Adelaide solidified its position in the top-two on the AFL ladder with a thrilling come from behind victory against Hawthorn on Friday night. 

After conceding the first five majors, the Crows sprung to action in the second term, kicking six goals to none to set up the 15.11 (101) to 13.9 (87) win. 

Senior Coach Matthew Nicks spoke to the media after the match, and delivered five key takeaways. 

Nicks on what happened in the quarter-time huddle

After conceding the first five goals of the match, it would have been easy for panic to set in among the group as they came together for the quarter-time break. 

But, in what Nicks lauded as a sign of the maturity level within his group, a sense of calm came over the Crows at the first change as they managed to take a deep breath, acknowledge what had just occurred and switch into the mindset to rectify the deficit. 

What came next was a scintillating second quarter, as the Crows piled on six straight goals to take the lead and ultimately set up a crucial win. 

Nicks said the ability for both the players and coaches to keep their cool under pressure was pleasing. 

“We, being the staff, trust our playing group completely and they trust us, so in that moment there is no need for yelling and screaming,” Nicks said. 

“If you go back three or four years you’d probably see me kicking and screaming, and I look back and think that’s me not necessarily trusting that we were on the same page, and back then we probably weren’t. 

“It takes time to get to that level of maturity within the group, and tonight in that quarter-time it was incredibly calm, led by our Captain who got us all to take a breath and reiterate that everything was okay. 

“That level of maturity was so, so pleasing.” 

Key Crows stand up in crucial moments

As the Crows and Hawks battled out a thrilling finish at Adelaide Oval, it was the team that could stand up under pressure that would come away with the four points. 

And, with veteran Taylor Walker at the forefront, it was Adelaide that made the most of its opportunities - with a number of key players producing massive moments. 

Walker’s back-to-back long-range finishes proved to be the crescendo, as the likes of Izak Rankine, Josh Worrell and Dan Curtin, all came up big for their team and produced efforts Nicks described as match-winning. 

“If you think about the game, there were just massive moments,” Nicks said. 

“When the game was on, and it was close, some of the individual efforts were remarkable, like Tex being able to finish those two clutch goals and Izak Rankine’s ability to create something from a forward 50 stoppage. 

“Then you had the defensive efforts Josh Worrell put in, who showed just how good a form he’s in, and Dan Curtin who’s attack on the ball in the last quarter just made me go ‘wow’.

“To have guys stand up in such a big way, it makes for a pretty happy changeroom at the end of the night.”

Sold out crowd produces “finals-like” atmosphere

An electric atmosphere gripped the Adelaide Oval on Friday night, as a crowd of 50,654 mostly Crows fans willed their team to a thrilling victory. 

Adelaide’s largest home crowd of the season was at fever pitch throughout much of the night, with the “finals-like” energy it produced giving Nicks’ group the motivation it needed to overcome the in-form Hawks. 

“I’m not sure we’re winning this one if it’s not at home,” Nicks said. 

“50,000 passionate South Australians in the house, it was pumping and that brought massive energy to our group. 

“Our supporters have been huge for us this year, and to have them show-up in such big numbers and produced a finals-like atmosphere, it made for finals-like footy out on the field. 

“The home ground advantage we get is on another level, we love playing footy here (at Adelaide Oval), we know the ground well and the boost we get from our supporters is incredible.” 

Crows find “another way to win”

Adelaide’s 15th win of the season was unlike any other. 

Conceding the first five goals of the game, the Crows were faced with one of their biggest challenges of the year in quelling the rampant Hawks. 

As pressure mounted on Nicks’ group, they banded together and rose to the occasion, shifting the momentum back to their side and producing an enthralling come-from-behind win. 

Nicks said the most pleasing part of the night was the fact his team found “another way to win.”

“There was a lot of pressure coming in (to the game), it was a massive stage, and then to start the way we did the pressure went through the roof,” Nicks said. 

“So to re-set the way we did, the maturity our boys showed led by Daws, at quarter-time to bring the game back to even keel at half-time - it was just another way to win. 

“To do that in a finals-like atmosphere, against an opposition that was finals standard and had all the momentum, it was an incredible effort from our guys.” 

Milera’s stand-out performance

The importance of dashing defender Wayne Milera to this Adelaide team was on full display on Friday night. 

A calming presence across half back, Milera was vital in setting up the Crows’ attacking ball movement and also stood up in some critical contests across the night. 

Finishing with 19 disposals at 90 per cent efficiency, eight intercepts and six marks, Nicks said the 27-year-old was at his best. 

“I thought he (Wayne Milera) was at his best tonight, he looked really sharp,” Milera said. 

“Having him up and going is super important to the way we play, and he looks so strong in his body out there on the field. 

“We saw tonight how vital a fit and firing Wayne Milera is to our group, he’s now played the majority of the season which is a credit to him and the work he’s put in.”