Adelaide coach Don Pyke insists a trip to Geelong holds no fears for his AFL side despite their unenviable record there.
The second-placed Crows head into Saturday’s clash against Geelong searching for their first win at Skilled Stadium since 2003.
But Pyke says the losing streak can’t be put down to the venue.
“I think the hoodoo is a bit of a myth to be honest,” Pyke said on Wednesday.
“I think it’s just that they’re a strong team, they play really well at home and they have done for a number of years.
“There’s minor adjustments you make based on opposition and ground but the majority of that time we’ll be focused on how we play and then adapting that to those two factors.”
Geelong remain the only team to have defeated Adelaide on their home turf this season, notching a 26-point win in round eight.
The Crows have since racked up eight wins in a row, including impressive victories over finals hopefuls GWS, West Coast and North Melbourne.
Pyke said he was wary of Geelong despite their patchy recent form but would not dwell on their last meeting.
“It gives you a bit of an insight into what they did nine or 10 weeks ago but I think we’ve come forward a little bit from there,” Pyke said.
“We think we’ve improved some areas of our game and we’ll get a chance to find that out Saturday night.”
Former Crows star Patrick Dangerfield added insult to injury in the sides’ round eight clash, gathering 33 disposals and laying 11 tackles in a triumphant return to Adelaide Oval.
His ex-partner in crime Rory Sloane’s form has been just as impressive, setting the scene for a possible head-to-head clash between the two Brownlow Medal fancies.
“There’s a chance those two will run across each other in the midfield battle,” Pyke said.
“But we’ve got to be careful we don’t focus too much on one individual.
“We’re very aware of the depth of their midfield so it’s a terrific challenge for our midfield who’ve been in some good form.”
Small defenders Rory Laird and Luke Brown will be considered for selection if they pass fitness tests, Pyke said.
