MATTHEW Wright admits he has struggled to replicate the 2012 form that earned him a top-10 finish in Adelaide's best and fairest.

Last year Wright made a name for himself as a run-with midfielder who won plenty of his own ball, averaging 20 disposals a game.

Coach Brenton Sanderson trusted him with one of the opposition's best midfielders most weeks, but Adelaide's structure has since taken a battering. Kurt Tippett's departure to the Sydney Swans left holes in attack and in the ruck department and the season-ending injury to Taylor Walker in April only magnified the issue.

Wright's responsibilities have since switched almost weekly from genuine forward to negating midfielder and his disposal count has dropped to below 17 a game.

He told AFL.com.au that while he had found some clarity from coaches, it had been tough to play consistent football when his role had been anything but clear.

"To be honest I've probably struggled with it a little bit," Wright said.

"At the start of the year I was playing that same run-with role as a defensive mid, then I've moved forward and at the end of the game I was wondering why I wasn't getting the numbers I was used to.

"Once I cleared it up with the coaches and what they wanted from me when I'm playing one role and then when I play the other role, that made it a lot easier to narrow my focus.

"Now when I'm in the midfield I know what 'Campo' (Scott Camporeale) expects from me and then when I'm up forward I know what sort of role I play amongst our other boys in there."

There was no confusion in Wright's performance against Geelong last weekend, when the 178cm 23-year-old booted a crucial late goal to give the Crows the lead.

It was one of Wright's four for the afternoon in perhaps his best performance this year.

A team-first man, Wright said the two-point win was a much-needed confidence booster.

"We really needed that win as a group, we were close against West Coast but couldn't get it done, same thing with Collingwood," he said.

"Obviously we aim to win every week, but she was a pretty rewarding one on the weekend."

Wright expects he'll play deep in attack against Fremantle on Saturday night.

"Fortunately I was able to play my role last week and I've got a pretty strong focus to do the same thing again this week," he said."

"Hopefully I can string a couple together."