The task before the Adelaide Crows on the weekend was enormous – a road trip, an undefeated Carlton and a season to salvage. Lose, and it was pretty much curtains. Lose, and the heat on Matthew Nicks would have intensified. When Charlie Curnow roved his own contest and goaled to put the Blues 16 points up with minutes to go, that seemed like the game, and the season.

But as Nicks later said, “it’s amazing what one kick can do to a changeroom.” He could have added – to a campaign, to a club, and to a coach’s career. One of the best games of the year had a late twist, and the Crows found a way. They were everything they haven’t been so far this year – quick, bold, clean, and most importantly, accurate.

Related: Gather Round folks, the Crows are too plain, too sloppy and too predictable

It was their backline, replete with beanpoles, greenhorns, no-namers and Irishmen, that repelled and created. It was Jake Soligo, like a rottweiler at the dog park, who scrapped, chased and foraged and finally gave them a bit of mongrel. It was Taylor Walker, with his sticky fingers and his sumptuous left boot, who returned to form and narrowly took the points in a high standard duel with Jacob Weitering.

It was Luke Nankervis, in just his seventh game, backing back into a rampaging Harry McKay. It was substitute Sam Berry, best known as a tackling machine, who suddenly morphed into a stat magnet and helped turn the game. It was Jordan Dawson, who’s been tardy by foot this year, but in the final frantic seconds went behind the ball, kept his head, rediscovered that lovely left foot of his, and caressed a perfect pass that bought precious seconds and space.

Most of all, it was Izak Rankine, who had considerably more midfield time than usual, but who also slithered forward to great effect. He has a lot of tricks, a lot of swagger, a lot of pressure on him, and a sizeable gap between his best and worst. His ability to make something out of nothing and weave and shimmy in and out of heavy traffic is extraordinary. Crucially, in a team that’s been plain and ponderous, he gives them a X factor, a reminder that whenever he’s in a mood, the Crows are always a chance.

Josh Rachele is younger and has a lot to learn, but he’s cut from the same cloth. He looks and moves like a third, more showy Daicos brother. He celebrates his goals like a soccer player. And he owed his team one, having been a bit blinkered and lairy in the Showdown loss. Like Rankine, he pushed higher up the ground on the weekend. Like Rankine, he gives them a point of difference, and a glimpse of the future.

The most significant thing about the win was that it was in hostile territory. The Crows have stunk it up away from the Adelaide Oval for years now. The last time they played at the Docklands, they were asleep at the wheel against Essendon. In recent years, their interstate wins have come in Cairns, Ballarat, Hobart and Launceston, but they keep falling short in Melbourne. In the end, despite the wretched decisions, the near misses, the big scores, and the jolly romps, that was the reason they missed finals last year.

Now they have a pulse, and they have the Melbourne monkey off their back. Three of their next four games are in Adelaide, including a Showdown. Indeed, their rival won a very different contest against Fremantle several hours later. Adelaide’s game was a typical Docklands shootout – fast, furious and entertaining. Port’s game was what you expect when you’re up against Justin Longmuir’s Dockers - a stalemate, a stranglehold, a three hour migraine.

The home side won it with Charlie Dixon, cobbled together with spare parts and with steam coming from behind his ears, dragging down a match winning mark. And they won it a single passage that sums up this Port side - Butters to Rozee to Horne-Francis - three and a half names that will roll off Port tongues for many years to come.