Adelaide has struggled to win without Taylor Walker, and they battled in Ballarat after resting him. But the Crows say he wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
AFL: Find out what Adelaide Coach Matthew Nicks made of his team’s clash with the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.
Rahilly also said he doesn’t feel the Crows are too reliant on the former captain in attack, saying the “system broke down” against the Bulldogs.
The Crows decided to rest the 33-year-old Walker for the trip to Ballarat to take on the Bulldogs.
Walker ended up sitting out on what was the Crows worst performance of the season as they were convincingly beaten by the Bulldogs by 45-points.
Rahilly said he believed the Crows made the right decision to rest Walker.
Taylor Walker was rested after kicking five goals against St Kilda. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images
“Yeah I think so, we looked at Tex and he was a bit sore that week,” he said.
“He didn’t train so we had some good discussions about it and it seemed like the right thing to do.”
The Crows only managed the five goals for the game in Ballarat but Rahilly said that wasn’t down to Walker being absent.
“No affect on the way we moved the ball, a little bit of leadership stuff. We weren’t happy with a lot of our contest and how we defended,” he said.
“Tex does help that with the leadership stuff but the way we moved the ball I don’t think Tex would have added amazing value.”
Over the past three seasons the Crows have a 20 per cent win-loss record (2-8) when Walker has not played.
They have a 40.9 per cent ratio when Walker has taken to the field across the same period.
Rahilly said the Crows were not too reliant on Walker.
“I don’t think so, when you watch it the system broke down,” he said.
“When you aren’t good at a contest, your defence and your offence just break down.”
Walker along with young gun Riley Thilthorpe (knee) are set to return to take on Brisbane at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Tom Doedee is expected to be available after he sat out the loss due to concussion.
Crows players walk off after the loss. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos via Getty Images
Rahilly said the Crows would need to improve their contest work against the Lions.
“We were really disappointing in the contest work and with our pressure, which I think we have become known for our pressure and our tackling,” he said.
“Obviously they are really strong with their handball and their shape around the footy but we have been really good in that.
“On the weekend we just got completely outworked.
“The first five minutes we started OK and looked like us but then they kept showing up at the contest.”
The Crows actually won clearances 50-39 and centre clearances 14-6, but Rahilly said their execution wasn’t good enough.
“Just probably the quality of the clearances, their ability to get the ball from the inside to the outside was very strong,” he said.
“They got some deeper entries and ours were more a quick kick and the forwards didn’t react to those contests very well either.
“I thought they got beaten, they’ve had easier days but that is on the whole team to play our system.
“It usually starts at the contest and our ability to extract the ball from inside to outside and get a few better looks going inside 50.”