A MASSIVE win was always on the cards for Adelaide against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night - but Crows coach Don Pyke was pleased by his side's ability to ignore the rapidly swelling margin.
Adelaide butchered the Lions by 138 points, just a point off the club's all-time winning record - set in 1993 against Richmond when Tony Modra booted 13 goals.
In the new age of 'even spread' footy it was Taylor Walker, Tom Lynch and Eddie Betts with four goals each that led the scoring - never taking their foot off the pedal.
With the score reaching lofty heights late in the game it would have been understandable for the side to ease off and cruise home, but instead it finished the game with five unanswered goals.
Five talking points: Adelaide v Brisbane Lions
"It's often easy to get distracted by the scoreboard and we spoke about that before the game and about the reality for us that we can only go about bringing a good, solid effort and following our process," Pyke said.
"The outcome, as I said, looks after itself.
"They did that."
As pleasing as Pyke found the result he said he said there was no emphasis placed on trying to boost the club's percentage.
He pointed to the congestion at the top of the table as reason to keep the side's focus narrow and move its concentration to next weekend's clash against Fremantle.
WATCH: Don Pyke's full post-match press conference
"We can review the game and find errors in every game, that's just how it is and as I said since day one we're really just trying to improve," he said.
"Tonight was another step forward.
"Next week we've got Fremantle away and this comp, the way it's sitting and the way it looks, we've just got to keep winning - to keep winning gives us the best chance come the end of the season."
Along with the win itself, the performances of those introduced into the line-up on Saturday night also gave Pyke reason to smile.
WATCH: Crows swoop on the rebound
The skipper was dominant up forward, Cam Ellis-Yolmen showed he was still capable at senior level in his first game of the year and Reilly O'Brien stood up in his debut.
O'Brien finished the game with 16 possessions, 29 hit-outs and a goal.
"It was great for 'Rob' to play his first game, it's always exciting when you get a first-gamer into your team, it gets a bit of a buzz and the boys get around him," Pyke said.
"He's been in great form in the SANFL and he came in tonight and showed that he's a really developing, young ruckman who did some really great things for us."
