Victory for Adelaide on Friday night could see the Club sneak into the top eight for the first time this year depending on other results.
The Crows will need to draw every drop of inspiration out of the sell-out crowd if they're to overcome a Hawthorn unit likely to be fired up after losing in uncharacteristic fashion last weekend to North Melbourne.
It shapes as a season-defining game for the home side, whose chance of playing finals would be dramatically improved by upsetting the reigning premiers.
WHERE AND WHEN: Adelaide Oval, Friday July 11, 7.20pm ACST
TV AND RADIO: Click here for the broadcast guide
LAST FIVE TIMES
R6, 2013, Hawthorn 13.11 (89) d Adelaide 11.12 (78) at AAMI Stadium
1PF, 2012, Hawthorn 13.19 (97) d Adelaide 14.8 (92) at MCG
R3, 2012, Hawthorn 21.14 (140) d Adelaide 12.12 (84) at MCG
R1, 2011, Adelaide 16.9 (105) d Hawthorn 12.13 (85) at AAMI Stadium
R12, 2010, Hawthorn 19.10 (124) d Adelaide 11.11 (77) at Aurora Stadium
THE SIX POINTS
1. Adelaide is the No.1 contested marking side in 2014, averaging 11.3 marks a game compared to the seventh-ranked Hawthorn, which averages 9.9 a game.
2. One advantage for the Hawks is their goal kicking accuracy, ranked first at 58.3 per cent. The club's most deadly in front of goal this year have been Luke Breust with 39.4 and Jack Gunston 36.17.
3. The biggest crowd in Adelaide for a Crows v Hawks game was 46,689 at Football Park in Round Six, 1993. Adelaide has averaged the second-highest home attendance of any Club in 2014, trailing only Victorian heavyweight Collingwood. This record looks likely to be smashed on Friday night.
4. When Hawthorn held off Adelaide in a tight contest last season in round six last season it was the big guns who starred: Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell each had 26 possessions; Patrick Dangerfield had 35 touches and two goals for the Crows.
5. This will be the first clash between the sides at Adelaide Oval; in Adelaide at AAMI Stadium the Crows won 11 of 15 contests.
6. Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs is rising through the ranks of the Official AFL Player Ratings. He's currently rated the seventh best in the AFL; Hawk Ben McEvoy is ranked fourth.
AFL.com.au prediction: Adelaide by 17 points
