Adelaide has quickly put the disappointment of a rollercoaster-like weekend behind it and believes it's in the right mindset to beat Collingwood in the First Elimination Final at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.
The Crows, and the rest of South Australia, were flying high on Saturday night after their win against the Western Bulldogs propelled them into fourth place. But their elation was downgraded within 24 hours as the Saints' 108-point win over the Bombers tipped them out of the double-chance position.
For supporters it was like experiencing a win and a loss in the same weekend but the team itself were philosophical about the amazing conclusion to the home and away season, according to midfielder Chris Knights.
"I suppose we would've liked the result (between St Kilda and Essendon) to be a little bit different but that's the way footy goes. We were planning at the start of last week to try and obtain a home final and that's what we got in the end," he said.
"We had Sunday off, we had a recovery session in the morning, and I think blokes individually probably would've watched the game themselves."
"I suppose at the start of the fourth quarter we were a little bit nervous but that's footy."
Knights said the topsy-turvy round had not affected how his team-mates were approaching the coming week.
"A home final is a special thing for Adelaide itself and for the supporters here at Adelaide. We were prepared to play anyone in a final and if it had of been Geelong in Melbourne the mentality has to still stay the same on our behalf," he said.
The other positive for Adelaide, which was overshadowed by the scenarios surrounding the premiership ladder, was its timely victory over the Western Bulldogs.
Knights describe it as a 'gutsy win'.
"It just holds us in really good stead because a lot of boys got to feel strong bodies and it was like finals-like atmosphere so hopefully that gives us a good pre-finals game going into the next match," he said
This Saturday's clash against the Magpies will only be the 21-year-old's second final. The midfielder said he learned a lot from the Crows' Elimination Final loss against Hawthorn last year and was happy to share some advice with his younger team-mates going into the major round battle for the first time.
"It's going to be an exciting time for the young guys that haven't played a final in AFL for them to step into and take charge and really enjoy the experience," he said.
"I think just continue the form that they've been displaying all year, not to try and do anything different and understand the intensity is going to be a little bit greater but just to embrace it and go and continue to play the way they have all year."
"The teams that get flustered and overwhelmed by the day tend to lose it a bit. Once you make the finals you never know what's going to happen."