Chris Fagan's rapidly improving side added Adelaide to the list of scalps at the Gabba this season with a one-point win over the Crows on Saturday.

It's the Lions' fourth win from five matches at home in 2019 and lifts them to six wins for the season - already one more than they managed at all in 2017 and 2018.

The Crows join a list of vanquished at the Gabba that already includes defending premiers West Coast, perennial powerhouse Sydney and the always competitive Port Adelaide.

All four teams are sides against which the Lions have struggled in recent times, with Saturday's victory over the Crows their first against the South Australian club since 2012.

"In our quest to move forward as a football club we have to make this a very hard place to come to and play," Lions coach Chris Fagan said.

"Teams have got to not look forward to it.

"We're not quite there yet. All the games we've played up here this year, with the exception of the West Coast game, have been close contests.

"We want to keep developing so that we can actually beat teams comfortably up here, we haven't got to that stage yet but we're gradually getting there."

Crows coach Don Pyke said despite the Lions' lowly status in recent seasons, his team had expected nothing less than a tough tussle to avoid losing their top four spot to the Lions.

"It was a high pressure game really and we expected that," he said.

"Both sides were sitting at five and three and it's a big prize, 6-3 versus 5-4.

"It's only subtle but it's big enough and I thought their pressure was better than ours and they were able to create more opportunities."

Australian Associated Press