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Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says he has cleared the air with small forward Josh Rachele ahead of the Crows' home clash against Richmond.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has cleared the air with a frustrated Josh Rachele ahead of Thursday night's clash against Richmond.

Rachele covets increased time in the midfield but openly queried why he wasn't deployed more on-ball during the Crows' 27-point loss to Hawthorn last weekend.

"It's something that I probably don't really know what's going on," Rachele said in his paid midweek spot with the Nine Network.

"I'll sit with the coaches and ask questions ... about 'how can I inject myself in the game' when I'm not getting too much of the ball."

Rachele, a precocious talent in his third season, had just 11 disposals against the Hawks and was used at only two centre bounces.

Nicks and the 21-year-old met in the lead-up to the 14th-placed Crows' encounter with the 17th-placed Tigers at Adelaide Oval.

"Josh and I have had a really good chat this week," Nicks said.

"Off the back of poor performance sometimes as a team, what can happen is some frustration. And we worked our way through that."

Nicks rated the loss to Hawthorn as his club's worst display of a season which has returned only four wins.

But he said rather than dwell on the defeat, it was crucial the Crows reviewed their shortcomings and then rapidly switch focus to playing Richmond.

"The best part about the week so far ... not at one point has there been any blame," he said.

"We believe our form this season has been on the improve ... (but) we haven't been getting the outcomes we're after and that's why we're sitting where we are at the moment on the ladder.

"We have got a lot of work to do but we're halfway through the year and we get a chance now to bounce back."

Nicks has made four changes to his line-up with evergreen midfielder Matt Crouch ruled out for the season due to shoulder surgery, Taylor Walker and Brayden Cook also unavailable due to injury and ruckman Reilly O'Brien dropped.

The Crows have called up Kieran Strachan for his sixth AFL game to replace O'Brien, Ned McHenry and Will Hamill also return while Billy Dowling will make his senior debut.

The Tigers have been strengthened by the return of Tim Taranto from a broken wrist, along with Dion Prestia (rested) and Shai Bolton (concussion), while Jacob Koschitzke has been recalled.

Richmond great Dustin Martin has been rested, injured duo Marlon Pickett (calf) and Mykelti Lefau (knee) are sidelined and Kaleb Smith has been axed.