Spring-heeled forward Brett Burton has dismissed suggestions Adelaide has 'peaked too early' in the race for this year's AFL premiership.

The Crows are perched on top of the ladder with an 11-2 record and a massive percentage of 171.01 from the highest points-for tally (1445) and easily the lowest points-against total (845).

And they have often looked even more awesome than they did in winning 17 of 22 home-and-away-season matches last year - to finish minor premiers - before winning only one of their three finals.

"I have never agreed in any competition with any team people saying you peak too early," Burton said at AAMI Stadium on Monday while the Crows did their recovery sessions from the 92-point thrashing of Geelong on Sunday.

"What does that mean - peak too early? If it's a running race, you try to peak towards the end, but this is not a running race ... it's a game where you want to win every week. That is the goal, and that's all we can do, and with that you get better and better, and improve.

"Our driving force for the rest of this season is to get it right this time. It's okay to finish minor premier like we did last year, but to go out and win only one final of three was very disappointing for us. We know we are not going to change that unless we get into the finals at the end of the year. At the moment we can't worry about that."

Burton described Adelaide's win against the Cats as 'obviously impressive' and added: "Geelong were in some good form coming into the game. They were touted as a top-four side coming into the season."

Asked whether the players 'sometimes amazed themselves with how well they performed' at times, Burton said: "Yes and no. I suppose we get more and more confident every week with the group about what we can do. We are not shocked by what we can do, but we feel confident as well.

"We have confidence within ourselves that we can beat anyone on our day. I really feel now that when we have lost this year (to West Coast by two points and Richmond by three points), teams have obviously put something against us, but it has mainly been us ... that's why we have lost.

"We have highlighted different areas in the two games we've lost and have seen that if we had done things better we probably would have won. It is our biggest challenge within.

"Ever since Craigy has taken over, we have always set our sights at being favourites for every game we play. We don't shy away from that fact. We enjoy that challenge - to come away with a positive result at the end of those games."

Burton said the Crows had to keep 'pushing the barriers'.

"If things aren't happening for us in some areas, then we have to just keep challenging people, and challenging systems that we have in place and making sure that they are all going in the right direction to get a positive result," he said. "If they are not, then they need to be changed."

Burton described Sydney as 'a formidable side' and said Sunday's SCG clash with the reigning premier was 'a good challenge', particularly because the Swans were 'very good in the contested ball, which we pride ourselves on'.