Adelaide’s push for a top-four spot is still alive, following a hard-fought win against Richmond in the wet at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

The Crows found themselves 13 points down in the third quarter, before rallying to prevail 9.9 (63) to 7.12 (54).

In his second game back since injuring his hamstring, recruit Callum Ah Chee booted two vital goals in the third term to help the hosts snatch back the momentum.

Senior Coach Matthew Nicks delivered the following five key takeaways post-match.

Crows find a way to grind out win

Nicks did not shy away from the fact the Crows were far from their best against the Tigers on Saturday night, but said they found a way to grind out a win.

Despite securing the four points, Nicks said the performance highlighted areas his side would need to improve on ahead of a Round 23 clash against ladder-leaders Fremantle in Perth.

“We just had a brief chat as a group, if you play that way and win, maybe it's a good sign that even when we're nowhere near our best - that was ugly tonight - and yet we still got the job done,” Nicks said.

“The conditions didn't help in the second half, so I think it was always going to be a bit of a slog, but even even early, we were just not where we needed to be. 

“There were some smiles at the end when you realised you got the four points for that performance, we’ve got to be careful we don’t get too flat on ourselves.”

Nicks on Izak Rankine’s career-best game

Midfielder Izak Rankine produced a career-high return against Richmond, finishing with 36 disposals, 11 clearances, six tackles, 795 metres gained and a goal.

This surpassed his previous career-high of 33 disposals, 10 marks and nine tackles which he also amassed against Richmond - but in Round Nine earlier this year.

Nicks praised Rankine’s efforts, labelling him a matchwinner.

“Towards the end, it was getting a bit hairy, but the difference in the end, you have an Izak Rankine play the game he did, and it's no surprise because the best players get better in the wet,” Nicks said.

“The guys that are clean, that take the ball one take - he (Rankine) was outstanding. 

“I thought he was the difference between the two sides.”

Crows Captain leads from the front

Adelaide Skipper Jordan Dawson stood up when it mattered the most for the Crows, helping to will his team over the line.

Dawson’s versatility proved a key to unlocking the victory, after he was sent into defence to quell the Tigers’ attack - a move Nicks said was needed to help the Crows steal back momentum.

“We were forced to put our Captain behind the ball just because of the way we were playing, and sort of plug a hole, and we did that to try and win the game of footy,” Nicks said. 

“We weren't necessarily trying to put out a spectacle at that point. 

“We were doing everything we could to get four points, and so now we sit here disappointed with what the game looked like, but pretty pleased that we got four points, and now our destiny's in our hands, we’ve got to win two more games.”

Young Crows gain valuable experience 

The match also provided another learning opportunity for Adelaide's emerging talent, with injuries forcing the Crows to hand significant responsibility to players still in the early stages of their AFL careers.

Oscar Ryan and Archie Ludowyke continued to build experience at senior level in just their second senior games, as Adelaide fielded a different looking line-up against Richmond.

“We had a different mix out there tonight, we've still got some guys that are playing early parts of their career, and it can happen where you don't quite get it right,” Nicks said.

“We had a couple of guys out tonight, (James) Borlase didn't get up, he’s been playing down back.

“We couldn’t bring in another key defender with (Nick) Murray and (Jordon) Butts not available, both injured so we went quite small. We had a lot of players that were sort of running half-backs, and so it didn't work for us on the night.

“I thought Richmond, to their credit, beat us with their long down the line, they got ahead of the ball on us a number of times and scored off of that, and so that's where the game changed.”

Crows face short turnaround for game against Fremantle

Adelaide will not dwell on the game against the Tigers for too long with a clash against the ladder-leading Dockers coming up on Friday night.

The Crows will head to Perth on Wednesday, to spend a few days out west before the big game.

Nicks said the review of the Richmond game would be quick, before turning the attention to how to beat a Fremantle team hungry to atone for a loss against Melbourne.

“We have a short turnaround, and we know there will be some guys that are challenged out of this one, and we'll learn from that and get better,” Nicks said.

“We know we are not going to be perfect every week, but we will need to be this upcoming one, we are playing against a very good side on their home deck.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, but we’re loving that and it’s one we can look forward to.”