ADELAIDE will not be out to "reinvent" its game after a qualifying final loss and will lean on the trust and belief it has built this season when it hosts Hawthorn in a cutthroat semi-final, according to assistant coach Scott Burns. 

The Crows would become the first minor premiers in 42 years to lose two straight finals if they are bundled out by the Hawks on Friday night, as well as the ninth top-four team in the past eight seasons to exit in straight sets. 

Burns said the Crows had earned their double chance through winning a club-record 18 games and needed to remain focused this week on what had made them a formidable opponent in 2025. 

"I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel here. The reason that we have this second week of finals is because we've given ourselves the opportunity with our performances all year," Burns told AFL.com.au.  

"We know there's a lot of things we’ve done well with the way we've played, the way we've worked hard in contests, the way we've worked to defend as a team, and certainly the way we've used the ball going forward. 

"Like every team, you're looking at things to get better at, (but) we don't go back to the drawing board, we persevere and train what we've trained all year, knowing that it does work." 

Burns has experience with groups that have bounced back from a qualifying final defeat, drawing similarities with the West Coast team of 2011 that progressed to a preliminary final after an opening week loss to Collingwood. 

That Eagles group had spent three years out of finals and jumped from 16th to fourth in 2011, rebounding from its qualifying final loss to beat Carlton by three points in a semifinal thriller at Subiaco Oval.  

"There's probably a lot of similarities between the two teams in terms of their development, and there was a reasonable jump at that point in time for West Coast," Burns said.

"But with top-four teams that lose in that first week, there's just a huge element of trust and belief in the team and in your performances throughout the year that you draw on. 

"It's not about this one week, it's about all the work that we've done and maintaining that belief and trust.

"Our players are incredibly proud and they're incredibly competitive as well, and that helps you play consistent football, but it also helps you to respond at a particular stage throughout the season."

Burns highlighted the importance of creating more options in the front half and more space for the team's forwards after Collingwood took a massive 28 intercept marks last Thursday night. 

He said the Crows could take confidence from the fact they created opportunities with their 50 inside 50s, but would need to use the ball better against Hawthorn after kicking 8.7 from those entries. 

Hawthorn, whose defenders were in outstanding intercepting form against Greater Western Sydney, will pose a significant challenge. 
 
"We take nothing for granted. We're playing Hawthorn, who have been an exceptional team over the last two years," Burns said. 

"They've got A-graders on each line, they've got speed and they've got quality, and they're coached really well. So we have to be at our best to win this week. 

"But this is do or die right now, and there's a lot on it. We want to go to the next week.   How good would it be to go play in front of 90,000 at the MCG in a preliminary final? We want that experience."