Adelaide’s second-half blitz helped it secure a 38-point victory against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.

After a slow start, the Crows flipped the switch in the third quarter, booting five unanswered goals on their way to a 14.14 (98) to 9.7 (61) win.

Senior Coach Matthew Nicls spoke to the media post-game and provided the following five takeaways.

Players take charge as Crows spark second-half surge

The Crows went into half-time 10 points down, before flying out of the blocks to start the third quarter.

Nicks revealed what sparked the second-half onslaught and the discussions had at the main break.

“It was disappointing to be in that position… (But) we were able to get together, as I said, the players were driving it at half-time,” Nicks said.

“We walked in as a coaching group, and it was already being done, already being said - areas we weren’t getting right. That’s the most pleasing part, they’re not relying on us.

“Our group was able to be clear on what it was we had to change. When we did that, 18 players on the field were able to change instantly, so all of the sudden our pressure number goes through the roof, the ball spends more time in our forward half.`

“Just small things like that, it’s player-driven which is the most pleasing part.”

Dawson’s switch to the midfield pays off

A catalyst for the Crows stealing the momentum in the second half was Captain Jordan Dawson’s move from half-back to the midfield.

And the Skipper’s switch had an immediate impact, as Dawson finished with 29 disposals, four tackles, three clearances, 573 metres gained, and a goal.

“Probably part of the conversation when you talk about where our group is getting to and maturity about leadership,” Nicks said.

“Daws being a big part of that turnaround.

“His ability to chat at half-time, talk through with the group about what he’s seeing, what he’s feeling.

“Then to be part of the call to get him back in the midfield, and even our other leaders to talk through that is so pleasing.”

Rankine shines in career-best outing

Livewire forward/midfielder Izak Rankine enjoyed a career-best performance, recording 33 disposals, 10 marks, eight score involvements, and 684 metres gained.

Nicks said he was pleased to see Rankine start to get back to his best.

“We talk about momentum, we saw Izak today follow last week,” Nicks said.

“We thought Izak was fantastic last week, today he stood out a little more, being 30+ and a goal.”

Rankine did, however, briefly give coaches and fans an injury scare in the fourth quarter, but it was later said to be a cramp.

“There wasn’t much going through my head, because it was coming out of my mouth ‘get him off’,” Nicks said.

“Izak is one of those players where he just won’t stop, he’ll just want to go all day.

“We did enough work in the third quarter to be in a position where we could make the call (to bring him off) pretty easily.

“I don’t know what the time was, three or four minutes maybe, but it’s a good space to be in.”

Crows sharpen focus on contest

Nicks conceded the Crows were being well beaten at the contest, with the Tigers proving stronger around the ball in the first half.

So, when asked what his team needed to fix as they stared down a deficit at the main break, the Senior Coach was quick to answer.

“Contest. we were folding back,” Nicks said.

“We had a few pieces of vision that we could look at as a group to back up and reinforce what it was they were talking about.

“That’s a bonus. To have a time-out like that, get clarity around why, (and) find the solution, that was really pleasing.

“Once we addressed it, it was about getting back to being more assertive in that space, and I thought we did that really well after half-time.”

Nicks on the Crows’ current form

The win against Richmond has lifted Adelaide into eighth spot on the ladder with a 5-4 win-loss record.

Nicks said the team was continuing to build into form but still had a lot to work on ahead of the second half of the season.

“We are not where we were last year, that’s pretty clear,” Nicks said.

“We know we’ve got that in us, so where do we sit now? We sit with optimism knowing we’ve got a lot better to come.

“We are not finding that necessarily for four quarters at the moment, but in the third quarter, it started to look a little more like where we know we can get to.

“We stay positive, we stay optimistic, we’ll work harder. We’re digging in at the moment… We’ll fly back tonight on the plane with four points.”