After a pre-game back spasm nearly forced him to withdraw from the game, Daniel Talia made a miraculous recovery to play a key role in Adelaide’s Showdown win.

In a post-match press conference, coach Brenton Sanderson revealed the Crows considered pulling a sore Talia out of the game only minutes before the opening bounce.

“Talia had a nasty, tight back spasm in the warm-up. We were running on the spot a little bit. There only a couple of minutes before the game started (and we debated) whether we should activate Mitch Grigg, who was our last emergency,” Sanderson said.

“He was on the physio table for about 30 minutes before the game. (They are) The things you don’t see behind the scenes.

“To Talia’s credit he went out there and played a really important game.

“We had a lot of challenges this week. We lost two playersat training on Saturday. Sam Kerridge has a hot spot in his foot and Rory Lairdhas a little strain in his quad … but it was great to get some guys back tooand see a four-quarter performance from our team.

"It was really satisfying.”

Assisted by strong team pressure up the ground, the Crows defence held the high-scoring Power to their second-lowest score of the season, 10.16 (76). Adelaide also kept Port Adelaide goalless in a term (the third) for the first time this season.

Despite being without shutdown players Rory Laird (quad) and Sam Kerridge (toe), the Crows silenced the Power’s dangerous small forwards. Chad Wingard, Robbie Gray and Angus Monfries all failed to kick a goal. Talia’s direct opponent, Coleman Medal leader Jay Schulz, was restricted to two goals – his lowest return in a month.

“The defenders should be pretty proud. They’re a young group and quite inexperienced. I know the heat would’ve been on me if we’d lost with Ben Rutten out,” Sanderson said.

“Truck and I speak after every game, about how he’s going, his injuries and his energy levels. We’ve got one eye on the back-to-back six-day breaks coming up.

“Darren Milburn does a fantastic job working with those guys. We’ve had some growing pains with them at times, but tonight they can certainly hold their heads high. The defenders will say there was pressure up the field and no clean ball use going inside 50m.

“It helps if our midfielders and forwards can pressure every entry.”

Talia, who has improved his disposal and mark average this season, said he was adding 'tricks' to his game, so he’s no longer just a lock-down backman.

Talia knows he has to continue his All-Australian form with games against Greater Western Sydney and then Hawthorn in the next two rounds.

The full-back told AFL.com.au he had been in the best form of his short career in 2014.

But with Giants gun Jeremy Cameron and then star Hawk Jarryd Roughead likely next opponents, the 22-year-old said he couldn't rest on his laurels.

"I think I'm starting to develop a few more tricks - obviously I'm getting a bit more of the ball this year and maybe taking a few more marks," Talia said.

"I've always been able to lock down an opponent, but I feel I'm adding an offensive side to my game.

"It's been a good year so far but I've got so many good forwards coming up that I can't look too far ahead – Jeremy Cameron next week and the week after probably Roughead.

"As soon as you get ahead of yourself you get goals kicked on you."

If results go their way, a win to the Crows against the Giants could see them in the top eight.

Round 15 losses by Essendon, North Melbourne and Gold Coast allowed Adelaide to gain valuable ground with its shock win over the Power.

If Collingwood beats the Suns and the Hawks beat the Kangaroos, a win for the Crows would be enough to sneak into eighth spot.

However long gone are the days of a fixture against the Giants meaning certain victory.

Talia said the club was quickly developing into a powerful unit and anything other than Adelaide's best would likely see it fall short.

"They're stacked with so much talent and their younger guys have now got 50, 60, 70 games under their belt," he said.

"They're really developing into a formidable opponent and their form the last three weeks has been great.

"While the win [against Port] was really special, we're still not in the eight so we've got to win next week and try and get into that eight."

Talia said Sunday night's win offered the playing group further confidence, having now knocked off top-eight teams the Power, Magpies, Suns and Kangaroos this year.

The only thing standing in the way of the Crows from mounting a genuine finals charge is consistency.

They haven't managed to win consecutively since round six, but Talia said if they could play to their ability for the rest of the year they could prove a dark horse.

"We've actually beaten four sides in the eight now; we've beaten some really good sides so we feel like we're not too far away," he said.

"We've just got to string a couple together.

"We've got to look to go after GWS next week, play the same game style and really play to our potential again because when we do we're a really good side."