NEW ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke knows what is wrong with the Crows.
But he also knows he's taking over a side that does a lot right.
"The fact that we finished the way we did last year and won a final means that I, in the unique circumstances, took over a side that is doing a lot of things well," Pyke said.
"So I clearly came in and didn't say 'we'll start from the beginning again'."
Pyke inherits a Crows side that endured the most challenging of seasons last year: the death of then-coach Phil Walsh cut the club to its core, as it did the wider sporting world.
Pyke, 47, is Adelaide's 10th coach since entering the AFL in 1991 but its sixth in the past five years.
While keeping much of Walsh's blueprint, Pyke said he was intent on fixing glaring deficiencies: sloppy skills, a leaky defence, and lack of speed.
The Crows recruited fleet-footed utilities Paul Seedsman (ex-Collingwood) and Curtly Hampton (ex-Greater Western Sydney).
But rectifying poor skills and the tendency to concede big scores looms large in Pyke's plans.
"We were 17th last year in both handball and kicking efficiency ... so we have worked quite hard on just the fundamentals of our skill," he said.
The Crows conceded, on average, more than 89 points a match last season – a worrisome figure for the new coach.
"We were very efficient at scoring, we were 100-plus points (on average) for our scoring. But our defence overall ... is an area we have got to tighten up," he said.
Adelaide's backline relies heavily on full-back Daniel Talia, who rarely gets beaten. But can the likes of Kyle Cheney, Kyle Hartigan and Jake Lever consistently offer adequate cover?
And in the pivotal midfield, Pyke must try and replace the irreplaceable: last year's club champion Patrick Dangerfield, now at Geelong.
"I don't know a world with him in the team ... people talk about the impact of losing him but I think it just creates great opportunity for others," Pyke said.
He nominated Brad Crouch, who missed all of last season with injury, Jarryd Lyons and Cam Ellis-Yolmen as midfielders sensing a chance to make an imprint on an on-ball brigade led by Scott Thompson, Rory Sloane and Richard Douglas – all reliably fed by premier ruckman Sam Jacobs.
"These days, the best teams are playing as many as they can through the midfield," Pyke said.
That trend would this season be "unavoidable", he said, due to the lowering of the interchange cap to 90 changes a game.
Adelaide's attack looms as its trump card, boasting goalkickers of assorted size from imposing captain Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins, to mid-sized Tom Lynch, and small livewires Eddie Betts and Charlie Cameron.
They have added ex-Carlton goalsneak Troy Menzel to the attacking mix as Pyke prepares for a senior coaching baptism of fire: in the first eight rounds, Adelaide play six finalists from last year and two clubs – Geelong and arch-rivals Port Adelaide – who finished ninth and 10 respectively.
"Yeah, our challenges are slightly tougher early," Pyke said.
"But that just means we have got to be ready and make sure we jump out of the blocks."
