Matthew Nicks was furious after Adelaide’s MCG woes hit a fresh low with Saturday’s 25-point AFL loss to Hawthorn.
The Hawks kicked 10 of the first 12 goals to kill off the match, winning 16.11 (107) to 12.8 (80).
The two teams came into the game with similar form lines, having recovered in the past few weeks after barren starts to the season.
While the emerging Hawks were outstanding, Adelaide were awful and are winless in their past 11 games at the MCG, going back to the Crows’ 2017 grand final season.
The Crows rallied in the second half to avoid a blowout, but Nicks was having none of it.
“That (first half) is as bad as we’ve played all year, there’s no excuse for it, that’s probably where it sits a bit in the guts at the moment,” he said.
“We had consistent form coming in and so to perform at such a low level … we haven’t had good results here, but we’ve walked off reasonably proud of what we put out there. Today is not one of those days, at all.
“They put us to the sword, but we were just so far off.”
Nicks said their dreadful start was because of a lack of contest and not having their usual energy.
They now have a five-day break ahead of Thursday’s home game against Richmond, with Taylor Walker in doubt after the forward was subbed out at halftime with a back issue.
Captain Jordan Dawson had to pass a pre-game fitness test because of a foot problem and clearly was below his best.
“The balance now is to control the anger that has run in me, and I’m mindful of what I say in here,” Nicks said at his post-game media conference.
“Our ability to find our way past that and then bounce back on a short break into Richmond – that’s the key to all of it.”
Nicks’ fury was in stark contrast to Hawthorn counterpart Sam Mitchell, who was grinning broadly late in the game when Jack Gunston kicked their last goal.
It was Gunston’s third in his 250th game, which also commemorated the 10th anniversary of Hawthorn’s 2014 premiership.
Mitchell and Gunston played in that grand final and some of their teammates had a raucous function in a private box during the game.
Dylan Moore, who was best afield with five goals, set up Gunston for that last goal with a pass, and Mitchell said the moment was “something poetic”.
After losing their first five games, Hawthorn are now 5-7 and will be a tough assignment for GWS next Saturday in Launceston.
“The players have a great understanding of what our best looks like and how we can produce it, and so we’re doing that more and more often,” Mitchell said.
“We’re finally at a point where we should be competitive against every side.”
Adelaide had recovered and were pressing late in the third term when Jack Ginnivan snapped an outstanding goal to stop their momentum dead.
That prompted an interesting goal celebration, with Will Day appearing to angrily confront Ginnivan.
Earlier in the quarter, Ginnivan had burned a couple of Hawks teammates when he had a shot on goal that missed.
Mitchell said Ginnivan and Day were members of what he calls Hawthorn’s “rascal pack”, a group of young players who hold each other to high account.
Brayden Cook and Chris Burgess kicked three goals apiece in the second half for Adelaide to avoid a thrashing.
Hawthorn’s Changkuoth Jiath was reported late in the first half for headbutting Mitch Hinge.