SCOTT Thompson concedes a communication breakdown sabotaged Adelaide’s midfield set up and assault on a rousing, 25th anniversary victory against Hawthorn.

A heated exchange between Adelaide midfield mentor Scott Camporeale and star onballer Patrick Dangerfield highlighted a difference in opinion over the Crows’ engine room structure on Thursday night at Adelaide Oval.

Crows coach Phil Walsh said a ‘technical issue’ involving Adelaide’s midfield structure contributed to the flare up between Dangerfield and Camporeale but said it didn’t cost the game.

Veteran Thompson noted much of the damage was done by a communication fail that resulted in Hawthorn’s decisive goals.

“We fix it by getting our communication right around the stoppages and getting our structures right,” said Thompson, with Hawthorn extending a 19-point lead to 29 in victory as Adelaide unravelled.

“It is bitterly disappointing. Looking back we had our opportunity to win the game in the third quarter when he hit the lead and to lose was disappointing.

“They got on top in a number of areas around the stoppages, centre bounce a number of times the went forward and kicked easy goals.

“That is frustrating and hopefully we tidy it up going forward.”

Thompson’s says players — not coaches should face the heat.

“As a midfield group the midfield is responsible and where we did fall away they got easy clearances and it opened up the contest and ended up resulting in easy goals for Hawthorn,” said Thompson, who excelled with 19 contested possessions and 32 touches against the Hawks.

Camporeale appeared to tell Dangerfield that he was in the wrong position at stoppages twice in the final term.

Dangerfield spent six minutes off the field during exchanges with the coaching staff in the last term — to his frustration and that of Crows board member Mark Ricciuto. The pair share the No. 32 heritage in the club’s 25 year journey.

Thompson noted players regularly engaged in forthright discussions with coaches. Of course, any incident involving out-of-contract midfield gem Dangerfield is magnified.

“I am pretty sure I was out on the ground so I didn’t see it but player coach conversations are a pretty normal thing,” said Thompson.

Thompson said skipper Taylor Walker was sore after copping a corked hip from Hawks onballer Sam Mitchell in the second term and would be ‘monitored’ ahead of next week’s trip to Brisbane.

However in good news for the Crows, classy midfielder Brad Crouch will resume full training next week after being cleared of any bone damage in his foot.

Originally published as Midfield mix-ups cost us, says Thommo