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FWC: PAR v FRA live from 8am"Still confused": Why Hodge is unsure about the Crows
Nicholas Quinlan • July 4th, 2026 9:28 pm
Luke Hodge has expressed concern about the Adelaide Crows believing they lack a 'killer spirit'.
Following their surprising loss to their crosstown rivals in Port Adelaide last week, the Crows returned to winning ways on Friday night with a 25-point win over West Coast in Perth.
But despite securing the four premiership points, the former Hawthorn Premiership captain was hoping to see them deliver a more convincing win, having been up by as much as 43 points in the second quarter.
As a result, Hodge has concerns about whether they have the ruthless edge needed to achieve success in finals.
“I'm still confused on Adelaide,” Hodge told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“You see them play football and sometimes you get really impressed with them.
“But then sometimes I don't think they've got that killer spirit that you need to succeed.
“They finished 1st last year and then got outplayed in finals, and I thought they may have learned a little bit from that.
“But from the last two weeks, not having that passion to compete against Port Adelaide, not putting someone to hunt in on (Zak) Butters, letting (Jason) Horne-Francis do what he wanted to do.
“If you're five goals up against a team that finished 18th last year, you finished 1st, and you're trying to take that next step, how is it 18 points of difference in the last quarter?
“That's why I sit here and scratch my head.”
The Crows next feature on Saturday night when they host Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval.
That match begins at 8:10pm AEST.
