Adelaide’s AFLW side is now halfway through its 2022 season, but Senior Coach Matthew Clarke says complacency isn’t on the cards.
Clarke’s Crows go into Sunday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs with a clean ledger but won’t be taking the challenge lightly.
“(The Bulldogs) pushed Fremantle right to the edge so they’re starting to hit their straps and they’ve got talent… our challenge is to maintain the intensity we’ve brought over all five weeks,” Clarke told the media on Friday.
“The midfield battle is going to be really interesting, they’ve got two really strong rucks as well and a lot of young talent (at either end).
“We’ve got a genuine strong opponent this weekend that’s going to challenge us.”
While Clarke was proud of his side’s performance so far, he said there was still plenty of room for improvement.
“Five games in we couldn’t hope to be in a better position but the reality is… there’s a long way to go,” Clarke said.
“It’s really easy to maintain that short-term focus because every game is really hard, last week was a great example… right up until three-quarter time it was a live game.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do to make finals. If we’re good enough to make that, then we can set our focus to what that entails.
“We’re very happy with what we’ve been able to achieve but we’re certainly not satisfied with the way we’ve been playing the game.
“We’ve got a lot of improvement to come and we need to chase that really hard.”
With just five games remaining in the AFLW minor rounds, Clarke said one thing kept the players’ eyes firmly on the prize: a love of the game.
“I don’t think (complacency is) a massive issue, there are only 10 games so you have to value every one of them, there’s no margin for complacency,” Clarke said.
“We value that ability to come together and play as a team. It’s a rare gift, there are only 10 weeks of the year we’re able to come together and do that.
“To win one game of AFLW is really challenging and really rewarding when you do, so for us to have won five is magnificent.
“If we can get to six we’ll be equally pleased.”
The Crows take on the Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval on Sunday, February 13, with first bounce at 4.40pm.
