The last time I wrote my Den Diary column, we were sitting 4-0 and second on the AFL ladder as one of only two undefeated teams.
Since then we’ve had four straight losses and have slipped outside the top eight with a tough trip to Adelaide up next.
It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what has changed from our first four weeks to our next four weeks, but whatever it is we need to sort it out quickly.
Last Saturday night’s loss at home against the Cats was a fair reality check.
They are just an awesome unit and don’t waste the ball. Their foot skills are just phenomenal.
Geelong are still the benchmark of the AFL and they showed us exactly what we need to improve to compete against the best.
It was a harsh wake-up call for us, but one I’m sure all the boys will remember and use as motivation for the remainder of the year.
We’ll head to Adelaide on Friday afternoon and give ourselves a couple of nights away to prepare for the big game against the Crows.
We did the same sort of thing back in Round 3 when we played Port Adelaide, and it seemed to work well. Travelling early gives the group a bit more time to spend with each other and some extra ‘down time’ to focus on our roles.
I’m sure most of the guys will probably sit back at the hotel and watch Geelong play Collingwood this Friday night.
It should be a cracker and will be particularly interesting considering we just played the Cats and face Collingwood in Round 10.
But our sole focus remains on the Crows who are a much better side than their 1-7 win/loss record suggests.
They seem to have found some form in the last couple of weeks and will have their home crowd right behind them.
Both teams will be desperate for a win to get back some momentum and kick-start their season.
