Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has told his players to avoid bumping while admitting lingering disappointment at Shane McAdam's three-game ban.

McAdam will serve the first match of his suspension for rough conduct when the Crows host Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Adelaide lost an appeal against the tribunal verdict which Nicks says revolved around similarities between McAdam's bump and that of Melbourne's Kysaiah Pickett who was outed for two games.

"We're disappointed," Nicks said on Friday.

"I want to make it clear we feel Shane should have tackled in that moment.

"We were appealing moreso for parity with a decision that was made less than 24 hours earlier around penalty and so on.

"But it's obvious the bump is finished in our game, it's just now a matter of where to from here.

"A complicated weekend which hopefully long-term sets us in the right direction."

Nicks summoned Lachlan Murphy as McAdam's replacement while also recalling winger Lachie Sholl.

The Crows dropped fullback Jordon Butts despite the twin Tiger attacking threat of tall forwards Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt.

"That will be a challenge for us (but) we don't feel we're too small," Nicks said.

"We like to be flexible in that area. We're looking at the game and where it's heading but that will be something we have got to keep working on.

"There's a number of things we have got up our sleeve to help with cover and that is about us balancing the team up."

While the Tigers drew with Carlton in their season-opener, Adelaide slumped late in a 16-point loss to GWS after leading by almost five goals.

Nicks said the output of his midfielders dropped alarmingly in the second half against the Giants but backed his young on-ballers to rebound.

"We have still got a lot of faith in the young group," he said.

"But in saying that, we're extremely flexible around what players we get through that area.

"There's a balance there. You don't want a merry-go-round, you want players to be settled in there and get to work."