Where and when: Adelaide Oval, Sunday, April 21, 4.10pm (ACST)
Last time they met: Adelaide Oval, round six, 2018: Adelaide 16.14 (110) beat Gold Coast 9.8 (62).
The Crows were never seriously challenged by the Suns, leading by 45 points at half-time before going into cruise control after the main break. Wayne Milera had a breakout game with 33 disposals while Matt Crouch had 30 touches – 14 of those in the opening quarter – in his first game back from a hamstring injury.
What it means for Adelaide: The Crows desperately need a win to regain some much-needed confidence. They have been the biggest disappointment of the season with a 1-3 record after four rounds.
What it means for Gold Coast: The Suns will be underdogs yet again, but that won't bother them. They have defied the odds to win three of their first four to sit inside the top eight.
How Adelaide wins: Getting back to the exciting play from 2017 when they reached the Grand Final. Move the ball quickly, be bold, kick to one-on-one contests and give their forwards a chance.
How Gold Coast wins: Deny the Crows time and space. Lots of pressure at the contest, force turnovers and give Alex Sexton the chance to get hit up on the lead inside 50.
The stat: Adelaide is the only team in the competition with an unbeaten record against Gold Coast. Since the Suns entered the League in 2011, the Crows are a perfect 11 from 11 against the Suns. Most of those have been blowouts, with the average winning margin a hefty 55 points.
The match-up: Matt Crouch v Touk Miller
The prolific ball-winners will find themselves head to head at the majority of stoppages and contests during the game. Crouch is the second-highest ranked Crows player in the AFL Player Ratings at 41st overall, while Miller is the third-highest ranked player at the Suns, and 121st overall, up from 148th at the start of the season.
It’s a big week for: Eddie Betts
The 32-year-old small forward will want a big performance to celebrate his 300th game. After a slow start to the season, Betts produced some of his vintage best with three goals in last week's loss to North Melbourne.
Big call: Rory Sloane responds from a quiet game to have at least 30 disposals and lead the Crows to victory.
Prediction: Adelaide by 21 points
