Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says it’s pointless for his slumping AFL club to even think about the finals.
The 11th-placed Dogs, on a three-game losing streak, meet winless Adelaide on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
And while the Bulldogs (five wins, six losses) remain in the finals mix, Beveridge says they first must prove something to themselves.
“I don’t really want to talk about finals because our mandate is to be a team that is consistently reliable,” Beveridge said.
“We haven’t been able to establish that yet.”
Adelaide, still searching for a first win under new coach Matthew Nicks, have lost key players to hamstring injuries in defence and attack.
Tom Doedee won’t play again this season while Tom Lynch will miss at least three weeks.
But captain Rory Sloane will return from a five-match absence because of a broken hand in what coach Nicks said was a fillip for the Crows.
“It’s incredible how quickly he has been able to get the ball in his hands, get the physicality back,” Nicks said.
“It has been a bonus for Rory … to work with his players off-field, he has been really strong in that area, speaking to the young mids.
“He is just chomping at the bit to get back in and join those guys, bring that slightly different dynamic that Sloaney brings which is pretty hard at it and lead by example.”
The Crows’ woes are clear: they have scored the fewest points of any team while conceding the most.
But Dogs coach Beveridge was taking nothing for granted.
“The Crows are improving,” he said.
“They have challenged teams in recent times and just let themselves down, shot themselves in the foot with some turnovers here and there.
“We understand we’re playing a team that is desperate for their first victory and if we’re off then we will be vulnerable.”