Adelaide's players are “back in the headspace they need to be” following the shock death of coach Phil Walsh, interim coach Scott Camporeale says.
It comes despite the Crows being overrun in the first half against the Swans on Saturday night, conceding 11 goals on their way to a 52-point loss.
While an improved second half underlined the Crows’ spirit, it was another poor showing against a top eight side, with the Club boasting just one victory against a team in the top eight (North Melbourne in Round One) in 2015.
“There’s no excuses,” Camporeale said.
“The group is back in the headspace it should be.
“If (Walsh’s death) was the case (we were poor), our second half would have been worse.
“The fact our playing group showed some resilience and really fought back in that second half was the pleasing thing.”
Five Talking Points: Crows v Swans
The half-time numbers illustrated the gulf between the two sides in the opening hour of play.
At the long break, the Swans had 98 more possessions, 57 more handball receives, 27 more marks and led the inside 50 count 29-17.
And by the final siren, the Crows had managed just 37 tackles, nearly half the Cub's season average of 63.
Asked if Adelaide had entered an "ambush" at the SCG, Camporeale said: "We are a no excuses footy club."
"Sydney are a top four side and are a quality side it's a great lesson for our guys as to the hard work and the dedication that we need to keep working towards."
Camporeale said the Crows must quickly regroup and prepare for next Friday night's clash with a red-hot Richmond.
"We've got six days to respond. That's the best thing about footy, the turnaround time is quick and swift,” he said.
"We will review really hard about what we need to get better at and we will keep focusing on our room for improvements. We will just keep chipping away at them."