Adelaide have taken just one AFL game to dispel the biggest knock on their side, Crows wingman David Mackay says.
Adelaide's resounding season-opening win against Greater Western Sydney was built around a fleet of speedy onballers - a facet many pundits doubted the Crows possessed.
"It's one of our assets, there's no doubt about that," Mackay told reporters on Tuesday.
"The recruiting team has tried to put a bit of focus on that area because it's so important.
"But having said that, ultimately it's how quick you move the ball that can determine how quick you look as a team, so that is one of the things we have improved."
The Crows unveiled a new-look midfield in their 56-point drubbing of the flag favourite Giants, with the likes of Wayne Milera, Charlie Cameron and Rory Atkins adding speed to their line-up.
"We have been working on our flexibility to get a number of guys to run through that midfield," Mackay said.
"And we saw guys like Milera and Atkins and Cameron, who are really young and have added that energy and that speed to us."
The Crows expect captain and key forward Taylor Walker to return from a hamstring strain for Saturday's clash against Hawthorn at the MCG.
And while the Hawks lost their season-opener against Essendon, Mackay said the Crows remained wary of the perennial powerhouse who will likely recall ex-captain Luke Hodge from a club-imposed suspension.
"We haven't managed to beat them for a couple of years so we're not underestimating them at all," Mackay said.
"(Hodge) is an absolute champion and he really does help their team out.
"We will focus a bit of time on them and the way they like to play.
"But ultimately it's about how we execute our game plan ... we think if can do that, we can be competitive with every team in the comp."
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