AS ADELAIDE'S players and fans digest a glass half-empty, assistant coach Nathan van Berlo is reminding them the glass is also half-full.

The Crows became the latest club to be steamrolled by a last-quarter Collingwood surge on Sunday.

Adelaide led by 22 points early in the final quarter but lost by one point, its defeat cruelled by kicking a wayward 7.16 to the Magpies' 8.11.

"There was a lot of emotion around the game with the result," van Berlo told reporters on Monday.

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"We're probably more frustrated because we know we played the brand of footy that we wanted to play.

"We executed really well for the vast majority of it ... but weren't able to finish off our work.

"And good sides keep themselves in it. Everyone knows the storyline of Collingwood and their ability to maximise close games.

"There was some serious frustration around last night. But we will definitely look at our method and what we did really well for most of the game."

Van Berlo outlined Adelaide's points - the Crows at one stage led 3.10 to 0.2 after butchering a series of shots at goal.

"There's missed opportunities in front of goal which are costly in the end result," he said.

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"(But) 100 per cent it's a win in terms of process and where we are headed as a footy club.

"Because if you look at the vast majority of the game, it was a big tick to what we wanted to go out and produce, and the method we wanted to play with.

"Unfortunately we didn't execute and finish off our work."

After wading through a match review on Monday, Adelaide will focus on one of the hardest tasks in the league - playing reigning premier Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.

"What our boys need to understand, and what I am sure our fans can appreciate, is we're playing a really solid brand of footy that is challenging the best sides in the comp," van Berlo said.

"We did it to Collingwood and should have got the job done, so there's no reason why we can't take our form and our confidence and belief down to (Geelong) this week and challenge last year's premiers.

"It's a huge challenge for us and we will get ourselves up for it."