CONFIDENT in Adelaide's ability to boot winning scores, David Mackay says the Crows will only play finals if they're able to replicate their defensive effort from last Thursday's win over Collingwood.

The Crows laid 93 tackles in what coach Brenton Sanderson labelled the Club's best defensive game since he was appointed coach in late 2011. As a result, the Magpies managed only 7.3 (55) for the game.

Josh Jenkins kicked four goals against the Magpies and Taylor Walker was impressive upon his return to elite football. Walker gathered 17 possessions, took seven marks and kicked 0.4 for the night, suggesting he was capable of returning to his pre-knee reconstruction form.

Combined with the likes of James Podsiadly, Eddie Betts, Charlie Cameron and a plethora of goal-kicking midfielders, Walker's return has bolstered an Adelaide attack is among the league's most versatile.

But Mackay said it was it was what happened at the other end of the ground that would dictate how far the Crows ventured in 2014.

"We haven't had too many issues scoring; it's just been when we've lost the momentum in games the opposition has scored pretty easily. That's been the area that's really let us down all year,” Mackay said.

“The positive from the weekend was that we played four quarters of the (defensively) intense footy we’ve been trying to play. We’ve got to bring that every week. Playing like we did on the weekend builds a lot of belief within the group.

“It’s only one game, so we have to build from it. It won’t mean too much unless we continue that form on. We're under no illusions, we've got plenty of work to do … we're not happy with where we sit. We’ve got a lot of ground to make up on some of the best teams.

"We certainly think when we play our best footy we can match anyone. I guess the trick for us is to have that consistency.”

Mackay identified the return of key personnel as a contributing factor in Adelaide’s improved performance against the Magpies, but said mindset also played a part in his team’s ferocious effort.

“Taylor Walker, Benny Rutten and Richard Douglas are key players for us; they give us experience and composure. To have those boys back was handy for us,” he said.

“A little bit does come down to mindset and how guys prepare. We’ve done a lot of work on that; a lot of reviews to work out how we can get better at that. I think we’re taking small steps towards doing that. It’s not going to change overnight. “It’s something we’ve been working on all pre-season and in the first eight rounds. It’s not something that just happens. You have to work at it and improve it.

“We still have a relatively young squad, so consistency is always going to be the battle.”

The Crows will now prepare to take on Carlton in a twilight clash on Sunday. The match will be Adelaide’s first at the MCG this year.

Like Adelaide, the Blues – who sit one win behind the Crows on the ladder in 13^th place – will be desperate for a win.

Mackay said the team understood the importance of the fixture.

“Every game is really big for us. We don’t have the luxury of putting in a poor performance because we’re 4-4. We’re delicately balanced and we’ve got to make sure we get ahead of that ledger.”

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