Adelaide co-captain Taylor Walker says he was left shattered after his side’s 66-point loss to Collingwood on Saturday.
Speaking to media on Monday, Walker called on his teammates to “roll their sleeves up and play with heart” as they head to Ballarat to face the Bulldogs this Sunday.
The Crows (40 points, 103.0 per cent) must beat the Bulldogs by about four goals and hope other results go their way.
Provided they can win and make up 2.6 per cent, the Crows must then hope cross-town rivals Port Adelaide (40, 103.0) don’t defeat Fremantle by a bigger margin.
Ninth-placed Hawthorn (40, 106.6) can also throw a spanner in the works if it upsets reigning premier West Coast at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
"I hope blokes are ready to roll their sleeves up because we're still a chance to play finals," Walker told reporters on Monday.
"We need to play with a bit of heart and a bit of passion and play for each other and play for the guernsey.
"I'm shattered that we're producing what we are because I know we're capable of playing better footy."
The Crows could miss the finals for the second straight season after reaching the 2017 Grand Final.
They had a solid first half of the year, with an 8-5 record after 13 rounds, before struggling in the second half, having only beaten Gold Coast and St Kilda in the past two months.
"I don't like seeing us where we are," Walker said.
"I feel somewhat responsible as a captain of the footy club, so it's up to the coaches and the senior leaders of this footy club to turn this around and get our footy club to where we belong, and that's playing finals footy.
"I'd imagine there would be some frustrated and disappointed fans, that's their right and it's no different to the way we're feeling."
Walker said everyone at the Club was under pressure, not just coach Don Pyke – who is contracted until the end of 2021 – and that the Crows would look at everything at the end of the season.
"We're just going to have to sit and review at the end of the year," Walker said.
"I've got 100 per cent trust in Pykey.
"We'll be right, we'll get out of it."
Walker will also put off discussions about whether he remains co-captain until the end of the season, with his focus squarely on their game against the Bulldogs.
"The role will continue to evolve and I'll cross that bridge at the end of the year," he said.
Defender Alex Keath is likely to play against the Dogs after making a successful return from an ankle injury in the SANFL, while Riley Knight (hip) and Jake Kelly (shin) will be assessed.
