A DAZZLING Izak Rankine cameo has fired Adelaide to a 16-point upset win against Greater Western Sydney.

Rankine's sensational opening half gave the Crows the edge in their 13.16 (94) to 12.6 (78) triumph at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

CROWS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats

Rankine had half-time stats that would please most in a full game: 21 disposals, seven inside 50s, five clearances, seven score involvements and kicking 2.2.

His feats sparked a seven-goal second-term surge from the Crows in a 20-minute patch that turned a 12-point deficit into a 33-point lead.

"Izak was huge in that first half especially," Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said.

"We knew they'd come at us in the second (half) but I thought his individual performance in the first half, off the back of what his teammates did, was was just great."

Rankine finished with 27 touches, Darcy Fogarty kicked three goals and Taylor Walker, Ben Keays and Josh Rachele scored two each.

Captain Jordan Dawson (24 disposals, 10 marks) and defenders Mitch Hinge (31 disposals) and Mark Keane were also prominent as the Crows snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Giants (eight wins, seven losses) blew a chance to rise to fifth on the ladder - instead, they drop to ninth spot.

"We are far from as consistent as we need to be, to be a good team, that's for sure," GWS coach Adam Kingsley said.

"The disconnect was around the contest again, we were badly beaten around the ball. They outworked us, particularly in that second quarter."

Midfielder Tom Green (38 possessions) and Lachie Whitfield (41) were prolific ball-winners, Toby Greene booted three goals and Josh Kelly (24, two goals) and Callan Ward (24, two goals) were standouts.

Adelaide's Keays booted the first two goals of the game as the hosts took an early 15-0 lead.

The Giants then produced a four-goal burst - when Jesse Hogan strolled into an open goal seconds before quarter-time, he put the visitors 24-18 up.

Skipper Greene soon extended the scoring streak and GWS held a 5.0 to 2.6 lead before Adelaide suddenly clicked.

The Crows, with Rankine and ex-captain Walker seizing control, posted seven consecutive goals in their 20-minute spree.

Rankine, Walker and Fogarty all slotted two goals as the home side went from two goals down to 33 points up at half-time, 9.9 to 5.0.

The Crows created a match-high 37-point break midway through the third term before the visitors snuck within 23 points at three-quarter time.

GWS captain Greene and Hogan slotted goals to shrink Adelaide's margin to 14 points with 13 minutes remaining.

But the Crows, with Fogarty converting his third and three-gamer Billy Dowling adding another, held on for a fifth win of the season.

The Tsunami has become a ripple
Five rounds and five wins into the season Greater Western Sydney was the early flag favourite and everyone was surfing the orange tsunami, but with six losses from their last eight games the tide has turned well and truly against the Giants. While Adam Kingsley's side showed a bit in the second half, the fact is they need wins. Saturday's loss saw GWS slip out of the eight, making a top-four finish - and the double chance that comes with it - look unlikely. Last year the Giants missed the Grand Final by a kick as they succumbed to the difficulties of coming from a long way back, and it's looking like the job will be too much again.

Rankine roller
Some players just can't do things the easy way, despite how simple those very same players look when they're switched on, and Izak Rankine was on from the outset on Saturday night. For all the natural ability he brings to almost every play, the gifted Crow managed to take a mark in the second quarter where the ball came through his hands, off his chest, then bounced off his back as he rolled 360 degrees on the ground before calmly completing the grab and slotting the set shot goal. A bit much? Whether it's the hard way or just his way, it's impossible to keep your eyes off Izak when he's on.

Glimpses of what could have been
At the beginning of this season expectations for Adelaide were high; a young side that missed finals by the meanest of margins - or umpiring decisions - was ready for the next step, and the basis of this optimism was the electric forward line. Saturday night was one of the few times things have clicked in the Crows' attacking half, with Rankine at his exciting best, Darcy Fogarty presenting like a top-level key forward, and Taylor Walker playing the cameo role of an aging but always dangerous gunslinger. With 'Tex' slowing down Matthew Nicks is starting to give  understudy Elliott Himmelberg his chance, but the very nature of the names in the front half makes it hard to be sure consistency will ever come to this Crows attack.

ADELAIDE                                2.6    9.9    10.14    13.16 (94)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY   4.0    5.0     8.3      12.6 (78)

GOALS
Adelaide: Fogarty 3, Walker 2, Rachele 2, Keays 2, Rankine 2, Sholl, Dowling
Greater Western Sydney: Greene 3, Ward 2, Riccardi 2, Kelly 2, Hogan 2, Cumming 

BEST
Adelaide: Rankine, Keays, Hinge, Dawson, Rachele, Fogarty
Greater Western Sydney: Whitfield, Kelly, Ward, Himmelberg, Green, Briggs

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nil

LATE CHANGE
Adelaide: Chayce Jones replaced in selected side by Zac Taylor

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Zac Taylor, replaced Brayden Cook at three-quarter time
Greater Western Sydney: Toby McMullin, replaced Max Gruzewski in the third quarter

CROWD 29,802 at Adelaide Oval