Phil Walsh has lauded the Crows fitness levels. Source: Getty Images
ADELAIDE coach Phil Walsh believes the Crows are as fit as any team he has worked with as a pre-season of toil is beginning to show how he wants his side to play.
Walsh, who has previously worked at Geelong, Port Adelaide and West Coast, had few concerns over the Crows' final quarter fade-out in a NAB Challenge match at Port Lincoln.
He is still managing his players carefully, indicating two rather than three is the ideal amount of trial matches for senior players, but is confident the fitness level of his players is top shelf.
Walsh's comments carry additional weight after he spent last year as a senior assistant with the Power, which was widely regarded as a benchmark in running power after regularly working teams over in the final quarter.
His first job as post-playing was also as a fitness coach, under Gary Ayres at Geelong, and he keeps a close eye on the work of the fitness staff headed by Nick Poulos.
Phil Walsh watches Crows players at training. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
``One thing that happens at this time of year is that you're not sure what both teams have done coming into the game,'' Walsh said. ``We actually trained two solid sessions, and we've done that again for this game (against Geelong) and we'll do it again for the Port game.
``Because our goal is to be absolutely cherry ripe for Round 1.
``In my time in footy ... I've been in it for a long time — some might argue too long — this group has worked as hard as any group in a pre-season.
``So I'm very happy.
``I've got excellent fitness staff here. It's been a good alignment with my philosophy on conditioning and theirs and we've worked really well as a team. So I'm happy in that regard.''
Phil Walsh is very happy with Adelaide's pre-season training. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
Walsh's call comes as Crows best-and-fairest Scott Thompson is in doubt for the remaining pre-season matches after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Thompson hurt himself about a month ago and has since re-injured his hamstring, placing him in doubt for the next two NAB Challenge matches against Geelong and Port Adelaide.
Fitness staff at the club are confident he will be ready for Round 1, but coach Phil Walsh suggested his pre-season match appearances were in doubt.
He will not front against Geelong on Thursday night At Simonds Stadium and didn't play against North Melbourne at Port Lincoln last Sunday.
Walsh said the injury was understood to be unrelated to Thompson's back-related hamstring injuries in the past.
"Thommo's had a slight setback with his hammy and he's probably touch and go for even next week (against Port Adelaide),'' Walsh said. "We'll just monitor that one as we go along.
"We've still got four weeks (until round one), and most hamstrings are only three weeks.
"But he did have a slight setback.''
Walsh said the match against Geelong was another opportunity to explore what his players can do against opposition clubs on one of the competition's most challenging grounds.
He was keen on seeing where Sam Jacobs plays best when he doesn't ruck — as a forward or a backman — and would swing other positional changes to learn more about his team ahead of Round 1.
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