England opener Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
