THE BRISBANE Lions enter Sunday's match against Adelaide with renewed confidence after their first win of the season against North Melbourne last weekend.

After the Lions squeezed home by 14 points against the Kangaroos on Saturday night, the Crows conceded 11 final quarter goals against premiers Collingwood to lose by 43 points.

Both clubs are desperate to win with the Lions currently 1-7 and the Crows not travelling much better at 3-5.

The Lions are likely to be without Tom Rockliff however, with the young midfielder picking up an Achilles injury against the Kangaroos.

Forward Scout

The Club: Adelaide Crows

2011 so far: Adelaide's 3-5 record could have been so much better. In all bar one game - the round seven, 96-point humiliation to Melbourne - the Crows have been in winning positions. They've beaten 2010 grand finalists St Kilda and highly favoured Hawthorn, lost by a late goal to Carlton and held a four-goal lead before being steamrolled by Collingwood on Sunday. Their best has mixed it with the AFL's elite, but too often, one bad quarter has cost them dearly.

The Coach: It's hard to argue that Neil Craig is one of the best coaches in the league. His 58 per cent winning record since taking over in 2004 speaks volumes of his ability. Craig has always been an astute thinker of the game, with his disciplined team structure one of the toughest to crack over his tenure.

The Star: He doesn't dominate the headlines every week but Kurt Tippett is the one Crow that can single-handedly win them matches. Like his teammates, he's had a patchy season with 15 goals from eight games, but he is a terrific contested mark and can kick a bag of goals on his day. Tippett is 203cm and 107kg and is sure to be taken by fellow Gold Coast product Daniel Merrett (196cm, 104kg).

The Sleeper: Patrick Dangerfield. At 21, Dangerfield is rapidly establishing himself as a star of the not-too-distant future. He now has 50 games under his belt and can play in the midfield and further forward. His five bouncesm, 50m goal against Fremantle in round three showed his ability to run and carry, while six goals against Gold Coast in round eight showed his skill up forward.

The Young Gun: After playing one match in 2009 and none since, Shaun McKernan has shown plenty of promise this season. The 196cm, 100kg forward/ruckman is still raw but with a team high 17 contested marks, has shown he can win a contest. He has been a goalkicker in all but one match and is a handy ally for Tippett when he goes forward.

Strengths: After running over the Crows on Sunday, Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse still found time to praise the discipline of the Crows' game plan. They pressure the contest well with the likes of Scott Thompson, Brent Reilly and Dangerfield particularly good in tight. Bookends Tippett and Ben Rutten give them good pillars at each end of the ground, but for the Lions to win, they simply must be prepared to work hard at every contest.

Weaknesses: Not even Craig knows whether it's a lack of fitness or concentration, but the Crows have leaked huge numbers of goals in short spaces of time this season. They have been unable to put four quarters together. Against Port Adelaide, they led by five goals and ended up losing by five. Against Melbourne, they conceded 16 goals after half-time. On Sunday against Collingwood, it was 18 goals after the main break, including 11 in the final 15 minutes.