Adelaide's finals hopes could rest on next week's clash with Geelong after the Crows were beaten by Richmond on Friday night.
The Crows may be two wins out of the eight by the end of Round 16 after the 47-point defeat at the MCG, leaving their top-eight chances in jeopardy.
They host the Cats at Adelaide Oval and another loss would all but end any chance of sneaking into the finals after last year's Grand Final finish.
"Next Thursday becomes another big game for us. We always knew coming out of the bye in the position we're in that we'd need to play some really strong footy against good opponents and [it's] another test against Geelong," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.
Richmond led the Crows by 16 points at the final change before booting 6.3 to 1.2 in the final term to blow away the visitors.
The Tigers' waves of
"We gave ourselves an opportunity [against Richmond]. We got overrun in the last quarter by a very good footy team but
"We sit where we sit. The ladder tends to be a reflection of how you've played. We sit at 7-8 and we're in a battle for trying to play finals. Generally, you get what you get and that's how I reflect on [the season]."
The Crows won't leave Melbourne unscathed, either, with injuries to key players Daniel Talia and Richard Douglas.
Richard Douglas sore after a contest during Friday night's game
Talia suffered a "mid-foot sprain" and needed treatment on the injury before playing out the game.
He told radio station 5AA after the match that it has been an injury he has carried throughout the season after hurting his foot over summer, but that he hopes it is not a Lisfranc foot injury, which can see players on the sidelines for long periods.
"I've got no idea, I'm hoping not. Usually, if you can play out the game, it's a pretty good sign it's not a Lisfranc. So I'm just hoping it’s a sprain in the mid-foot or something along those lines. I’ll get scans this week and hopefully it’s all good," he said.
Reliable midfielder Douglas rolled his ankle late in the game and will be assessed during the week.
Despite the defeat, Pyke said there were some encouraging aspects in the game for his side.
"The lesson is, against the best teams, you just need to sustain it for longer and take your opportunities when they come. We had a number of missed opportunities ahead of the ball which become, not so much game-changers, but they help you swing the momentum and build a bit of confidence," he said.
"We missed some clear targets or fumbled balls or missed opportunities and it sweeps down the other end and it's the classic 12-point plays that can just impact it.
"We've got to stay positive. We've got to keep the faith in what we're doing. We know we're on the right path and it turns. It turned for us last week, this week not so much, but we'll keep pushing on."
