It was late in the final quarter of Adelaide’s clash with Hawthorn in Tasmania and the Crows found themselves down by nine points.

Forward Taylor Walker was beginning to lose a bit of hope.

“When they kicked a couple of goals in the last quarter, I think there was about eight, nine minutes left, ‘I thought this might be tough’,” Walker told Triple M Breakfast with Roo, Ditts and Loz on Monday.

Then, enter fellow forward Darcy Fogarty.

Fogarty was cool and calm under pressure, slotting a set shot on goal on the boundary line to give Adelaide the lead and an eventual three-point win.

“I was on the opposite point post (when Fogarty kicked for goal) and I saw the goal umpire come towards me and I was like ‘oh he’s missed this’," Walker said.

“Then he ran straight back to the middle of the goals and I was like ‘you beauty’.

“I love it because the drop punts are a dying skill of our game and especially a set shot, so for him to go back and kick a drop punt, I was stoked for him.

“A few good plays and some crucial contests from Sloaney and Daws and Fog going back and kicking that drop punt.”

Walker said he was proud of his teammates and how far the side had developed in the past 12 months.

“You certainly take those ugly wins,” Walker said.

“Hawthorn’s pressure around the footy was outstanding, probably the best we’ve come up against this year.

“But just to scrape over the line - I reckon the past few years we probably don’t scrape over the line with those wins.

“I think that’s just the maturity of our group that we’ve been able to play some consistent footy…it’s been very, very pleasing, as a senior player, to see the growth of some of our younger kids.”

Adelaide takes on Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on Sunday afternoon and Walker said the side would need to bring its “best defensive game” to beat the Magpies.

“They are an awesome attacking side and if we are any chance of beating them, we are going to have to close down their weapons,” Walker said.

The match against Collingwood kicks off at 4.10pm and tickets can be bought here.