ADELAIDE full-back Daniel Talia will need plenty of help from his midfield teammates to restrict West Coast spearhead Josh Kennedy, according to coach Scott Camporeale.
With 71 goals to his name, 17 more than his nearest rival, Kennedy is an unbackable favourite to claim 2015 Coleman Medal with two rounds to play.
The league's deadliest forward booted seven majors last weekend against the Western Bulldogs.
Talia held him to just two in round 15 and appeared to have the better of him in round 19 last year before being subbed through injury. Kennedy finished that game with five.
Crows coach Scott Camporeale said his full-back was a tremendous player, but predicted even he would face a tough afternoon if Kennedy was allowed free delivery.
"If we don't defend through the middle of the ground and put pressure on their [forward] line then it might be a long day for 'Tarls'," Camporeale said.
"He knows when the pressure's up the field then it gives him a better opportunity to defend his opponent one-on-one.
"Tarls is a great competitor, he doesn't like losing and in terms of physical make-up they're probably very similar.
"But as I said before it'll be a team defence, rather than just Tarls."
Camporeale has avoided using the lure of finals as motivation this week; Adelaide's playing group knows a top-eight spot could be up for grabs and the coach feels no need to labour the point.
Regardless of whether Geelong beats Collingwood on Friday night, the Crows will secure a return to finals football for the first time since 2012 if they beat West Coast on Sunday.
If the Cats lose, Adelaide will enter Sunday's game already assured of a place in the top eight.
"They know where they're at, they don't need me to re-enforce it," Camporeale said of his players.
"It's a great opportunity for our guys to play in some sort of a finals-type atmosphere anyway.
"A sell-out crowd, which is fantastic for our supporters and our playing group to play in a big game…we've got a lot of younger guys who are going to experience that."
While the game looms as the Crows' most important this year, Camporeale believed the club had already faced its greatest challenge – fronting up in round 15 against the Eagles for the first time since Phil Walsh's death.
Mentally drained and still clearly grieving, the Crows couldn't maintain their intensity against the Eagles and lost by 56 points.
Despite being played in such trying circumstances, Camporeale said that encounter emphasised the need for the Crows to remain defensively sound and for their midfield to fire.
He tipped his side to be far more competitive on Sunday than in round 15.
"It's probably gone full circle really in terms of where we're at, the position we find ourselves in and an opportunity for us to play against a top-four side and get a good measure on how we're going," he said.
"They're a quality team, you don't sit in the top two at this time of the year if you're not…but offensively I think we were able to get through them a little bit last time and I think we'll be a little bit sharper defensively."
