ADELAIDE will persist with the use of Scott Stevens and Ken McGregor as ruck decoys against Port Adelaide in the showdown at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.
Both were useful for their cameo ruck work during last week's 76-point beating of West Coast, who had previously enjoyed a pronounced advantage over the Crows through the presence of Dean Cox and Mark Seaby.
While seldom able to win the taps, Stevens and McGregor played their part in attempting to restrict the effectiveness of Cox and Seaby around the ground, ensuring they did not win significant amounts of possession in hurtful areas.
This week Adelaide will be opposed by another intimidating tall duo in the form of Brendon Lade and Dean Brogan, but the success of McGregor and Stevens, in addition to Jon Griffin and Kurt Tippett, may keep back-up Ivan Maric, who has been named on the extended interchange for the Crows, from sneaking into the side.
"That was a big challenge last week with Cox and Seaby in really good form and this week Lade and Brogan are both very effective ruckmen who do get a lot of possessions around the ground," Stevens said on Thursday.
"So it'll be a big part of the game to nullify their effect.
"When I'm in the ruck I'm in there to compete as best I can in the ruck contest, and obviously with my size it's not always going to be the result we're after so it is about competing for the ball at ground level.
"I did a fair bit in pre-season on that so this year I'm getting a few different roles during games (whereas) last year I was mainly forward or back."
Stevens did his best on Thursday to deny Adelaide felt any sense of comfort playing a Power team that has lost to the Crows in six of their past seven meetings.
He also said it was the sign of a maturing team to be capable of backing up last week's victory by returning to those same high levels this week.
"That's how you become a really good team and a really good player individually, to be able to back up week-in week-out," he said.
"I don't think it gets a whole lot easier as you go on; you probably get more confidence, but being a young side we're excited, and younger guys are excited to play in their first showdown.
"The overall record's pretty close and there are a lot of new faces in our side, and we're playing a new Port Adelaide side."
Andrew McLeod shrugged off food poisoning to train comfortably for Adelaide on Thursday and has been named in the squad.