Days after the AFL produced statistics that indicated Adelaide should not have beaten the Brisbane Lions on Sunday, Crows coach Neil Craig celebrated something he reckoned could not be measured - his team's spirit.

Certainly the signs weren't good for Adelaide at three-quarter time at the Gabba on Sunday.

The Lions had roared back to lock up the scores on their home turf against a Crows outfit down two men - key midfielders Chris Knights (hamstring) and Bernie Vince (knee).

And Craig would have been even more anxious if he had read AFL research released earlier this week to support a proposal to cap interchanges.

The data said that two injuries reduce a club's chances of winning by 12 per cent.

But Craig reckons his team came up with a good argument backing the call for an extra substitute on the interchange following their stirring seven-point victory - not a cap.

"I don't know the exact stats (of a team winning while two players down) ... but it's significant," Craig said after the 15.14 (104) to 13.19 (97) victory.

"But from a fairness factor I guess (it makes the call for a substitute more relevant).

"You can say that is just bad luck losing two.

"If you want to try and keep the game a bit fairer in terms of the result, the substitute is a good concept."

The AFL rolled out data earlier this week in support of their proposed interchange cap which they say will reduce injuries.

But Craig said Adelaide showed something that would not show on any stat sheet - heart.

"It is very unusual to able to win a game of football when you are two down early in the game, particularly with those two guys being quality midfielders," he said.

"That just adds to the weight of the win, to hang in there and fight it out.

"To our supporters we are true to our word in playing the season out with that sort of intent, and that's what we need to do for the next two games."

However, he is resigned to losing Knights - who was injured in the first 15 minutes - for the rest of the season while the jury is out on Vince.

Lions coach Michael Voss admitted the stage was set for a second straight victory for the hosts at the final break after coming back from 22 points down in the third term.

"I would have thought so," he said.

Kurt Tippett's five goals helped inspire Adelaide's first Gabba win since round seven, 2007.

The Lions were behind the eight ball from the outset when skipper Jonathan Brown (knee) was denied celebrating his 200th game in front of the Gabba faithful.

But Mitch Clark stood tall with five majors.

"It can be a more dangerous situation without him (Brown) playing," Craig said.

"It might sound a bit stupid but sometimes you want him to play because you are not quite sure of what is going to happen without him."

Voss said he would reassess Brown's fitness on Tuesday.

"I don't see the dilemma, he is either right or he isn't (to play)," he said.

"Two hundred games does not come into consideration."

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