Adelaide and Carlton have met 35 times. The Blues hold the overall advantage 18 – 17.

The Crows have won three of the last five games between the two sides including the most recent match at the MCG in Round 16 last year.

On that day, former Blues Eddie Betts and Sam Jacobs combined for six goals to guide Adelaide to a 60-point win.

Betts will qualify for AFL Life Membership this weekend. It will be the star forward’s 300^th game, including 266 premiership games for Carlton and Adelaide, 28 pre-season matches and five International Rules appearances for Australia.

The Crows and Blues will meet in Melbourne for the seventh-straight year. Carlton hasn’t travelled to South Australia to play Adelaide since Round Four, 2010.

It will be Adelaide’s second trip to the MCG this season following a come-from-behind win over Hawthorn at the venue in Round Two. The Crows, who will venture to the ground again in Round 19 to play Collingwood, have won three of their last four games at the ‘G’.

The resurgent Blues have won two of their past three games including a stirring victory over ladder leaders Greater Western Sydney.

Carlton is the lowest-scoring team in the competition, but the Blues are tough to score against. Since Round Six, only one club (North Melbourne – 113) has kicked 100 points or more against them.

Adelaide remains the highest-scoring team, averaging 116 points per game. However, the Crows have been unable to crack the 100-point barrier in their four losses this season.

Both teams apply strong defensive pressure. They Blues are the second best team at denying the opposition effective kicks (133), while Adelaide is the fourth best (134.1). The two sides are also top-four in limiting opposition marks.

The Crows and Blues are also adept at denying scores once their opposition go inside attacking 50m. Since Round Six, Carlton has allowed its opponents to kick a goal from just 22.2 per cent of their inside 50ms - ranked No.1. Adelaide is ranked No.3 in this period, conceding a goal from 23.1 per cent of inside 50ms against.

The AFL’s No.1 ranked defender according to Champion Data, Sam Docherty is a playmaker for Carlton.

Docherty leads the League for kicks (284), effective kicks (220) and marks (127). He ranks fourth for metres gained (6,902) and combined inside/rebound 50ms (104), just ahead of Crow Rory Laird (100).

Docherty is part of a Blues defence that likes to switch the ball to create space. The Carlton players prefer to possess the ball (ranked fourth for time in possession) with short kicks rather than kick long to a contest. 

Carlton has the highest kick-to-handball ratio of any team (1.68) and averages 93.8 uncontested marks per game – ranked third in the League.

Carlton uses the corridor the least of any team, and rank second for boundary line ball movement.

Crows forward Josh Jenkins has kicked eight goals in his last two games against Carlton.

Matthew Kreuzer is the No.1 ranked ruckman in the competition according to Champion Data. He is third for clearances among ruckmen (51) and has also kicked eight goals.

It shapes as an interesting ruck battle between Kreuzer and Jacobs, who leads the League in hit-outs (535) and has gathered the third-most disposals (205) of any ruckman. Jacobs earned two Brownlow Medal votes when the two teams last met.

Carlton midfielder Patrick Cripps is ranked equal-sixth in the AFL for clearances (87). Cripps is also sixth for pressure acts (310) just behind Crow Rory Sloane (313).

Sloane is three goals-shy of his 100^th AFL goal.

Sloane and Blues skipper Marc Murphy are ranked equal-fourth in the League for turnovers forced (49).

Strong-marking forward Levi Casboult leads Carlton’s goalkicking with 20, while former Crow Matthew Wright has booted 17.

Adelaide is the only team with two players ranked in the League’s top 10 goalkickers: Betts (third) and captain Taylor Walker (eighth).

Carlton veteran Kade Simpson has polled Brownlow Medal votes in two of his last three games against Adelaide. Simpson has averaged 29 possessions and eight marks in his last four clashes with the Crows.

The Blues have used 35 players this season – the equal-most of any team. Adelaide has used the fewest (28), but could be tested this week with forward Tom Lynch ruled out and Charlie Cameron and Luke Brown in doubt.

Last weekend, the Blues fielded six players with 20 or fewer games of AFL experience – equal with the Brisbane Lions as the most for the round.