The Demons have not beaten the Crows at AAMI Stadium since round 2, 2001, but appear closer to ending their hoodoo after winning the last two games between the two sides.
Davey has been a key contributor in both wins for the Dees, averaging 24 possessions across the two games, and Craig said the Crows would keep a close eye on the skilful onballer this weekend.
“Melbourne has got some good talent in the midfield now and they’ve been building towards that for a few years now,” Craig said.
“Aaron Davey has been a very good player for them … a bit of an architect. He’s such a good kick. He’s an elite kick in the competition, and that’s what hurts you.”
Craig also said it was important Adelaide’s once-revered zone denied Melbourne the chance to use the corridor.
“I like Melbourne’s speed and their speed of ball movement is very good,” Craig said.
“We’ll need to be on our game and keep persistent in trying to create some turnovers from it. We need to sharp and also mentally sharp, because if you’re not, they’ll cut through you.”
The Crows have endured a nightmare start to the season and sit in 15th spot on the AFL ladder after 12 rounds.
Adelaide has been tested with a series of untimely injuries, but Craig identified attitude as the club’s greatest concern.
The Crows are yet to win successive games or win away from home, and Craig said he’d implored his players for a more consistent effort in the second half of the season.
“Our attitude is not consistent enough. The level we can play at is more than good enough. I think we’ve showed that and that’s your first assessment - is our best at the level we would like? The answer to that is yes, it is, but do we do it for long enough? No, we don’t,” he said.
“The better sides at the moment …one of the characteristics that they’ll all have is that level of consistency in the way they play the whole game. I’m not talking about 100 per cent total domination, but they don’t have quarters where you lose so much ground that you can’t get back in the game.”
