After a shocking loss to West Coast last week, the 'good' Adelaide showed itself at the Gabba to jump back into the top eight. The Crows leapfrogged both Gold Coast and Essendon – and temporarily at least, Collingwood - and now have their destiny in their own hands. They host resurgent Richmond on Saturday night and finish with North Melbourne (away) and St Kilda (home). Not only would three wins lock them into the top eight, it would also give them one hand on a top-six finish and a home game in the first week of the finals.

While the win kept their finals hopes alive, it came at a huge cost with the serious injuries to Tom Lynch (neck) and Andy Otten (knee). While Lynch's injury has been listed as a jarred neck, his immediate availability must be in question. Otten meanwhile appears to have done an ACL, the opposite leg to the one he missed the 2010 season with. The two are vital cogs in the Crows' wheel. Lynch perfectly complements the big brutes of Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins as a hit-up forward - and was having an impact with two early goals - while Otten's backline versatility is more than useful. Thankfully for the Crows, rested James Podsiadly can return to fill one of the holes.

He might have been a bit slow to fully recover from last year's ACL injury, but the rest of the competition is now on notice after big Tex Walker filled his boots and his confidence with a season-high six goals. He now has 27 from 12 games this year, but is building nicely after two, three, four and now six in the past month. Walker had youngster Justin Clarke standing him in the first half, and then manhandled experienced Daniel Merrett in the second. He still looks a fraction below his absolute best, but the speed on the lead was back, as were the vice-like hands and the thumping right boot. 

The absence of Scott Thompson with a hamstring strain looked to have slightly evened up the midfield battle prior to the match, but Adelaide was having none of it. They gave up Thompson's 27.6 disposals a game (ninth in the AFL), but more than covered it with a great team effort. Not only did Brad Crouch (30 touches), Rory Sloane (28), Matthew Wright (27), Jared Lyons (26), and Matthew Jaensch (25) all get plenty of ball, but they worked over the Lions at the stoppages. Sam Jacobs was brilliant against in-form Stefan Martin, solidifying his All Australian claims, and the Crows led the clearances 28-14 in a landslide first-half. They ended up winning the stat 46-31. No Thompson, no worries for the Crows.

It's too simplistic to blame the back six for the Crows' big score, but the Lions' defenders were taught a lesson. Over the previous five weeks they had been the second stingiest defence in the competition, conceding just 66 points a game, but against the Crows they fell apart. It started in the midfield, but there were loose players everywhere in the Crows' forward 50 for much of the day. Adelaide had just 63 inside 50s (to the Lions' 52), yet converted that to 43 scoring shots. The Crows had 12 uncontested marks inside the forward 50. Walker cashed in with six goals and Eddie Betts kicked three and gave off four others.