The state of the top eight means Adelaide cannot afford to take Essendon lightly this Sunday, according to Crows forward Tom Lynch.
The Bombers sit in last place on the AFL ladder with the solitary win for the season, while Adelaide sits in sixth place locked in a logjam of teams with a 12-5 record. The Crows’ 30-point loss to Geelong last round saw Adelaide fall four spots down from second place, such is the competitiveness among this year’s finals contenders.
Lynch said there was no room for complacency at such a critical point of the season.
“Essendon have played some really exciting footy this year and have been in a lot of contests,” Lynch said on Tuesday.
“We know that, and I know after playing in the AFL for awhile now, if you’re off at all, anyone can beat you on the day.
“We’re really eager obviously to rectify what we dished out last week, but also get back to the way we play.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing this week. The boys are pretty eager to turn it around come this week.
“We’ve got to keep winning games of football. It’s as simple as that.”
Adelaide finished the clash at Simonds Stadium with two of the Club’s most important players nursing injury concerns. Captain Taylor Walker sustained an ankle injury, while All Australian defender Daniel Talia sat out the final term with a corked hip.
Lynch said the pair would leave no stone unturned to front up against the Bombers on Sunday.
“He’ll give himself the best chance this week to get up,” Lynch said of Walker.
“He’s huge for us. He’s our leader and he really straightens us up. He’s a fierce competitor and a real consistent player.
“We’ll train on Thursday at our main session and hopefully he can get through that and give himself the best chance to play.
“I’d be surprised if there wasn’t too many players playing through some sort of niggle. ‘Tals’ is no different.”
The Crows host Essendon at 4.10pm on Sunday at Adelaide Oval.
