Adelaide recorded a 57-point victory against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night, with an emphatic first quarter the catalyst behind the victory.

The Crows slammed on nine-goals-to-two in the first term and continued to outclass the Bulldogs to record an eventual 9.10 (64) to 19.7 (121) victory.

Senior Coach Matthew Nicks delivered five key takeaways after the win.

Dominant Dawson leads the way

Adelaide Skipper Jordan Dawson was at his inspirational best against the Western Bulldogs, kicking three first-quarter goals - including two in succession and one outside of the 50m arc.

Dawson kicked three goals from eight disposals, while recording six contested possessions, five score involvements and 246 metres gained all by quarter-time.

And it now sits as the third-best quarter on record in the AFL era, only behind Gary Ablett Jnr and Jack Riewoldt, ranked by Champion Data’s AFL Player Ratings, which scores every action using a weighted point-based system to produce an overall performance rating for each player.

The Skipper finished Thursday night’s game with 32 disposals, eight tackles, seven clearances, seven marks and 570 metres gained - all in addition to his three-goal haul.

“Our team was playing as good as we could play, led by our Captain,” Nicks said.

“Playing midfield, getting ahead of the footy, clunking the ball, kicking goals, goals assists, that’s as good of a quarter as I’ve seen.

“It’s hard to put it into words about the pride you have in what he’s currently doing and how he’s going about it in what is a really tough time.

“Footy and being on the field seems to be something he’s embracing and enjoying and doing it for his teammates, he’s always been the ultimate team player, which is why he’s our Captain.”

Crows’ first-quarter blitz 

Adelaide slammed on nine goals, while keeping the hosts to just two majors in the first quarter, and took a 41-point lead into the first change.

The Crows’ quarter-time score of 9.2 (56) was the equal-second best in Club history, and the best under Senior Coach Matthew Nicks, surpassing the 8.3 (51) recorded in the first quarter against Carlton in Gather Round earlier this year.

Nicks described the first term as “the most complete” quarter of footy his side has played.

“We get to quarter-time and you sort of come down thinking ‘OK, where to from here?,” Nicks said.

“We challenged ourselves coming into this game about our focus and whether we were going to bring it, be in the moment, and that’s the most complete quarter we’ve played.

“I am really proud of the way they were able to focus on the task at hand, which wasn’t an easy one.”

Pressure and contest prove key to winning

Adelaide’s ability to pressure the Bulldogs into making mistakes and shut down their key ball-winners were the keys to the victory, according to Nicks.

Adelaide was challenged in the second quarter but found the answers and their pressure never faltered.

“Across the four quarters, I think we finished 200-plus. (in pressure acts).. We pressured all game,” Nicks said.

“Looking back on it, the Bulldogs lifted in that second quarter and really took it to us, but that’s even more pleasing, the fact that even when we were challenged in that second quarter, we didn’t budge.

“We were able to stick to what we knew we had to bring and we got the game back on our terms. We know the team we are, we are a pressure team, we are a team that embraces and loves the contest. We knew we had to bring that.

“A lot of things went our way in that first quarter, but it’s off the back of our pressure and our contest and our focus on what we needed to focus on.”

Crows backman earn coaches’ praise

Adelaide’s backmen, in particular veteran Rory Laird and tall James Borlase, received plenty of praise from Nicks after the win against the Bulldogs.

Laird amassed a game-high 35 disposals, 12 marks, three clearances, and 426 metres gained,

Borlase, meanwhile, has become an integral cog in the Crows backline since coming into the side in Round Eight, and against the Bulldogs, finished with 15 disposals and six marks.

“It’s great to see Lairdy still playing the footy he is, you talk about competitors, there’s not many more, he doesn’t like losing and today I felt like he brought that mindset,” Nicks said.

“Speaking of individuals, I thought Borlase was unbelievable behind the ball, I thought our whole back six or seven that went through there played some really solid footy, they were really tough to play against, we made it really tough for the Bulldogs’ forwards.

“But Borlase is a guy who has done a hell of a lot of work, he’s been challenged, been in-and-out of the side over the past three or four years, has found his way in, and now he’s beginning to get to that level where he’s consistently performing,

“He was so important for us tonight.”

Thilthorpe gets midfield minutes in bold Crows tweak

The Crows coaching cohort shifted the magnets on Thursday night, moving Riley Thilthorpe into the midfield and having him line up next to Bulldogs Skipper Marcus Bontempelli at the centre bounce.

It’s a position not too foreign for the forward, who spent some time on-ball during pre-season and at flashpoints this season.

Thilthorpe’s midfield minutes helped give Dawson, who spent some time at full-forward, a chop-out.

Nicks said the move gave Adelaide flexibility and also allowed Thilthorpe to flourish.

“We said we would do that here and there, ultimately what we are really trying to do is really get Riley going,” Nick said.

“He’s shown us he can play in there, he often talks about it with me, what he can and can’t do.

“We are a lot stronger team when he’s ahead (of the ball) and we are giving him a chance, but if the game is not where we want it, it’s a real nice luxury to have to inject him in there - a big body.

“It’s a different dynamic as a midfield group, they complement each other, and Daws can go forward at times, it’s something we’ll keep looking at.”

The Crows will now enjoy an eight-day break before a clash against Melbourne at Adelaide Oval next Saturday (June 20) at 12.45pm.

Tickets available here.