DESPITE its loss on Saturday night to Geelong, Adelaide is one of the competition's in-form teams, having won its eight previous games. 

While Rory Sloane has received plenty of plaudits, another midfielder has stepped up over the last month, according to the Schick AFL Player Ratings.

In the past four weeks, Jarryd Lyons is the 12th-ranked player in the game, of those who have lined up at least three times.

Over that period, Lyons is sixth for inside 50s and 13th for metres gained. 

Interestingly, Lyons has been prolific at the fall of the ball after a marking contest. In 2016, he is ranked fifth in the competition for crumbs (two per game) and 10th for score assists.

His ability to win the ball inside the contest and then have an impact going forward has been critical to the Crows being the second-highest scoring team in the AFL.

In 2016, he sits in the top 40 for centre clearances, score involvements and inside 50s.

Lyons was drafted at No.61 in 2010 and played 13 matches for the Crows last season.

He spent plenty of time in the SANFL in 2015, but when he did get a chance in the senior team, Lyons was assigned the now-defunct green vest nine times.

The signs were there though that he could deliver at a high level. When looking at his average Player Rating score per 100 minutes, he was ranked among the top-50 midfielders.

That promise is being delivered upon. The 24-year-old has become an integral part of a team well in the mix for a top-four spot.

Lyons is not the only unlikely player featuring among the competition's hottest players. North Melbourne forward Ben Brown has ranked eighth in the Player Ratings over the last four weeks.

At a time when Drew Petrie has struggled for form and a hip injury has limited Jarrad Waite, Brown has thrived with greater responsibility.

In his past three matches, Brown is the second-most used target in the forward 50 in the AFL, and is fifth for contested marks.

When he has found the ball in the forward 50, he has hit the scoreboard. Brown has kicked with 90 per cent accuracy in that time, despite having been expected to kick at 52 per cent, based on the difficulty of those shots.