Adelaide solidified itself inside the top four on the AFL ladder with a spirited come-from-behind victory against Brisbane on Friday night. 

On a wet and windy night at Adelaide Oval, the Crows found themselves trailing the reigning premier by 17 points at the final change, before they flipped the script and booted five goals to come away with a thrilling 10.8 (68) to 8.15 (63) victory.

Senior Coach Matthew Nicks spoke to the media post game, and delivered five key takeaways. 

Lions victory one of the most important of Nicks’ career

In five seasons at the helm at West Lakes, Crows mentor Matthew Nicks admitted the Round 13 victory was one of the most important of his tenure. 

Adelaide absorbed the Lions’ high-level of play and put together a brand of football capable of coming away with a win. 

The victory was the Crows’ first against a fellow top four team this season.

“It’d be up there (with one of the best wins of my coaching career),” Nicks said. 

“For where we are at in our build and what we are putting together, it is a really important win.

“It probably reinforces a belief that’s there, and it's interesting because if you don’t quite get across the line tonight, it’s a bit like should we not believe in ourselves (to get it done against the best), and it could have easily gone that way. 

“But the way our guys set it up to start that last quarter, the footy they played, the level they went to in big moments, it was a really good step in the right direction for our group.” 

Skipper stands tall in inspirational final term

Cometh the moment, cometh of the Dawson. 

When the Crows needed a spark in the final term, it was the Skipper who stood tall.

Headlined by a towering grab and clinical finish to give Adelaide the lead, Dawson recorded six disposals, three marks and three score involvements in the final quarter, in a performance Nicks lauded as one of the best he’d seen.

“When you talk about moments, you only need to look at our captain and the way he stood up in that final term,” Nicks said. 

“That was as good a performance in a quarter when we needed someone to take hold of the game as I’ve seen. 

“He’s done it before as well, he’s the ultimate team player that plays his role but knows when to step up and get it done when required.

“Daws is someone that’s got his priorities right, he’s an incredibly gifted footballer but the team is number one, he’s putting the whole team in front himself, and putting himself in a position that good leaders will do.” 

What inspired Crows to flip script in the final term

When asked what he said to the playing group at the final change to inspire a response, Nicks said the message was simple. 

He put the situation back on his playing group, and asked where they thought the game was at, and how they could win it. 

The response he got showcased the maturity of the group, as they came together, identified what they needed to do, and most importantly, executed under pressure. 

“We asked the group at three quarter time where they thought the game was at, and what they thought might get us back in it,” Nicks said. 

“At that stage we needed a lift, and we agreed on what needed to happen, so the boys went out and implemented that. 

“It took a lot of contest wins to get there, we opened the game up a little more and probably took more of a risk in the last quarter with ball in hand, and our guys executed.

“It’s really pleasing to see that’s where our group is at, we’ll talk through what they feel and ultimately if you want them to buy in, it’s better if it’s their idea.” 

Crows get the luck they deserve

Adelaide found itself in a position where it just had to hold on late in the final term, as the Lions wrestled back momentum, and surged towards a last-gasp victory.

Brisbane had the play locked in its forward half for the last 10 minutes, but didn’t take advantage of its opportunities, putting just eight behinds on the scoreboard. 

Luck was on the Crows’ side in the dying moments of the match, something Nicks said his team deserved, having been on the other side of similar results on a number of occasions in recent times. 

“There is no doubt they had their opportunities, I think they kicked eight points from their last 12 or 13 inside 50s, and it was a bit like we were on the ropes, they were throwing haymakers at us, but just couldn’t finish us off,” Nicks said. 

“I’m so proud of the group, they just held on, and you get lucky because you deserve it, the footy god's work in funny ways. 

“We haven’t had any luck in the last three or four years, things have gone against us, things you wouldn’t believe would. 

“But throughout the whole time we’ve been like it’s okay, eventually we’ll get some go our way, and tonight we got a little bit of luck to win that game.”

Nicks lauds defensive unit

The growth of Adelaide’s defensive unit was well and truly on show on Friday night, as it rose to the challenge presented by the reigning premier. 

The Crows proved why they had been ranked the competition’s number one defence across the past eight weeks, as they banded together beautifully to allow Brisbane to kick just eight goals. 

Another feather in the cap of defensive coach Jack Hombsch and his group, Nicks lauded the way his backs went to work and stood tall in big moments. 

“I go hard at our defensive unit, just ask Jack Hombsch who’s our backs coach and a great young coach,” Nicks said. 

“I’m incredibly proud of what they (our defence) has done, we had that back seven under pressure a few times tonight, and you talk about moments I think of Michalanney stopping two Lions players deep in defence. 

“Keane is still so raw, yet the last couple of weeks he’s been so strong and solid, and balanced his game out. 

“And Brodie Smith comes in and impacts the game late like we knew he would, so it was another complete performance from our defenders.”