Adelaide Captain Jordan Dawson says the Crows are embracing the chance to play a Thursday night blockbuster to kick off Gather Round.

For the first time, the AFL will showcase nine games across three venues over four days in South Australia.

The Crows, meanwhile, have not featured in a Thursday night fixture since Round 13, 2019, when they beat Richmond by 33 points at Adelaide Oval. 

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Dawson said players were keen for the challenge of battling the unbeaten Blues on the Crows’ home turf.

“We are a footy-mad state, so we are keen to have everyone here and put on a show,” Dawson said.

“We want to win every week but I think we are just excited to be back on the main stage and showcase what we can do as a Club.

“For me, I love playing at Adelaide Oval and especially night games, it should be a cracker.

“They haven’t lost for a reason, and we are looking forward to it.”

The Crows will enter the match against Carlton with back-to-back wins, having beat Port Adelaide in Showdown 53, before a strong victory against Fremantle last weekend.

Dawson had also enjoyed a move into Adelaide’s midfield over the past two rounds, having worked on adding another string to his bow.

“Last year, playing half-back was more where I was needed, but I think now, going into the midfield, I’ve enjoyed it and had it at the back of my mind as well that I might do that in the years to come,” Dawson said.

“I’m loving my time in there and enjoying my footy.

“We know how good their (Carlton’s) footy can be and how good our footy can be.

“In the first couple of games we knew exactly what went wrong.

“We were playing good footy but we just let ourselves down at times, to get a couple of wins and to build the confidence and trust in the group, we are really enjoying it.”