Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson was proud of key forward Kurt Tippett, who provided the prefect response to a tough week with a match-winning haul in the Crows' 46-point victory over Greater Western Sydney at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.
Tippett was the subject of considerable media scrutiny and criticism after a string of set-shot misses in Adelaide's heavy defeat to Hawthorn a week ago, which gave him a season tally of 7.8.
The 202cm spearhead narrowed his focus last week, and came up trumps against the Giants with team-highs in goals (four) and marks (five), as well as 17 disposals and three hit-outs.
"Really proud of him," Sanderson said.
"He works really hard behind the scenes.
"I've told you guys how much time he spends on his game and how much extra stuff he does which we typically don't know externally.
"He's a real pro, he goes about it the right way and he had to deflect a fair bit of criticism this week.
"Tippo was fantastic, particularly early, the way he dominated the game. He almost played like a small anyway - he was crumbing goals and kicking set shots.
"To his credit he made a bit of a statement, I reckon."
Tippett acknowledged how hard the week had been after his goal-kicking efforts against the Hawks had been widely panned, including comments from former Melbourne great and leading AFL commentator Garry Lyon that Adelaide should consider trading him.
The big Queenslander silenced his critics by registering 4.1, a haul which began with two goals inside the opening four minutes against GWS.
"No kidding, it was a pretty tough week," Tippett said, who acknowledged he would probably 'not ever be the best in the competition' in terms of goal-kicking accuracy.
"The coaches and the playing group were fantastic in helping me keep my focus internal.
"I thought come game-time I was pretty clear about what I wanted to achieve and how I wanted to go about my football.
"I just needed to play with a clear mind and I was able to do that.
"I did breathe a little easier after those first two (goals), but in saying that I felt pretty good that even if I was to miss, I'd be able to shut them out and keep playing hard.
"I think I was in a good frame of mind."
With Tippett leading the way, Adelaide jumped the visitors early and had four goals on the board before GWS had even registered their first inside 50.
A belting looked on the cards at quarter-time, but a spunky second-term fight-back from the Giants reduced the Crows' lead at half-time to just 17 points.
Sanderson gave his charges a rocket at the main interval and they responded to snuff out the visitors' revival.
"I gave the boys a bit of a bake at half-time and to their credit they responded," Sanderson said.
"(We were) good in patches but (we) just flirted with our form a little bit at times.
"Full credit to GWS, they really came to play and at times they beat us inside and spread outside.
"They just kept fighting which was really quite impressive from a young group."
Sanderson was full of praise for the gallant Giants, but scathing of his own side's inability to make their tackles stick, after the Crows were out-tackled for the second round in succession.
"Very poor," Sanderson said of the tackling.
"We've got an eight-day break (before the Showdown next Sunday against Port Adelaide).
"We'll be tackling this week. That's two weeks in a row that it's been unacceptable.
"Conversely when we get tackled we get stripped of the ball - we cough it up too easily.
"It's our method, our technique, our intent ... that's one area that's unacceptable."
In a sour note for the Crows, midfielder Bernie Vince, who notched 21 disposals against GWS, will be out for between two and four weeks with a broken hand.