Adelaide's players buckled under a weight of expectation in their horror 59-point AFL loss to GWS, coach Matthew Nicks says.
The Giants, inspired by co-captain Toby Greene and midfielder Josh Kelly, banked a resounding 17.11 (113) to 8.6 (54) victory at Adelaide Oval.
Greene booted four goals and had a hand in two others while the classy Kelly's 41 disposals featured seven inside 50s and eight clearances.
Three Giants - Stephen Coniglio, Jesse Hogan and Lachie Whitfield - kicked three goals each.
GWS' second win of the season came against the odds: they were rank outsiders to topple the Crows, who had won three of their past four games.
But Adelaide boss Nicks said his players failed to cope with being favourites - a rare tag for his rebuilding club.
"We have got to deal with some expectations, which we weren't able to do today," Nicks said.
"There was a lot of noise around us being favourites ... the last month has been pretty good.
"We had some belief ... and we felt like we were trending in the right direction. And we still do.
"We would like to ... see this is an anomaly, see this as one where we for whatever reason didn't bring it to start the game.
"Are we able to deal with those expectations as being favourites?
"You'd hope we go away and learn more from it than sit around and wallow in it."
The Crows' woes were compounded by acting captain Brodie Smith being knocked out - after taking a spectacular mark, his head forcefully hit the ground on landing - while Ned McHenry didn't return after a third-term head knock.
The injuries came amid a GWS landslide triggered by the brilliant Greene.
In his second match after serving a six-game ban for making contact with an umpire, Greene produced a showbag of tricks in a four-goal opening half.
"Toby's first half was absolutely first-class," Giants coach Leon Cameron said.
Powered by Greene, the Giants scored 5.4 to 1.1 in the first quarter and were 59 points up at halftime.
By midway through the third quarter, GWS held a 79-point lead before easing to the finish line.
"Foreseeing a 10-goal win is very, very hard for a coach," Cameron said.
"But when they come along, clearly it gives nourishment to the playing group that has been down a little bit on confidence."
