Adelaide coach Neil Craig is copping unfair flak for his players' mental frailty, according to Crows onballer Rory Sloane.

Craig was jeered by Adelaide fans after their 40-point AFL loss to lowly Brisbane on Sunday, a defeat heaping further pressure on the Crows mentor.

Adelaide have removed Craig's contract, which was due to expire at season's end, and put him on staff in a bid to defuse speculation about his tenure.

Midfielder Sloane said he was convinced Craig remained the right man to coach the Crows, who are staring at consecutive finals absences for the first time since 1999-2000.

"Craigy is not the one that puts on the boots out there," Sloane said on Monday.

"Us as a playing group were responsible for that performance.

"He is copping a lot of flak that is undeserved.

"I'm not sure why he cops it ... he's doing everything right.

"He's trying to fast track the young group we have got into becoming a better football club and a better footy team.

"He's copping a lot of flak but he's doing some good things with us younger guys."

The 21-year-old Sloane put the Brisbane defeat, which Craig described as Adelaide's worst for the year, down to lack of mental toughness.

"You guys can blame the coach but it all comes down a mindset," he said.

"When you don't come out to play, that sort of result will happen."

The Crows are perched uncomfortably in 13th spot with just three wins from nine matches ahead of a crucial away fixture with North Melbourne this Sunday.

Forward Taylor Walker will miss the match with a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, but club champion Bernie Vince is set for recall after overcoming a recent hamstring strain with a best afield display in the SANFL.

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