ADELAIDE coach Neil Craig says the emotion of the Crows' record-shattering 103-point loss to St Kilda on Friday night should be allowed to subside before any decisions are made about his immediate coaching future.
The Crows' meagre score of just 3.6 (24) was the club's lowest since entering the competition in 1991, eclipsing the 4.7 (31) Adelaide scored against the Saints at Moorabbin in round seven of their inaugural season.
"Now is not the time to even go down that path because of the emotions of a loss, and the way the loss unfolded in the second half," Craig said of his future.
"It probably just needs a day or two to settle down. It's not different to the playing group, they are devastated at the moment."
Craig said it would be dangerous to make any decisions after one game, regardless of the result.
"I am not just saying whether to continue or not to continue. Our club is professional enough to understand that ... At some stage there may be a tipping point either way, I understand that."
Craig said the group would have to "wear" the record low score.
"We created it, so we have to wear it. It's not a great record to have, but it won't change now. We created it so we have to accept the responsibility of it," he said.
Craig labelled the performance against the Saints as not up to AFL standard.
"The second half in particular was really poor, sub-standard at this level, so we have to cope with whatever criticism we get," Craig said after the match.
"At half time we never looked like getting into the game. It was an avalanche."
Despite the Saints heavily outscoring the Crows in the first half, Craig said "statistically" his team had matched their opponents in the contest, and even led the inside 50s 22 to 19 at the main break despite being 45 points in arrears. After half time, however, Craig said the Crows weren't ever in the hunt.
"It was really, really non-competitive footy, we just got bulldozed out of the way," he said.
"That is the really the disappointing part for us because I thought our team had made some ground in that area, a really important area. But we have given all that ground back."
The result was also disappointing for veteran Graham Johncock, who was playing in his 200th game. As the direct opponent of Stephen Milne, who ended the night with eight goals, it was a milestone match to forget for the veteran.
"A really tough night for Graham, not the type of night he would have wanted on his 200th. That is what we have served up for him," Craig lamented.
Adelaide will face a Port Adelaide side mired in its own struggles in next weekend's Showdown, but Craig wasn't concerned with who his team would play next after Friday's loss.
"We need to regroup and get back to a performance that we have been able to demonstrate in the last two games, before this one," he said.
''I have seen too much good stuff in the last two weeks against really good opposition, particularly Sydney and Essendon. I have seen too much good stuff for my faith to disappear with this group."