A DEPLETED Adelaide will welcome back a host of star players after the bye, with coach Don Pyke keeping faith in his side's finals chances despite a fourth straight defeat.
The Crows kicked the third lowest score in the club's history in their 56-point loss to the Hawks on Saturday night, managing just four goals in a dispiriting performance.
Last year's grand finalists subsequently risk falling two games from the top eight upon returning from next week's bye, with Pyke labelling the display at the MCG "just not good enough".
CROWS' WOES GROW Full match coverage and stats
However, the Crows are set to regain star midfielder Rory Sloane from a foot injury ahead of their next match, as well as forward Tom Lynch and defenders Rory Laird and Luke Brown.
"Luke Brown missed this week with an ankle, so he should be available," Pyke said.
"Rory Laird and Tom Lynch, who were close this week without being there, they were probably three or four days short. You would expect they would both be right. Rory Sloane should be available as well.
"That's four guys there, if they're available, they're all high-quality players. We would expect they would come in and play."
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Premiership favourites going into the season, Adelaide now faces an uphill battle to even qualify for the finals after its disappointing showing against Hawthorn.
Without a win in almost a month, Adelaide must produce a near-faultless second half of the season in order to stay alive come September – starting with a crucial clash against ladder leaders West Coast in a fortnight's time.
However, Pyke is maintaining hope in his team's ability to turn its season around.
"I think so," Pyke said in relation to whether his side could still make finals.
"We'll get the bye underway, refresh and come up with a clear solution. We're just not playing anywhere near well enough at the moment.
"We've won six, history says you need 12, so we need six of the next nine to get there."
WATCH Don Pyke's full post-match press conference
Trailing by just four points at half-time, the Crows conceded eight unanswered goals after the interval in what Pyke described as a "genuine touch up" at the hands of the Hawks.
It led to the Adelaide coach questioning his side's spirit throughout the third quarter.
"I thought we dropped away a bit in that space," Pyke said.
"When you're 18-1 down in the clearances, you're looking for someone to stand up and make a difference there. We didn't stand up when we needed to at that point."
Adelaide's extensive injury list looked like it might grow, with Sam Gibson (hamstring) and Paul Seedsman (hip) both rotating on and off the field due to injury concerns.
But Pyke refused to blame the club's misfortunes in the medical room for its poor run of form, instead putting the heat on his senior players to produce more throughout the second half of the season.
"We're not playing well, that's the bigger issue," Pyke said.
"Yes, we've had some personnel out. What toll that's taken on some guys … we've asked a fair load from some guys who have come in.
"But we've also got guys who are experienced players who are just not playing well and they're not in great form. As a group, we look like it's a bit hard at the moment."
