Brenton Sanderson proud as Adelaide Crows smash tackling record Crows defender Andy Otten tackles Bulldogs midfielder Koby Stevens at AAMI Stadium on Sunday. TACKLING is the new buzz word at the Adelaide Football Club. The Crows tackled themselves into the record books with 99 in Sunday's slogging win against the Western Bulldogs and say their game will be built around tackling for the rest of the season. "That's something (coach) Brenton (Sanderson) focuses on and he's instilled in us to try to do week-in, week-out," said emerging midfielder Sam Kerridge, who led by example by laying seven strong tackles against the Dogs. It's something we've been working on and whether it's wet or dry we want to make that a big emphasis with our game. If we can implement that week-in, week-out, along with contested ball and clearances, then it should hold us in good stead for the rest of the year. Adelaide averaged just 55 tackles a game in the first three rounds as it slumped to a 1-2 record. The Crows have been so poor at sticking tackles under their second-year coach Sanderson that after their round one defeat to Essendon they brought in two rugby experts to teach the players how to tackle better. The expert tuition was on show in the wet at AAMI Stadium on Sunday when Adelaide tackled the life out of the Dogs. The Crows' 99 tackles smashed their previous record of 85 against Port Adelaide in 2008 and Sydney in 2011. The Swans won last year's premiership on the strength of their tackling, laying a grand final record 110 against Hawthorn. "We finally had tackles . . . the most this club has ever had in a single game, which is something that I'm really proud of," Sanderson said. You know how much it frustrates me when we're not tackling, so to have that many (99). . . . I know the conditions suited that kind of game, but to stick tackles and put the opposition under pressure was pleasing. They (the Bulldogs) would be feeling sore after that. Richard Douglas led Adelaide's tackling onslaught with nine, Jared Petrenko laid eight, Kerridge and Rory Sloane had seven, and Brent Reilly, Brad Crouch, Josh Jenkins and Luke Brown six. "To come out of the game with 99 tackles, whether it was wet or not, was an outstanding effort from the 22 who played - we're rapt with that," Kerridge said. We had a big emphasis on tackles and the boys did an outstanding job to get so many and I think he (Sanderson) was all smiles after the game. Kerridge said the Crows could not afford to rest on their laurels against Carlton at the MCG on Saturday. "Putting in good performances week-in, week-out is something every club strives to do and at 2-2 we are really trying to get that consistency throughout the season," he said. We need to win games in a row, starting with Carlton. The pressure is mounting for positions in the Crows' side, with dashing half-back Brodie Smith making a successful return from a broken collarbone in the SANFL last Friday night, 2009 club champion Bernie Vince starring for Woodville-West Torrens and midfielder Jarryd Lyons continuing his good form for Glenelg.