That's not our job: Crows coach keeps lid on

But outside, he wants Crows fans to go wild.

Adelaide's hold of top spot will likely be fleeting, until an expected Collingwood win over Richmond on Sunday.

But Adelaide and their sixth-year coach Nicks created fresh benchmarks with their 98-point trouncing of Port Adelaide on Saturday night.

The margin was the biggest in Showdown history, bettering Adelaide's 84-point win in 2017.

It was the first time the Crows have won five consecutive games under Nicks.

And remarkably given the heavy Saturday night rain, the Crows topped 100 points for the 11th time in 19 games this season.

So Nicks understands why Adelaide supporters are again daring to dream ahead of the club's return to finals for the first time since 2017.

"I love it ... if I was a member and a supporter of the footy club right now, I'd be getting excited - embrace it, enjoy it," Nicks said after the 20.13 (133) to 5.5 (35) hammering of Port.

But don't expect Adelaide's players and staffers to join in.

"That's not our job," Nicks said.

"Our job is to go out and perform.

"And so the boys will enjoy it for the next couple hours, maybe half an hour in the rooms.

"And then a six-day break (between games) again, so we just put our heads down."

The Crows host fellow finals aspirant Hawthorn on Friday night with defender Max Michalanney facing a stint on the sidelines because of a hamstring injury.

"We've had a belief there for a long period of time that we're going in the right direction," Nicks said.

"We've got some great momentum at this point - and we know how hard that is to keep that momentum.

"But the guys are doing everything possible just to continue to reset themselves and go on to the next week, we've been so good in that space."

Australian Associated Press