WHERE AND WHEN: AAMI Stadium, Friday 15 July, 8.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Essendon 15 wins, Adelaide 14 wins, no draws
LAST TIME: Adelaide 19.10 (124) d Essendon 5.10 (40), round 14, 2010 at AAMI Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Adelaide: LLLWB Essendon: LLLWW
SUMMARY
Both clubs have put an end to long losing streaks in the past fortnight.
Essendon staged the upset of the season, toppling a previously unbeaten Geelong in round 15 and continued its form reversal on Saturday night, coming from behind in the final quarter to beat Richmond by 39 points.
It's too early to say whether Adelaide's upturn in form will be lasting.
The Crows put in their first four-quarter performance of the season to hold off an inaccurate Sydney Swans at AAMI Stadium two weeks ago, but have struggled to find consistency and coach Neil Craig will be anxiously waiting to see which Adelaide team emerges from the bye to play the Bombers on Friday night.
Essendon has broken a number of long-standing records under rookie coach James Hird, beating the Cats for the first time since round 18, 2005 and overcoming the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba to record the club's first win outside Victoria since July, 2009.
The Bombers will need to break another hoodoo in order to extend their winning streak to three matches.
Essendon has not won at AAMI Stadium against either the Crows or Port Adelaide since round one, 2007 and has tasted victory just six times at the venue in 20 years.
QUESTION MARKS
Can Adelaide carry the momentum of its win over the Swans into the game against Essendon? The Crows were outscored five goals-to-none in the first quarter of the clash with Fremantle the week after their first bye in round three, and can't afford to have a similarly slow start against the resurgent Bombers.
Can the apprentice help upstage his former master? Simon Goodwin spent 14 years at Adelaide before joining Essendon as an assistant coach to Neil Craig. He's been touted as a potential future coach of the Crows, and there's no doubt Hird would've turned to Goodwin for advice on how to beat his former team this week. Craig has ex-Bombers assistant Scott Camporeale in his corner, who won't have intimate knowledge of the Bombers' structures under Hird, but should be able to offer valuable insight on individual players.
PREDICTION
Adelaide by 15 points
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Essendon skipper Jobe Watson is a chance to return from injury against the Crows. The goalkicking midfielder is priced at a tempting $340,300, but don't get sucked into picking him even if he is named to play this week. Not only is his hamstring a concern, but his price is set to drop further thanks to his paltry score of 33 in his last game. It's also important to note the Bombers have a bye in Grand Final week of Dream Team, so you'll need to keep a trade up your sleeve to cover Watson, or any Essendon players you have in your team, if you make it into the decider in your league.
If you still haven't replaced Fremantle giant Aaron Sandilands, or are looking for a unique ruck pick, Adelaide big man Sam Jacobs is one to consider. The ex-Carlton rookie made an inconspicuous start to his career at the Crows, but has been instrumental in the last three weeks, averaging 103 points. He top-scored in the wet against the Swans in round 15, amassing 36 hit-outs, 17 disposals and six tackles for a score of 120. He'll have his work cut out this week against Paddy Ryder and David Hille.
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #aflcrowsbombers
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
