IT MIGHT well take the moon and stars aligning in new and unusual ways, but Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson won't give up on making the final eight.

The Crows would have temporarily leapt into the eight with a win over Hawthorn on Friday night and could have remained there at the round's end if any of Collingwood, Gold Coast or North Melbourne lost this weekend.

Instead, if all those three sides win, Sanderson's will sit four points out of the eight.

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Even still, with six games remaining before the finals begin, the coach insisted it was too early to start contemplate getting experience into young players.

"We'll still pick our best 22 and we'll still go as hard as anything to make this final eight," Sanderson said.

"It might take us until the last round to get in, but as long as we're there when it matters that's the most important thing.

"Yes, we need some results to go our way, but for us all we can focus on is beating our next opponent – that's Collingwood.

"Hopefully the moons or stars align for us in round 23 and we're playing in September – it's a long way off, we've got some work to do."

Five talking points: Adelaide v Hawthorn

If the Crows are to make the eight, they must wipe what Sanderson described as "unacceptable" unforced mistakes from their game.

Too often the Crows missed targets or made poor decisions, often resulting in scoring plays for the Hawks.

Sanderson also criticised his side's lofty handball count – 16 more than Hawthorn.

"They pressured us well but there were too many times, (an) unacceptable amount of times, when we just couldn't get back off the mark and hit the next target," he said.

"It was just sloppy stuff.

"Way too many handballs … it was a lot of stationary, statue handballs to a player who was in a no better position.

"More often than not we handballed ourselves into trouble; they scored from the turnovers."

Like the Hawks, the Crows will enjoy a week off next weekend as part of the split round.

Sanderson said the bye came at the perfect time as it allowed several sore players time to rest.

Taylor Walker was one such player, having nursed calf, hip and hamstring complaints in recent weeks.

Walker's soreness was nothing to be overly concerned about, Sanderson said, but simply a by-product of the forward's long absence through injury.

Certainly Walker and Scott Thompson (hamstring) will be fit to face the Magpies in round 18, while Sam Kerridge (foot) and Charlie Cameron (groin) could also push for selection.