Petterd admitted the Tigers wouldn't have believed they'd be in this position after losing four games in a row in the middle of the year.

But he said they refused to write off the season, and the return of key players including Alex Rance and Ivan Maric had contributed to their increased confidence and change in form.

The Tigers are precariously placed one game out of the eight and are jostling for a spot in the finals with five other teams, but have won six games in a row to be the in-form team of the competition.

"It's always important to play good football and win games - we've got three games left and we'd love to win all three of them and that's what we'll aim to do," Petterd said on Tuesday.

"If we don't make the finals, it will give us a bit of confidence going into pre-season and into next year.

"I think now we know exactly what we have to do to win games and I think that will be big for us next year."

However, he acknowledged what an achievement it would be to slot into the eight in time for September.

"It would be huge [to play finals]. I don't think anyone has done it from where we've been and it would be massive," he said.

"We want to play but we can't think anything further than this weekend against Adelaide because they're in some pretty good form.

"It's a bit of a cliché but it is one week at a time for us and every game is like an elimination final, and there's nothing bigger that this Saturday night against Adelaide."

Critics focused on the Tigers when they fell away mid-season after their drought-breaking finals appearance last year forecast bigger steps this season. 

They were contending with the likes of Rance, Maric, Brett Deledio, David Astbury and Dan Jackson being out with injury and had fallen away when it came to self-belief as well as at the contested ball. 

Petterd said the focus on the team and the way it was playing had been somewhat motivating. 

"I suppose - it comes with being at the Tigers though," he said.

"We're always under the spotlight just as much as everyone else, probably if not more. 

"It's all internal. We knew we were good enough and that's what we've shown in the past six weeks."

Petterd also said he felt the Tigers were now playing better football than they were this time last year with the addition of players like Anthony Miles making a difference. 

"Our spot on the ladder at the minute doesn't say that but we had some important players out who are really important for our team," he said. 

"Having them back and I think with the new additions we've had to our team this year, we're playing better footy."

Petterd said the Tigers had paid no attention to Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson's comments this week that drew attention to the potential effect of the Crows' six-day break after beating the Brisbane Lions in warm Queensland conditions.

Jackson is expected to train this week and put his hand up to face the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.