IN THE third quarter of the preliminary final, Richmond launched its five goals from the attacking midfield zone.
Two came from stoppages and three from intercepts, but none were pretty.
It was frenetic, high-pressure football that caused opponents to fumble.
Mega-preview: Grand Final: Adelaide v Richmond
Once the ball was loose, Richmond used its pace to exploit the opportunity and kick explosive soccer-style goals.
It was often chaotic to watch, but it was instinctive and, most of all, cohesive.
That is Richmond's brand, mosh-pit football that occasionally breaks into punk melodies.
How Adelaide and Richmond built for the big one
By contrast, Adelaide is part ballroom dancing, choreographed until the moment arrives for the music to quicken and every player to join in.
In its preliminary final win over Geelong, Adelaide disrupted the Cats' ball movement and pounced on the turnover, creating 111 points from intercepts.
The Crows cut off handballs, rebounded errant kicks with interest and, with a burst of seven unanswered goals from midway through the first quarter, put the game to bed.
It was the 16th time in 24 games this season the Crows had banged on five or more unanswered goals in a game.
When they roll, they crush.
But they are not unbeatable, particularly against another team such as Richmond that believes in their system.
It's what has raised both above the pack this season. They aren't better on paper than other teams, but they are more united, coordinated and less selfish.
That's why it's hard to assess what is likely to unfold, because the 2017 Grand Final sees the two different systems crash head-on.
AFL.com.au unpacks the key aspects to look for on Grand Final day.
What defines each team's system?
Richmond's game is based on pressure, trying to force the opposition into kicking what the Tiger defenders call 'dirty ball' inside 50 so they can intercept entries. They're also happy to score in ways that aren't pretty.
They like to kick rather than handball, following the Tiger DNA of getting it forward however they can, and are ranked second for time inside their forward half.
Once forward, the Tigers make life hard for the opposition to move the ball, and are ranked number one in defence as a result.
Richmond's chaos balls inside 50 make Adelaide defender Jake Lever an interesting player to watch. He's a brilliant intercept mark who prefers to drift across as the third man, and likes the ball coming in high.
How he goes battling for ground balls with the Dan Duo in Rioli and Butler, plus Jason Castagna, will define his value.
Can Jake Lever play the game on his terms for the Crows? Picture: AFL Photos
Adelaide has the edge in winning contested possessions over Richmond, and is smart in the way it uses the football.
Adelaide likes to kick and leads the competition in its percentage of kicks forward, backing itself to work angles to kick to a target in a different lane that shifts the defence and opens up gaps forward of the ball.
The competition's highest-scoring team scores most of its points from intercepts, leading the competition in that area, and is happy to create a stoppage inside 50 to ensure the ball stays in its forward half.
It leads the competition for goals per inside 50, while the Tigers need few disposals to score.
What are the key match-ups?
Both sides have flexible players, with about 10 Adelaide Crows having at least 10 different opponents during their most recent clash in round six.
Adelaide dominated after half time, but a lot has changed since that April 30 meeting.
One of Richmond coach Damien Hardwick's questions is whether to give David Astbury the first crack at Taylor Walker.
Astbury's been in red-hot form lately, conceding just five goals in the past eight games, but Walker has kicked eight goals in their past two encounters.
Taylor Walker has had the wood over David Astbury in recent meetings. Picture: AFL Photos
Walker earned one Brownlow vote for his round six performance when he kicked each of his five goals during the 62 minutes he was matched up with Astbury.
Dylan Grimes will get Eddie Betts, who could spark Adelaide if he gets confidence. Betts has kicked 45 goals in 22 games against Richmond and 170 in his 83 games at the MCG. If the champion forward can be kept to two goals, that would be a reasonable effort from Grimes.
Kyle Hartigan will take Dustin Martin when he goes forward, with the big Crow quick enough off the mark to take on Patrick Dangerfield last week, while the Crows will back their midfield when Martin is around the middle.
Richmond is flexible in the box, so will try things to spark the team if the game is not being played on their terms. On the other hand, the Crows believe their system will eventually prevail.
The Tigers have Kane Lambert or Dion Prestia ready to quieten Rory Sloane or the Crouch brothers if they suddenly catch fire, but don't expect a hard tag early.
Adelaide defender Daniel Talia will play on Jack Riewoldt, who has kicked seven goals in six games on the gun Crow.
The rest will mix and match.
What has changed since the teams last met?
Compared to the last meeting between the sides in round six, Richmond's backline is completely different, having replaced Reece Conca, Steve Morris, Jayden Short and Oleg Markov with Nathan Broad, Jack Graham, Jacob Townsend and Shane Edwards.
Broad and Graham have settled into the backline, while Nick Vlastuin has stiffened up the experience down there after a stint in the midfield.
Since that game, only the Sydney Swans had fewer points scored against it than Richmond as the Tigers became even stingier.
Nick Vlastuin has stiffened Richmond's already miserly defence. Picture: AFL Photos
The Crows were already without Mitch McGovern in round six, but have lost Brodie Smith, Wayne Milera and Curtly Hampton from that game with Riley Knight, Paul Seedsman and Hugh Greenwood coming into the team.
Smith and McGovern remain big losses as Seedsman and Andy Otten need to step into their roles, while Rory Laird must create as much play as he did last week when he was best on ground until half-time.
But one thing has changed, the venue.
Does the MCG matter?
Yes. It will give the Tigers confidence to have won 11 of the 13 games they have played at the MCG this season, with both losses by less than 10 points.
They have won five and lost five against Adelaide at the MCG, but have not lost to the Crows at the home of football since 2008.
The Crows, by contrast, have two wins and a draw at the MCG this season, and were behind at half-time in two of the three games.
Watch out for …
Richmond has had 11 players kick the first goal this season, with Castagna and Riewoldt doing so four times each.
Adelaide has had 12 players kick the first goal this season, with Betts kicking it five times and Walker four.
Richmond has won more often than any other team after being behind at quarter-time, winning eight of the 10 games where it trailed at the opening break.
The Crows have not lost after leading at quarter-time (11 from 11), but has not won any of the six games it has trailed at three-quarter time, having drawn one against Collingwood.
