Pressure is building on Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks after Richmond caused a major upset with a gutsy eight-point win over the Crows.

The Tigers defied a lengthy injury list and the absence of rested megastar Dustin Martin to triumph 12.7 (79) to 10.11 (71) at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.

Richmond produced a six-goal third-term blitz to heap more misery on the Crows.

Touted as potential finalists before the season, when Nicks was signed to a two-year contract extension, they have just four wins, two more than the Tigers.

“We know as a group when we get challenged we need to not let those periods go for as long as what they’re going for at the moment,” Crows skipper Jordan Dawson told Channel 7.

“I think that third quarter they obviously came out firing. We matched them for the first part then their level of intensity was up and we needed to match it longer, not wait till three-quarter time to address it.

“It’s definitely on us as leaders to change momentum within the game and within the quarter.”

Tigers coach Adem Yze snapped an eight-game losing streak despite having 14 players unavailable because of injury.

Richmond’s Justin Koschitzke faces match review scrutiny for a behind-play elbow to the body of Mark Keane which felled the Irish-born defender.

The blow came during Richmond’s third-term onslaught when the visitors turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 22-point three quarter-time lead — the Tigers kicked 6.1 to 2.2 for the term.