AFL pressure release helps Crows: Sloane
Midfielder Rory Sloane isn't sure what his ex-coach Neil Craig would make of Adelaide's sudden AFL rejuvenation.
But Sloane reckons Craig's reasons for quitting have been justified.
Craig resigned as Crows coach a month ago, wanting to relieve suffocating pressure on a club with just four wins from their initial 18 games.
The Crows have since won two matches under caretaker coach Mark Bickley, and on Sunday came within a whisker of upsetting powerhouse Geelong.
"For me, it's just with the pressure that was put on us through the media and pressure was put on Craigy - as Craigy said - it was probably too much for the players," Sloane told reporters on Monday.
"It has been a little easier now that everyone has been probably off our backs a little bit.
"And Bicks has brought through new ideas.
"I'm not sure how Craigy would feel about it all now, you would probably have to ask him."
Sloane, who gathered a career-best 36 disposals in Adelaide's 11-point loss to Geelong, said Bickley's main message was to attack.
"Bicks has just asked us to play really attacking footy, take the game on and take risks, and if those risks don't come up ... don't worry about it, just as long as we keep playing that style," Sloane said.
"A bit of pressure release does help.
"At the start of the year ... a lot of us probably weren't accountable for our own performances.
"And we're starting to see a lot more weight of numbers and blokes being more accountable for their performances.
"A lot of younger blokes are stepping up now, which really takes the pressure off a lot of the senior blokes and makes it a lot easier for the team to perform."
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