep the players so long after the game is more about making the coach feel better about himself and the players worse.

I enjoyed it because the high intensity of the game and the huge pressure Freo applied, Most thought without Fyfe it was going to be a walk in the park, including me, but it was not the case. I think Freo deserve a lot more credit, rather than say the eagles were down, the eagles foot passing skills were exceptional. Freo lost there key back man Hamling early as well. Ross allowing Gaff to run around unattended was hard to understand. Throw in 50,000 eagles fans also was not ideal. Great night out all the same. Cant' wait for the next one.

Has it? It's mistrustful statements like that which leads to Steve Hocking introducing reactionary rule change.

Pyke and the coaches need to put their collective minds together and come up with a solution quickly.

A score of 69 won the game Jon boy. You just enjoyed it because Freo were in it due to the low score.

It's been a problem building for years not this four rounds.

Give up the blogs, and enjoy more.

Spot on Sammy, Pyke, Lyon and Hinkley are in a world of there own. Need to get to ground level at least occasionally. With runner restrictions now they need to get more involved at ground level. Ross has become like Malthouse donning the binoculars.

They’ve gone from being the competition’s top-scoring team to being Carlton. Something is dreadfully wrong.

I reckon it also might be because I’m so involved in footy writing that it’s sometimes hard for me to sit down and watch a game. Like, two blogs, power rankings + tipping every week is a lot of footy exposure. Again I wanna reiterate that I still love footy, just getting a bit of over exposure to it at the moment

My take on the first two losses were that the pundits were wrong re Crows being top 6 or whatever. If we’ve lost those games we’re not on the money. —- Pyke is gone.

Yes Pete I do hence why I can see your opinions are sadly typical alarmist stuff that rears itself every year. You keep yelling the game has changed and your bright idea is to change it more drastically (not the best mate). The season isn't even four rounds old and your catch cry is crisis which if you watched a decent amount of footy you'd realise is an over reaction in a I'm going to call Sen or sports day manner.

Do you actually watch games besides WCE 6x6? Footy has changed. It’s not just about 20 year olds. I like Rowdy’s idea. Start by removing forward and back pockets.

Damn right there is no easy fix when the players out there are on long contracts and choose to not put in the required effort. I sat near the crows coaches box last night and watched their reaction to the second half horror show and they twiddled their thumbs and mused they hands on their chins. Pyke should have left the box in the 3rd quarter to go to the bench and been tearing the players a new one the way they were rolling over..not good enough and a fish rots from its head..coaches need to be held to account

when I watched the losses to Hawthorne and Geelong I thought Crows weren't too far off despite being comprehensively beaten. They are efficient scorers which helps. But against North they were horrible. They need to find away to pressure the ball carrier for 4 quarters like they did against Sydney. That perceived pressure makes the other side make the mistakes that the Crows are making now.

Spot on that North won the midfield. North were chipping around because Adelaide flooded like maniacs. Also they were giving up easy goals off few entries and missing sitters at the other end. Also it's not as if Brownie is the only bloke to play for a free. Hawkins frequently grabs the full back, gets held, gets free kick. Wallis is duckier than Duckwood. Just about everyone exaggerates where possible. Having said that, it's up to the umps to sort that out. Skill errors are just part of the game. Is it too much ask that AFLW skill critics remember this next season?