Adelaide’s recent form: beat Richmond by 63, beat Carlton by eight, beat the Swans by 24, lost to Port Adelaide by 12 and lost to Collingwood by 32.

Last week, the Crows defied wet and windy conditions to break the 100-point barrier for the first time in eight weeks. Adelaide had 12 individual goalkickers and also found a good balance of quick ball movement and tight-defensive checking on its way to a convincing 63-point win.

The Crows laid more tackles (68) than any other team in the competition last week; a feat made more remarkable given the fact Adelaide spent considerably more time in possession of the footy than Richmond.

It’s been this lift in desire, want and intensity that has seen Neil Craig’s men rally after a five-game losing streak and, if the Crows bring the same competitive spirit to the Telstra Dome this week, they will be well poised to shatter their interstate hoodoo.

Essendon coach Matthew Knights spent his first summer at Windy Hill trying to instil a faster style of play into his team and the Bombers have proved that, when they put it together, they’re difficult to stop.

Last Sunday, Adelaide made a nippy Tigers outfit look slow with what Craig described as ‘powerful ball movement’ and, up against the likes of speedsters Andrew Lovett, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Leroy Jetta, Courtney Dempsey and Paddy Ryder, the Crows will need to replicate a similar effort to get the points this week.

Untimely injuries ruined Adelaide’s finals campaigns of 2005 and 2006 and, less than three weeks away from another potential September berth, Crows fans will have their fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again.

It’s little coincidence the top three teams in the league, Geelong, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs, have used the fewest players. Adelaide, with a developing list, does not have much more to give, in terms of depth, with Jason Porplyzia, Brett Burton, Chris Knights and Bernie Vince already on the sidelines.

Nathan van Berlo: the tagger-turned-ball magnet has starred for Adelaide in the past two weeks averaging 36 possessions a game. The Bombers midfield is somewhat undermanned without the likes of Mark McVeigh and Jason Winderlich, but van Berlo, Michael Doughty, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson and Rob Shirley will need to continue their good form to cover the absence of youngsters Knights and Vince.

Simon Goodwin: The Crows skipper, who started the season in rare form up forward, has been hampered by a back injury for the best part of two months, but last week appeared to rediscover his mobility and flair. Goodwin picked up 16 possessions and continued his two-goal a game average in the rout of Richmond and will be looking for another strong contribution in an important game for his club.

Ben Rutten: Rutten held Essendon star Matthew Lloyd to a solitary goal in round 10, but that was before both Lloyd and the Bombers began to revive their season. Lloyd, a triple Coleman Medallist, has booted 21 goals in his past five matches and his confidence, like his marking, is sky-high. Adelaide’s burly full-back is rarely beaten out of the goal square, but coach Neil Craig could employ the services of All-Australian in-waiting Nathan Bock if Scott Lucas misses with injury and Lloyd resumes a pinch-hitting role across half-forward in his 250th game.

The highest number of goalkickers Adelaide has recorded in a single AFL match is 14 (v Richmond 2007, v Western Bulldogs in 2006 and v Essendon in 2006).

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.