DESPITE boasting a high-powered attack, Adelaide doesn't want a shootout against Essendon in their season-shaping fixture, utility Luke Pedlar says. 

The seventh-placed Crows sit above eighth-placed Essendon by percentage entering Sunday's fixture at Marvel Stadium.

Adelaide has topped the 100-point mark six times this season and is the second-highest scoring team in the competition, behind Brisbane.

But Pedlar says the Crows' focus is on defence against the Bombers.

"On the weekend we got into a bit of a shootout with North Melbourne in the first half and we kicked 77 points but they also kicked 51," Pedlar said on Tuesday.

"We don't really want the game to be played like that.

"When our defence is at its strongest we attack well from that, so we'll come into this week and hopefully defend really well and keep them to a low score."

The Crows have won just one of six games away from Adelaide Oval this season but Pedlar said they had taken confidence from their last road trip - a two-point loss against flag favourite Collingwood at the MCG.

"We haven't got the job done a few times away from home," he said.

"But Collingwood are one of the best sides of the last two years pretty easily and we matched it with them on the big stage so hopefully it's no different this weekend against Essendon."

Pedlar is the latest Rising Star nominee - he has played 14 games this season, his third on the Crows' list, after injuries restricted him to five matches in his initial two years.

The 21-year-old, who had two shoulder reconstructions and was troubled by groin injuries in past seasons, wasn't aware he was still eligible for the award.

"It's just a bit of a reward for a bit of a block of work that I've done this year," he said.

"It's nice to get a bit of recognition but team success is my focus going into this back end of the year.

"I didn't actually know I was still eligible so I wasn't really expecting it, to be honest."