Adelaide looked like the Crows of old in Thursday night’s 15-point win on Geelong, taking the game on and scoring freely to crack the 100-point mark for the first time since Round 7.

The Crows forced the Cats to make 89 turnovers, their highest number of the season, and kicked 12.12 (84) from those.

The key catalyst was a significant lift in pressure applied on the ball, particularly inside forward 50 where Adelaide recorded an equal season-high 21 tackles.

Defender Tom Doedee said pressure was a focus area for not only the forward group, but the entire side.

“Obviously we went a little bit smaller for more pressure and I think the whole team had that mindset of just get at ‘em, put pressure on them and make them come against us,” he said.

“It worked out well, obviously, that’s the way going forward."

The returning Eddie Betts had five tackles inside 50, highlighting just how important he is to the side in addition to impacting the scoreboard.

Bryce Gibbs, who Don Pyke surprisingly started at full forward, had three tackles inside forward 50. Hugh Greenwood had four, while small forward Lachlan Murphy contributed two.

“I think that’s why Murph came in to get that to a T,” Rory Laird said post-game. 

“He had some ripping tackles. As I said, Eddie Betts is down there and even our mids there’s a lot of pressure around the ball so it makes it a lot easier for us backs when the pressure’s on the ball like that.”