ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke isn’t surprised at his side’s emphatic start to season 2016, which reached further heights on Saturday night with a magnificent 10-point victory over the previously unbeaten Sydney Swans.

The Crows had been almost unanimously written off by the ‘outside’ in part due to their tough start to the year, but those within the club remained firm in the belief they had a game plan that would push the League’s best sides in 2016.

Against the Swans that game plan did exactly what Pyke had begun the pre-season hoping it would do. His side relies on sharing the load to get a desired result.

While there were terrific performances for the home side, the spread of contribution through the midfield, in attack and down back was highly impressive.

Pyke said his side’s 3-1 start to the season hadn’t come as a surprise and that its win against the Swans would offer further confidence that it had what it took to beat the competition’s best.

“I don’t know about surprised - we face each game with the anticipation of preparing to play and win,” Pyke said.

“It was a real arm wrestle to be honest, it ebbed and flowed, it was a tight contest and we expect that in a game against Sydney - quality opposition and seasoned campaigners.

“To our guys’ credit I thought we kept taking the game on which allowed us to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

“The consistency of our group across the games and individually in terms of their contribution, it’s hard to sit here and say ‘this guy was a standout’; we’re just getting a really good even contribution.”

The Crows’ win knocked the Swans from the top of the AFL ladder and Pyke urged his players to take stock and enjoy the victory - at least until they fell asleep late on Saturday night.

For come Sunday morning the coach wanted their attention turned to next Friday’s blockbuster against the reigning premiers Hawthorn.

“It’s important that they enjoy it and they celebrate what they achieved tonight but it’s basically got to last for them, probably tonight,” he said.

“That sort of collective bond that they’re creating is what can help create things on the field…but we have to move on pretty quickly.

“We’ve got six days until Hawthorn next Friday night and there’s no bigger challenge than Hawthorn at the MCG.”

They’ll likely enter that game with star ruckman Sam Jacobs, who sent a slight scare through Adelaide Oval in the third term when he was forced from the field with a sore knee.

Pyke confirmed the big man just received “a bit of a knock on the knee”.