After three weeks in the SANFL, Nathan van Berlo returned to the senior Crows team with renewed confidence and a different role.

Van Berlo, 29, was left out of the Adelaide team for the Round 16 Showdown after being subbed out of the emotion-charged clash with West Coast in his home town of Perth the week prior.

It was the first time in a decade the hard-working onballer, who missed all of last season with an Achilles injury, was omitted from the team because of form. He put in solid performances in his first two outings in the local league and demanded AFL selection with a best-on-ground performance against reigning premiers Norwood last weekend.

Against Richmond on Friday night, van Berlo started at half-back, where he starred in the SANFL the week prior. He helped set the tone for his team’s fierce defensive pressure, applying a crunching tackle in the opening few minutes.

In the second quarter, van Berlo put his body on the line to win a one-on-one contest that made the crowd of 50,094 gasp, and in the third he went back with the flight of the ball to take a brave intercept mark. 

He finished with 17 possessions, five inside 50ms, four tackles and a goal assist in one of his best performances of the season. Van Berlo, who will reach the 200-game milestone in Round 23 if he retains his place, said he was pleased to experience a win with the AFL team after a tough month both for the Club and personally.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge for me and a bit emotional at times, but I’ve managed just to stick to task,” van Berlo said after the 36-point win over the Tigers.

“I knew exactly what the coaches wanted from me and felt that, week by week, I was getting better. Thankfully, I got my opportunity tonight.

“Hopefully, I can stay up here (in the AFL team) with the boys for the rest of the year.”

Teammate Sam Jacobs praised van Berlo’s attitude and leadership in a trying time.

“I really look up to 'VB' and the way he carries himself. He’s been first class again,” Jacobs said.

“ … When he was out of the team, he went back and performed really well. He bought into what the State League team were trying to do.

“The last 12 months have been pretty tough with the injury as well, but he’s one of the hardest workers at the Club and it’s great to see him get some reward tonight.”

The Crows restricted an in-form Richmond to 12 scoring shots – the Tigers’ fewest in a game during coach Damien Hardwick’s six-year tenure.

Van Berlo relished the challenge of playing a different role in Adelaide’s young defence, and said it was likely he would spend more time in the back half this season.

“The coaches liked me back there (at half-back in the SANFL) last week and I played there tonight. I’ll play wherever I’m needed,” he said.

“I enjoyed it out there with the young boys out back tonight. They were terrific and it certainly makes our job easier when our guys forward of the ball put on the pressure they did.

“Our time in forward half tonight was about 65 per cent, which is a really big number. It means our defenders aren’t under the pump as much and we can lock the ball in our forward half.

“It was a pretty impressive performance all round.”

Adelaide’s win could’ve been bigger if not for some inaccuracy in front of goals.

The Crows finished with 33 scoring shots – their biggest number since Round One – but finished with 22 behinds, which was exacerbated a spate of rushed points late in the game.

“We’re not going to get away with missing that many goals in too many games,” van Berlo said.

“We’ve got to make sure we tidy that up, but we’ll focus on some positives too which was our pressure and the fact that we were able to have 33 scoring shots to 12.”

The win has seen Adelaide return to the top eight, at least for the time being.

Van Berlo said it was important his team produced a similar effort against Essendon at Etihad Stadium next Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve got our destiny in our own hands at the moment,” he said.

“It was a great win and we showed what we are capable of tonight. We’ve got four weeks remaining, hopefully, before finals and it’s going to mean backing that (performance) up and bringing that intensity every week.

“If we do that, the results will look after themselves.”