Crows coach wants to stay in 'sweet spot' against Lions

The Crows, who host Brisbane at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, started their season with four consecutive losses.

Nicks' charges have since steadied with three wins from their past four games.

But the Crows coach is imploring his players to remain balanced ahead of their clash against the Lions.

"Our players still knew after four rounds this season that we weren't that bad - and I've used that line a lot, you're not that bad and you're not that good," Nicks said.

"And so at the moment we just want to stay in that sweet spot.

"The belief is always there, but definitely winning games of footy just instils that little bit more and you're able to get it done, look back on what did get the win and use that going into the next week.

"But we also know that you're never that good either, so the last thing you need to do is get ahead of ourselves.

"And at the moment we just want to put some consistent performances out there, and we'll need to this week.

"It will be another huge battle for us."

Both clubs have three wins and five losses, with the Crows starting the round in 12th spot on the ladder, one rung above Brisbane.

But the Lions travel to Adelaide after being hit by injuries last week: Darcy Gardiner and Lincoln McCarthy both require knee reconstructions, Brandon Starcevich (calf) will miss at least a month, and Noah Answerth (concussion) is also out.

Despite those injuries, the Lions defeated Gold Coast in a performance that drew praise from coach Chris Fagan and impressed Nicks.

"We saw a Brisbane side that dug in and that was an incredibly gutsy win," Nicks said.

"To have the injuries that they've had and to still have the next guy ready to step up, I think Fages (Fagan) may have mentioned it post-game, it was one of the best wins that they've been in just because of the guts they showed.

"It can be a dangerous thing when you come up against a side that has a lot of injuries because you get a lot of players coming in that are hungry, that want to show what they've got."

Australian Associated Press