Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has declared his side needs a couple of big wins as he tries to solve their consistency problem.

He also has concerns over the fitness of gun midfielder Izak Rankine (calf) and Callum Ah Chee (hand) after a bruising 10.15 (75) to 9.12 (66) loss to Hawthorn on Thursday night.

The Crows started strongly and were coming home with a wet sail - but did themselves no favours by conceding a run of seven goals through the middle of the game.

Last season's minor premiers, who were bundled out of the finals in straight-sets, have six wins and five losses ahead of next round's bye.

"What is it that frees us up to finish so strong?" Nicks said, adding they looked "locked up" through the second and third quarters.

"We've got a number of different theories but nothing we're going to sit here and talk about with everybody.

"You could say the game should have been ours. We won the inside 50 battle, the ground ball. We won a lot of areas, just not the game."

Rankine limped off in the third quarter and will go for scans, as will Ah Chee who played on with a guard on his hand.

The Crows were in a similar position at the same point in 2025, before winning 12 of their last 13 games to finish top of the ladder.

"We need a couple of big wins. We need to put a performance out there over a full four quarters against a pretty good side. We haven't done that yet," Nicks said.

"That is probably where I think there is a bit of frustration, especially from those who watch us closely.

"But to be where we are and still know there is so much upside, that gives optimism."

Nicks defended the decision to play veteran Taylor Walker in the SANFL this weekend, saying the wet, slippery conditions in Launceston weren't the right fit.

"We're always going to miss Taylor's leadership in crucial moments. There are other areas in the game that we didn't get right," he said.

"Hopefully he has a good hit-out and we'll just balance that as we go through the second half of the year.

"We weren't going to go in too tall knowing the ball was going to spend a fair bit of time on the ground.

"In the end, I think we won that stat convincingly, we just didn't finish in other areas."