Winless Crows coach bothered by the small things

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says the Crows know what they have to do to beat Collingwood, it’s just a matter of doing it for four quarters.

Winless Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is concerned by the small margins, rather than the large.

The Crows host Collingwood on Tuesday night at Adelaide Oval on a club-record 13-game losing streak.

In six of the Crows’ 10 defeats this season, their losing margin has been more than five goals.

But Nicks says it’s the small margins and moments in a game that continue to worry.

Adelaide’s past last two defeats have been particularly heavy – 61 points to North Melbourne and, last-start, 51 points to Melbourne.

Against the Demons, the Crows trailed by just 12 points at three-quarter-time and then conceded seven goals to none in the final term.

“The boys were proud of the way they went about it for three quarters – and that is not enough, we know that,” Nicks said.

“We reviewed in detail and went through what is going to get us that four-quarter effort, why didn’t it come.

“And there are small margins in this game. Their midfield got on top of us and we spent time in the back half.

“So we know what it is what we have got to bring. Can we do it for longer … we have got the answers we were after, we just have to be able to put it on the park.”

Nicks made five changes to his side, dropping Jake Kelly and Chayce Jones with defender Daniel Talia (rested), Will Hammill (concussion) and Lachlan Murphy (suspension) also to miss.

Utility Brodie Smith, Andrew McPherson, Kyle Hartigan, Tyson Stengle and Shane McAdam all return to meet a Magpies outfit featuring six changes.

The Pies named Lynden Dunn and Tim Broomhead for their first AFL matches in more than two years with Travis Varcoe, Rupert Wills, Darcy Cameron and Chris Mayne also selected.

They replace Adam Treloar (hamstring), Will Hoskin-Elliott (knee), Isaac Quaynor (shin) and Jamie Elliott, whose ailment wasn’t disclosed. Darcy Moore and Ben Reid have been rested.