Adelaide Crows players need to get mentally tougher, midfielder Richard Douglas says.
Adelaide will miss the AFL finals, their fate sealed by a loss to lowly Western Bulldogs on Sunday, and Douglas bluntly blames a lack of mental strength.
"We need to get mentally tougher," Douglas told reporters on Monday.
"We get in situations where we should win games ... but we seem to give up winning leads far too often."
Adelaide held a 22-point lead against the Bulldogs late in the third quarter but conceded nine of the last 11 goals to lose by 17 points.
"To lose another game when we were in a winning position is disappointing," Douglas said.
"It just shows we have got a bit of work to do and where we're at."
The Crows also conceded seven goals in an opening quarter which left coach Brenton Sanderson seething.
Sanderson lost his usual calm demeanour at quarter-time, blasting his players and Douglas said it was the angriest he'd seen the second-year coach.
"He gave us a good bake and we probably deserved it ... he certainly was angry, and for a reason," he said.
The 26-year-old Douglas said Adelaide's inconsistency was also behind their slide from beaten preliminary finalists last season to missing the play-offs this year.
"We certainly came into this year expecting big things and it hasn't panned out that way," Douglas said.
"We have pushed some good sides but we can't sustain it for four quarters and unless you can do that, you're not going to be a top eight or top four side."
The Crows host Melbourne on Saturday, the club's last game at AAMI Stadium ahead of AFL matches being moved to a redeveloped Adelaide Oval next season.
The Demons will be led by Neil Craig, who was Adelaide's coach for eight seasons until late in 2011.
"He will know us pretty well, I suppose it just adds another twist to the day," Douglas said.
