Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has implored his side to be ready from the get go in their clash with Hawthorn.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says his team, if not switched on defensively, risks being ripped apart by Hawthorn in Sunday's AFL fixture.

Nicks is on high-alert about the Hawks' propensity to attack ahead of the Marvel Stadium encounter.

"They're a very exciting football side," Nicks said of Hawthorn.

"They seem to value scoring, they're happy to take a few more risks ... they're a very good side that will just take the game on and rip you apart if you're not switched on defensively."

Nicks' Crows are perched in 14th spot on the AFL ladder with five wins; the Hawks are 15th with four wins.

Both clubs have near identical percentage - Adelaide 84.4, Hawthorn 84.8.

And both clubs are in the midst of rebuilding phases.

"We're in a similar position when you talk about age and the demographic of our group, where we need to improve," Nicks said of the clubs.

"That is probably about the only similarity at the moment - we have a different game style to what they do."

The Crows will miss the finals for the third year in a row under Nicks, but the coach was adamant his rebuild was on track.

"There's a number of games where we come away and think 'that is a missed opportunity for us to be getting some more wins on the board'," he said.

"But when you talk about our development as a group, we see some really positive signs coming through.

"Now we start to look at how do we polish it up, how do we finish our work off.

"How do we slow the game down at times, because sometimes that is games played, time in the system, experience at the level - and that is what we're looking at this point and we're starting to get that into play."