MIDFIELDER Brent Reilly says the Crowswon’t just be making up numbers if they manage to sneak into the eight comeSeptember.

Adelaide has been troubled by inconsistency this season, but Reilly believesthe Crows’ recent history is enough to cause concern for rival clubs.

“The last two years we’ve made twopreliminary finals and if we can make the eight I think a few sides will beworried about the Adelaide Football Club,” Reilly said.

But first, the Crows have to make thefinals and to do so they must beat the Lions at home on Saturday night.

Every game now is a must-win for Adelaide, but Reilly was farfrom stressed about his team’s precarious placement on the ladder, and said itwas an ideal preparation for the finals.

“It’s probably a good situation to be inbecause as soon as you make the finals it’s must-win each week,” he said.

“It’s like a finals series and this week’sgoing to be even bigger [than Sunday night]. The Lions are in the same spot asus and playing for the same title, so if we can get a win over them it’ll befantastic.”

Reilly starred in Adelaide’s win over the Bulldogs with 29possessions including a game-high 10 inside-50s.

The skilled onballer is determined tobecome a consistent big-game player and saw Sunday night as the perfect chanceto “step up”.

“It’s been a frustrating year for myselfand I knew I had to go out there and play some good footy. [I had to] take theload off Simon Goodwin because we had a two on one situation there and someonehad to stand up, so it was a good role for me to play,” he said.

“It was a finals sort of game and the bestplayers come out and play finals footy, so that’s the thing I’m really pushingfor at the moment.”

Reilly will need another solid performancethis week if the Crows are to match it with the star-studded Lions midfield.

“The Lions’ midfield is so good. They’vegot Nigel Lappin, Luke Power, Simon Black and Jed Adcock is playing some goodfooty as well. It’s up to our midfield to get on top, shut them down and if wencan do that it’ll go along way towards winning the game.”

As was the case in round seven, the Crowswill more than likely face the Lions minus skipper Mark Ricciuto.

Reilly was adamant Ricciuto wouldn’t playif less than 100 per cent fit, but was confident the skipper would be pushingfor selection this week.

“I think he’ll put his hand up all week andhopefully he’ll be ready to go for the game against Brisbane,” Reilly said.

“He’s the captain of our club, aninspirational leader and it’s his last year, so it’s up to us to help him asmuch as we can. He wants to go out with a bang and so do we.”