AFL Rd 3 - Gold Coast v Adelaide
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 21: Crows players leave after the loss during the round 3 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Adelaide Crows at Metricon Stadium on June 21, 2020 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

Kane Cornes has slammed Adelaide's performance in their AAMI Community Series loss to Port Adelaide on Sunday.

The Crows managed only six goals in the 71-point loss to a dominant Port outfit after being held goalless in the opening term.

Adelaide's performance comes off a disastrous 2020 campaign, winning only three games and collecting the club's first wooden spoon.

Speaking to SEN's SA Breakfast program, Cornes admitted that he believed the current Crows lineup was the worst in the club's history.

“It is the worst Crows team we’ve seen in 31 years,” Cornes said.

“It’s worse than last year. I saw the teams come out on Saturday night and the Crows released their 22 and I was going through it and I actually had to send dad a message because sometimes it’s just good to get a second opinion.

“So I sent him the screenshot on Saturday night at 7:46 and I said ‘this may be the weakest Crows line-up in 30 years … ?’ and he wrote back and said ‘certainly the weakest defence’ and we saw that on the weekend.

“They played Port Adelaide the previous week, and I wanted to see some improvement, I wanted to see a level up from some of the youngsters, I wanted to see a response from the midfield, which they got, so if there was one positive from the game it was the Crows won the centre bounces after being smashed in there the week before.

“But if Matthew Nicks’ mantra has been defence since he’s taken over and he’s tried to drill that into the players, there was no defence at all (on the weekend) and that’s the concerning part.

“Giving effort, giving a contest and running when the opposition has got the ball takes no draft picks, no experience, no talent and we didn’t get that at all yesterday

“It’s early, but it looks like a broken team already.”

Adelaide are missing defenders Tom Doedee and Daniel Talia after the pair suffered injuries in the pre-season, while a knee injury has forced Wayne Milera out for the season.

The Crows are due to face premiership contenders Geelong in Round 1 at the Adelaide Oval.