ADELAIDE midfielder Rory Sloane remains supremely confident the Crows have got their one bad game out of their system, and can still challenge for the premiership.
Having been reduced to the role of spectator for last Friday night's 29-point loss to West Coast, Sloane can't wait to get back on the field for his side's elimination final with North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Saturday week.
"We haven't really seen us play like that this year, so it was good to get it out of the way before the serious stuff happens," Sloane said.
"As much as this bye is an adjustment for some guys, it's going to help us out a lot. "There's a few guys who are probably a bit sore coming towards the end of the season.
"It gives some guys a chance to freshen up and a chance to get ready for a big first final."
Sloane got a unique view of the round 23 loss to the Eagles, sitting in the coach's box while serving a one-game suspension for his hit on Port Adelaide's Brad Ebert.
"You see everything and the game's so easy from up there, and that's probably why the camera panned to me a couple of times and I probably looked a bit frustrated at times, which I couldn't help," Sloane said.
"That's probably the one thing you learn, is you feel incredibly helpless up there. Especially as a player, you want to be out there trying to change the momentum of the game.
"They definitely touched us up in the contested stuff, around the ball, and then they definitely out-worked us, ran a bit harder, and used the ball much better than we did."
Sloane was one of the favourites for the Brownlow Medal before taking the early guilty plea and serving a one-game ban.
He completed a sharp fitness session on the morning of the loss to the Eagles and admitted he was "bouncing off the walls" ahead of the finals.
Sloane said the Crows' players were flat at the start of the week, but they had now moved on to put all their focus on the Kangaroos.
The Crows will train on Wednesday afternoon and Friday before having the weekend off.
Defender Brodie Smith (concussion) and winger Paul Seedsman (corked buttock) are continuing to work their way back to fitness to be considered for the elimination final.
The Crows will start red-hot favourites to account for a Kangaroos side that has lost nine of its past 11 games and will farewell Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Nick Dal Santo and Michael Firrito at the end of the season.
Sloane expects the Kangaroos to want to keep the dream alive for their departing quartet.
"You'd want to keep winning for them, absolutely," Sloane said.
"And I presume those North Melbourne boys are going to be very hungry to win a first final.
"It's going to be a challenge for us, but we're going in with the same mindset, and that's to win."