Adelaide and Melbourne have met 35 times. The Crows hold the overall advantage, 23 – 12.

Adelaide has won four of the past five matches between the teams, including the most recent encounter at the MCG in Round 15 last season.

Saturday night’s clash at Adelaide Oval will be Melbourne’s first interstate trip this season. The club’s first seven games were played at either the MCG or Etihad Stadium.

The biggest home and away crowd for a game featuring Adelaide and Melbourne was 46,310 at Football Park in Round 20 back in 1993.

Crows captain Taylor Walker has kicked six goals in his last two games against the Dees.

Small forward Jeff Garlett has also averaged three goals in the past two matches between the sides.

Garlett leads Melbourne’s goalkicking this season with 18 – ranked equal-11^th in the AFL – and is also an elite pressure player. He has applied more forward 50m tackles (20) than any other player.

Christian Petracca, who is second in forward 50m clearances, is also dangerous when in attack.

On Saturday night, Melbourne onballer and former Crow Bernie Vince will play his 200^th AFL game.

A best and fairest winner with both clubs, Vince played 129 games for Adelaide before joining the Demons ahead of the 2014 season.

Another popular ex-Crow, Simon Goodwin will coach against his former club for the first time.

After winning their opening two games, the Demons have dropped four of their last five.

However, the competitive Dees have been in winning positions in three of those matches. They’ve lost two games by under a goal and another by just 13 points, for an average losing margin of 11 points across the season.

Crows Matt Crouch (231) and Rory Laird (226) are second and third in the AFL for total disposals. Budding Melbourne star Clayton Oliver is eighth with 218 disposals this season.

Laird earned three Brownlow Medal votes in Adelaide’s 22-point win over the Dees last year.

Oliver leads the League for handballs (161) and is fifth for contested possessions with 103 – two fewer than the fourth-ranked Rory Sloane (105). Crouch and Oliver have each won 47 clearances – ranked 10^th.

An interesting tactical battle shapes on Saturday night. The Demons deny the opposition possession of the ball better than any other team, while the Crows rank No.1 for time in possession this season.

The Dees deny possession by retaining the footy – ranked rank third for time in possession.

Melbourne averages more short kicks (96.7) than any other team and the third-most uncontested marks (90). The Dees are averaging 57.1 more possessions than their direct opponent this season – ranked No.1.

To help maintain possession, Melbourne kicks backwards the second most of any team but also use speed to move the ball, playing on from a mark 35.9 per cent of the time – ranked third overall.

Sloane (62) and Melbourne co-captain Jack Viney (52) are both top five for tackles.

Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs is fourth for total hit-outs (265). Versatile tall Cam Pedersen has been rucking for the Dees in recent weeks following injuries to lead ruckmen Max Gawn and Jake Spencer.

Dees co-captain Nathan Jones has generated 41 forward 50m entries – second only to Gold Coast star Gary Ablett (47) in the competition.

Speedy half-back Jayden Hunt leads Melbourne for metres gained with 3,438. Damaging Crow Brodie Smith is sixth in the AFL with 3,506 metres gained.