GOLD Coast's heavy loss to Adelaide on Saturday night was a little bit like boys playing against men, says Suns coach Rodney Eade. 

Adelaide stormed to a 34-point quarter-time lead at Metricon Stadium and never looked back, making light work of Eade's team who were fresh off two-straight wins.

They were quicker, cleaner and hungrier.

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"We got pushed off the ball a bit. Our boys looked like boys," Eade said.

The powerhouse Crows midfield ran riot, led by Rory Sloane, Matt Crouch, Rory Atkins and Brad Crouch.

Eade said his team was too reactive in the first-half – when most of the damage was done – but said the big deficit was not due to a lack of effort. 

"We're a young squad, they're quite a physically developed group," he said. 

"I think we attempted to tackle, but they didn't stick. We can't just label the younger blokes. 

"The first half especially we got pushed off the ball, we got there first and got pushed away from it, and I think you're going to get that with a young team, we've just got to get stronger.

"To take the positives out, the second half we were able to steel ourselves a bit better." 

Although Gold Coast got the edge in clearances (33-32) and were narrowly beaten in contested ball (148-138), Eade said "that's where the stats lie", conceding his midfield was beaten.

"It looked like some of the guys were waiting to see what happens or waiting for someone else to be a catalyst, which you can't afford to do in this game, especially against a very good team. 

"They're an extremely good side. They're slick, they don't make mistakes, they hurt when you do make errors, which we made a lot of in the first half, probably a lot due to their pressure." 

Eade said he was "flummoxed" by the deliberate rushed behind decision late in the first quarter paid against Kade Kolodjashnij that led to a Troy Menzel goal. 

WATCH: Rodney Eade's full post-match press conference

"I must admit I'm a bit confused with that to be honest," he said.

"I thought when Kade first went to the ball that he wasn't under pressure and couldn't push it through, then he slipped and the ball fell out of his hands, then the player was I reckon within half-a-metre, I thought it was a fair way to do it. 

"I'll have to check on that with what the umpiring department will say, but I was gobsmacked that it was a free kick.

"Those things happen, the umpires get it wrong.

"We made more mistakes than the umpires did."