ADELAIDE finally got the Eagle off its back yesterday with a stunning, club record 76-point win at AAMI Stadium.

It ends a five-game losing streak to West Coast, and coach Neil Craig described it as one of the most satisfying performances during his time at the club based on the significant squad changes and forced adjustments to the Crows' game style.

Adelaide produced one of its finest last quarters to kick 8.1 to 1.4 — when captain Simon Goodwin kicked four of his seven goals — setting up its highest score and biggest win against West Coast, surpassing the 75-point margin in 1997.

There was much to like about the Crows, including the manner in which they ran their opposition ragged, and rarely have the Eagles been made to look so disoriented. They had their usual dominance with Dean Cox tapping the ball to smaller teammates Daniel Kerr and Matt Priddis, but that's where the touches ended as teammates lost control of the ball under pressure from the attacking Crows.

Also quelling the Cox factor, which has hurt Adelaide so much in the past, was Craig's bold plan to pit experienced key-position players Ken McGregor and Scott Stevens against him around the ground, avoiding his promising new ruckman Jonathon Griffin being bustled aside by Cox after offering a reasonable challenge at the centre bounces.

The Eagles cost Adelaide grand final berths in 2005 and 2006, and a lot had been made of the South Australian team's defensive style, but after losing to the Western Bulldogs by three points last week, the criticism turned on its attack-at-all-costs style.

Yesterday, the balance was almost perfect, and a feature was the way the Crows combined superbly in the back lines, and then worked the ball so fast down through the corridor that the Eagles had little time to set up a defensive structure leaving Adelaide with plenty of options through its key targets.

Adelaide's ability to mix its defensive action with a new attacking style depended heavily on executing a precise game plan, which Adelaide delivered brilliantly. Never has it moved the ball out of defence so well against the Eagles, and it probably has never left them floundering so badly when moving into attack.

The pre-season promise to use Goodwin up forward continued to evolve and produced wonders. His magnificent seven-goal haul added a new dimension to his game, and was without doubt the best sign that Craig's bid to play some of his old campaigners in new roles is working.

Equally exciting for Adelaide was the continued strong presence and class of Jason Porplyzia, and the significant improvement of Bernie Vince. Luke Jericho and Kris Massie, fringe players who came into the side, were outstanding, and their contributions certainly did not go unnoticed.

Adelaide's last-quarter annihilation of the Eagles — "The Simon Goodwin half-hour Show" — partly shaded the tremendous performance by Nathan Bock at centre half-back. He constantly refused to give Ashley Hansen, usually a terrific competitor, a sniff of the ball, and set up much of Adelaide's impressive forward thrust.

Possibly for the first time ever, Adelaide dominated the Eagles when it came to inside-50 marks, and again they resulted from carefully structured team play.

Pre-match, much attention focused on Brad Ebert, who was overlooked by the Crows at the draft, and despite the pressure of making his AFL debut in his home town, he did very well. His competitiveness, and fine kicking, justified the Eagles' faith in him. Chris Masten, who also made his AFL debut, also produced glimpses of class, and stood up in difficult circumstances.

The Eagles started so well last week while Adelaide began so poorly, but it was a far different situation yesterday. The Crows were possessed, and it was obvious when they had 12 disposals to the Eagles' four in the opening two minutes that they meant business. Records tumbled, and the Eagles' record five-win run against Adelaide ended.

ADELAIDE 6.4 10.5 13.6 21.7 (133)
WEST COAST  2.1 4.4 7.5 8.9 (57)

GOALS Adelaide: Goodwin 7, Burton 3, Tippett 2, Porplyzia 2, Vince 2, Thompson, van Berlo, Edwards, McGregor, Jericho. West Coast: Wirrpanda 2, Lynch, Kerr, Cox, Hansen, Hunter, Staker.

BEST Adelaide: Bock, Goodwin, Porplyzia, Thompson, Massie, Johncock, Doughty. West Coast: Cox, Priddis, Kerr, A Embley, Fletcher.

INJURIES Adelaide: Tippett (jarred knee). West Coast: Glass (ankle).

UMPIRES D Sully, K Nicholls, S McInerney.

CROWD 38,162 at AAMI Stadium.

THE UPSHOT? A record-breaking win against the club that kept the Crows out of the 2005 and '06 grand finals and the end of a five-game losing streak against the Eagles suggest coach Neil Craig is on track with his revised gameplan. .

TALKING POINT? The Crows ignored Brad Ebert at the draft, and the kid did very well in his AFL debut for the Eagles, finishing with 14 disposals. More local debate.

HOT AND COLD? Nathan Bock, below, was hot, setting up Adelaide's forward thrust and directly contributed to two goals. His opponent, Ashley Hansen, didn't produce his best, with one goal from four kicks.